"November 21, 2001"

[krkaufman]

If the Rethuglicans want to keep trotting out "September 11, 2001" as a rallying cry (cum fear-mongering), I'll be countering with:

"November 21, 2001"

This is the day when Bush jumped-the-shark. Up to this point -- after the 9/11 attacks -- the country (and, somewhat remarkably given Bush's approach to "diplomacy" during his first 8 months in office, the world) had nearly unanimously united behind Bush's effort to take the fight to those who had attacked us: Al Qaeda and the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which was harboring the terrorist organization.

However, on this day, November 21, 2001 -- a mere 10 weeks after the 9/11 attacks and nearly 4 weeks before the end of fighting in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden was widely believed to be hiding -- President Bush ordered Tommy Franks, through Don Rumsfeld, to devise an updated plan for the invasion of Iraq, diverting the military commander's attention away from the ongoing effort in Afghanistan.

When General Tommy Franks—who already has his hands full with the operation in Afghanistan—learns that the administration is considering plans to invade Iraq, he utters “a string of obscenities.” (link)

From this point on, critical resources were diverted from the fight against Al Qaeda and global terrorism to Bush's War in Iraq, alliances and unity discarded, and the "dead or alive" hunt for Osama bin Laden put on the back-burner. Consider that Tora Bora fell to our Afghan coalition forces barely 3 months after the 9/11 attacks, yet here we are 3 years later with Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar still free, and the Taliban resurging in Afghanistan.

With this sort of "leadership", I agree with the President that we'll never be able to win the fight against global terrorism. Since the President is so fond of sports analogies, let's just say that it's time for a new coach.

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Another great day -- December 28, 2001: Other than it being my parents' wedding anniversary, it's also the date on which Tommy Franks stood in Crawford, Texas with then-President George W Bush, and told the nation that they were discussing the progress in the war in Afghanistan. However, it is now known that this meeting was primarily focused on Tommy Franks briefing Bush on the previously requested Iraq war plan.

Here's the official White House press release for the Crawford meeting, capturing the President's deception of the American people. (oY!)

[Old and In the Way]

1. And you know that's what the Cheney secret energy meetings were

all about....getting the spoils divided for Big Oil before marketing the plan to the American people.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Great post! Wish you were working for the campaign, krkaufman --

nt

[krkaufman]

3. We *all* are, aren't we? : ) n/t

[DeepModem Mom]

4. You bet!

[krkaufman]

5. wooHOO! Just heard Kerry criticize Bush's handling of Tora Bora

I just heard an audio clip during the 1st hour newsbreak on AAR's 'Al Franken Show' (I'm listening delayed), where John Kerry criticized Bush's handling of Tora Bora:

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(JoAnne Allen narrating...)

Senator John Kerry emphatically said that the war on terror is a winnable one, and that extremism has gained momentum thanks to Bush Administration policies in the Middle East.

Kerry says he would not have done some of the things Bush did in tracking down terrorists:


(audio clip of Sen. Kerry...)

"I would have done almost everything differently.

"I would have relied on American troops in Tora Bora -- the best troops in the world -- when we had Osama bin Laden in our sights, trapped in the mountains. I would not have sent Afghans up into those mountains, who a week earlier had been fighting on the other side.

"I would have sent the best-trained forces in the world to get the number one criminal and terrorist in the world."

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[Bluebear]

6. kick

[krkaufman]

7. Another effective endorsement for a Kerry Presidency...

US Navy wants more cooperation with allies, says US admiral

“Having more opportunities to interact with our friends and allies will allow us that ability to operate more quickly,”