Al-Qaida no longer a threat

[capriccio]

Anyone have the Flyboy's exact quote or a link to where he said something to the effect that they're either dead or imprisoned but in any case no longer a threat?

(seems like rich material for a Move.on ad, don't you think?)

[Supormom]

1. Another flip-flop by bush*?

[teach1st]

2. This is often quoted, but possibly of context

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html

There are days when our fellow citizens do not hear news about the war on terror. There's never a day when I do not learn of another threat, or receive reports of operations in progress, or give an order in this global war against a scattered network of killers. The war goes on, and we are winning. (Applause.)

To date, we've arrested or otherwise dealt with many key commanders of al Qaeda. They include a man who directed logistics and funding for the September the 11th attacks; the chief of al Qaeda operations in the Persian Gulf, who planned the bombings of our embassies in East Africa and the USS Cole; an al Qaeda operations chief from Southeast Asia; a former director of al Qaeda's training camps in Afghanistan; a key al Qaeda operative in Europe; a major al Qaeda leader in Yemen. All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries. Many others have met a different fate. Let's put it this way -- they are no longer a problem to the United States and our friends and allies. (Applause.)

Which can be taken as meaning the ones "who met a different fate" are no longer a threat.

[Shrek]

3. You can find it at the White House website

It's from the 2003 State of the Union address.

To date, we've arrested or otherwise dealt with many key commanders of al Qaeda. They include a man who directed logistics and funding for the September the 11th attacks; the chief of al Qaeda operations in the Persian Gulf, who planned the bombings of our embassies in East Africa and the USS Cole; an al Qaeda operations chief from Southeast Asia; a former director of al Qaeda's training camps in Afghanistan; a key al Qaeda operative in Europe; a major al Qaeda leader in Yemen. All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries. Many others have met a different fate. Let's put it this way -- they are no longer a problem to the United States and our friends and allies.

But I think he was talking about the "many others" who "met a different fate" rather than the entire organization.

[capriccio]

4. Oh, yes...

Now I recall, this is the one Mo Dowd got spanked for misusing (and of course it was her take on it that stayed with me)

Thanks.