Tony Snow: ‘I Don’t Know’ If Bin Laden Is The Leader Of Al Qaeda

[babylonsister]

This stunned me. Is this the new spin?

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/01/snow-bin-laden/


Tony Snow: ‘I Don’t Know’ If Bin Laden Is The Leader Of Al Qaeda «

On Sunday, it will have been 2,000 days since the 9/11 terror attacks — 2,000 days that Osama bin Laden has spent on the loose, living in freedom.

Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked about new U.S. intelligence showing that bin Laden is in Pakistan actively re-establishing al Qaeda training camps.

At first Snow claimed that this was “an intelligence matter that I’m not going to be able to go into,” despite the fact that the new National Intelligence Director had testified about this topic the day before. He then suggested that bin Laden may now be “marginalized.” A reporter responded, “Isn’t he the leader of al Qaeda?” Snow answered, “Well, I don’t know. It’s a real question about who assumes operational command.” Watch it:

Last month, Vice President Cheney referenced the #3 leader of al Qaeda “underneath Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri.” In December, Snow himself referred to al Qaeda as “the bin Laden organization.” Moreover, President Bush, Tony Snow, and other White House officials frequently quote bin Laden as proof that al Qaeda considers Iraq “the central battlefield in the war on terror.”

Only when the Bush administration is asked to face the truth about the threat that bin Laden poses do they pretend he might be a bit player. Otherwise, they’re happy to use his propaganda to justify their failing policies.

Transcript:

Q Tony, yesterday the President’s new Director of National Intelligence testified on Capitol Hill for the first time, and said, U.S. intelligence believes that Osama bin Laden and his number two are alive in Pakistan and reestablishing training camps. If you really have bin Laden on the run, how is he reestablishing training camps?

MR. SNOW: Well, that’s a question — that’s an intelligence matter that I’m not going to be able to go into.

Q But how can you continually say the leadership is on the run and –

MR. SNOW: Well, you take a look also at statements that have been made by generals in recent days — General Schoomaker the other day had a comment that I was asked about, which is he thought bin Laden had been marginalized. The question is whether al Qaeda — I think the bin Laden question may be separable from the al Qaeda question. It’s clear that al Qaeda is trying to gain strength –

Q But isn’t he the leader of al Qaeda?

MR. SNOW: Well, I don’t know. It’s a real question about who assumes operational command. One of the things we’ve found is that the command structure has been degraded significantly and that remains the case. But in terms of trying to characterize precisely how the command structure looks or how it operates, it would be inappropriate to comment from the podium.

[LiberalFighter]

1. Too bad the reporters don't make fun of Snow in public

Maybe they pass around notes and drawings of Snow during the press briefing. Maybe they tell jokes before and after the briefing. Maybe lower level White House press relation employees do it every day.

[Aviation Pro]

2. New, actually old, nick name for Tony Snow (and it rhymes!).

"Idontknow Tony Snow."

[Roland99]

3. Snow's belting out the hits, eh? Also said we didn't start war in Iraq, too!!

[Canuckistanian]

4. Uh-oh, what's this game they're playing?

Has Osama just been downgraded? Are they starting to downplay him just because he hasn't been caught yet?

Look, whether or not Tony Snow and the kleptocracy consider him the leader doesn't mean that radical jihadists DON'T.

He has become an Islamic cultural icon, a hero to some and an embarrassment and threat to most Muslims.

There's one thing you CAN'T do. And that's ignore him.

[babylonsister]

5. Per Schoomaker, he's been downgraded. This admin is sending

lots of mixed messages lately.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?...

General Plays Down Value Of Capturing Bin Laden

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH, Feb. 23 -- The Army's highest-ranking officer said Friday that he was unsure whether the U.S. military would capture or kill Osama bin Laden, adding, "I don't know that it's all that important, frankly."

"So we get him, and then what?" asked Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the outgoing Army chief of staff, at a Rotary Club of Fort Worth luncheon. "There's a temporary feeling of goodness, but in the long run, we may make him bigger than he is today.

"He's hiding, and he knows we're looking for him. We know he's not particularly effective. I'm not sure there's that great of a return" on capturing or killing bin Laden.

Schoomaker pointed to the capture of Saddam Hussein, the killings of his sons, Uday and Qusay, and the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as evidence that the capture or death of al-Qaeda's leader would have little effect on threats to the United States.

Days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Bush said he wanted bin Laden "dead or alive," and then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said, "It is not enough to get one individual, although we'll start with that one individual."

Bush reaffirmed the goal last September in a prime-time speech, warning bin Laden: "No matter how long it takes, America will find you, and we will bring you to justice."

But Schoomaker's remarks echoed comments last year by Vice President Cheney, who seemed to play down the value of capturing or killing bin Laden days before the Bush speech. "He's not the only source of the problem, obviously. . . . If you killed him tomorrow, you'd still have a problem with al-Qaeda," the vice president said.

Schoomaker, who is due to be replaced as chief of staff in April by Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commanded the U.S. Special Operations Command before becoming chief of staff. Special operations personnel have been leading the hunt for bin Laden along the mountainous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[Roland99]

6. And how do they know bin Laden still isn't "The Financier"?

[izzie]

7. I think the training camps were really for ;freedom fighters'

Most of these fighters are trying to get people out of countries not come to the out side and blow up people. I think we look at bin Larden thought Bush's eyes and we should look at how the Middle East sees him to really understand what is going on. Has he ever said he hates our way of life or has he said he wants us out of the Middle East? I am sure he has said they do not want our army next to Mecca. He seems to speak more for the Middle East people, who think he is a hero, than Bush speaks for the rest of the world. Wonder how many would not turn in Bush for 5 million and yet no one has turned this guy in. Does anyone think that is not odd? Forcing our way of life on to these people just does not seem to work. OK. OK kill me off now.

[Beer Snob-50]

10. izzie, this is a big part of our problem

bin laden has never said he hates our way of life, he ain't happy with our role in the middle east. This is just like our perception of the Heroes of the Isreali conflict. We think of them as freedom fighters and there are others who think of them as terrorist.

[izzie]

11. I of course do not like a thing bin Laden has done but I think

we are playing into his hands and acting in the wrong way on all of this. We just do not seem to understand it. It is foolish to write Bin Laden off as just a terrorist. It is often not what we think but what the people in these countries think. I fear he has now become a hero and dead of alive he has won his point. He wants us and people like us off his lands and out of trying to run things our way. Why Am. do not understand it is just beyond me when we our self did not want to be ruled by others. And we were just as unhappy to have these people take for profit what we felt was ours. I will not get into the American Indian rights as we have long ago put those poor people behind us.

[Virginia Dare]

8. I bet Tony plays a mean game of charades...

but he's probably really crappy at poker.

[Supersedeas]

9. We have always been at War with EurAsia...East Asia...EurAsia...East...

[NDP]

12. Sounds like the first honest thing he's ever said. Al Qaeda was never a centralized

organization with a single leader at the top. Osama bin Laden was just the one with all of the money that different militants would come to for money. He was not "in charge" of an "Al Qaeda" (Source: The Power of Nightmares, Video 3).

[PresidentObama]

13. Let me guess? They have 'slam dunk' evidence that Iran is the new leader....

:puke:

Bin Laden is old news, people. :sarcasm:

They only used him to support their agenda against Saddam, and Iran is next. They don't need Bin Laden for that, so I guess they decide to give him a free pass.

What am I saying? I should have MORE faith in Bush. I mean, he's ALWAYS went after Bin Laden and tried his best. It's not like he let him slip through the cracks or anything...

*cough* Tora Bora *cough* Colds going around ;)