In a video published on the Internet, Ayman al-Zawahiri called Mr Bush a "lying failure" and said al-Qaeda was stronger than ever.
The Egyptian militant, who is seen as the group’s ideologue, has eluded capture despite a $25m bounty on his head.
In the latest video, Zawahiri said: "We have gained more strength and we are more insistent on martyrdom.
"Bush, oh failure and liar, why don’t you be courageous for once and confront your people and tell them the truth about your losses in Iraq and Afghanistan." Read on…
Okay, granted, you have to expect that the "Number Two" guy for Al Qaeda (a dubious distinction, how many of them are there?) would be less than glowing in his references to our presence in the Middle East.
The only problem is, he’s not alone. World Public Opinion.org had PIPA run a survey in Iraq and came up with some disturbing results:
seven in ten Iraqis want US-led forces to commit to withdraw within a year. An overwhelming majority believes that the US military presence in Iraq is provoking more conflict than it is preventing and there is growing confidence in the Iraqi army. If the US made a commitment to withdraw, a majority believes that this would strengthen the Iraqi government. Support for attacks on US-led forces has grown to a majority position-now six in ten. Support appears to be related to a widespread perception, held by all ethnic groups, that the US government plans to have permanent military bases in Iraq.
Support for US withdrawal appears to be derived from a widespread perception that the presence of US-led forces is having a net negative effect on the situation in Iraq. Large numbers say that the US military presence is "provoking more conflict than it is preventing." This view is held by 78 percent overall, and by 82 percent of Shias and a near-unanimous 97 percent of Sunnis. The Kurds diverge, with 56 percent taking the opposing view that the US military presence is "a stabilizing force."
Among those who believe that US presence is provoking more conflict 82 percent favor withdrawal of US forces within a year. Among those who believe that it is a stabilizing force, just 33 percent favor withdrawal in this time frame.
More broadly, 79 percent of Iraqis say that the US is having a negative influence on the situation in Iraq, with just 14 percent saying that it is having a positive influence. Views are especially negative among the Sunnis (96% negative), and the Shias (87% negative). However, a plurality of Kurds (48%) say that the US is having a positive influence, while just 34 percent say it is having a negative influence.
Confidence in the US military is quite low. Eighty-four percent say they have little (22%) or no (62%) confidence in the US military. An extraordinary 98 percent of Sunnis take this view (no confidence 85%, a little 13%) as do 91 percent of Shias (no confidence 66%, a little 25%). However a majority of Kurds-55%-express confidence in the US military (some 37%, a lot 18%), while 45 percent do not express confidence (no confidence 17%, a little 28%).
Support for attacks against US-led forces has increased sharply to 61 percent (27% strongly, 34% somewhat). This represents a 14-point increase from January 2006, when only 47 percent of Iraqis supported attacks.
This change is due primarily to a dramatic 21-point increase among Shias, whose approval of attacks has risen from 41 percent in January to 62 percent in September. A very large majority (86%) of Kurds disapprove of attacks (59% strongly), with only 15 percent supporting them. Kurdish disapproval is up slightly from January, when it was 81 percent, but approval of attacks has held constant. Similarly, Sunni support for attacks has remained relatively constant with 92 percent approving (up only slightly from 88% in January).
So if I have this straight, Al Qaeda may sneer at your efforts, the Iraqis may want you to get the hell out of their country and the rest of the Middle East may see you as a destabilizing force, but don’t feel bad, George, Barney gives you two paws up! Heckuva job, Bushie
~~~~~~Sweetest Smiles Yet~~~~~~
Thanks go out to Crooks & Liars
Posts
8 comments:
Have you been hacking me Muse? lmao I was writing something on this very subject last night, with the same stats. See!! We are feckin' brilliant I tell ya! :)
I thought all of you could see each otherss drafts on a shared blog?
Blasted apostrophe.
No eff, I am not a member yet. :)
I'm still contemplating.
hehehehe Michelle, I hope that you decide to join as a author here. I love reading your comments, I always find them imformative and enlightening.
Lol@Eff
I thought this was pretty interesting. Perhaps the Republicans know something we don't know about 2007?
Congress ready to celebrate end-of-war party
WASHINGTON - The military’s top generals have warned Iraq is on the cusp of a civil war and that U.S. troops must remain in large numbers until at least next spring. But if the winds suddenly blow a different direction, Congress is ready to celebrate with a $20 million victory party.
Lawmakers included language in this year’s defense spending bill, approved last week, allowing them to spend the money. The funds for “commemoration of success” in Iraq and Afghanistan were originally tucked into last year’s defense measure, but went unspent amid an uptick in violence in both countries that forced the Pentagon to extend tours of duty for thousands of troops.
Republicans have yet to claim responsibility for the provision. Democrats say it was likely added by the Senate’s majority Republicans, and less than five weeks from congressional elections are pointing to it as another example of where the GOP has gone astray handling the war in Iraq.
“If the Bush administration is planning victory celebrations, Americans deserve to know what their plan is to get us to a victory in Iraq,” said Rebecca Kirszner, spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Carolyn Weyforth, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said, “Republicans are confident we will be victorious in the ongoing war in terror, and we look forward to a time when those funds can be used to honor the men and women who have risked and given their lives.”
President can designate victory day
Under the language, the president could “designate a day of celebration” to honor troops serving in the two wars. The president also could call on the nation “to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities” and issue awards to troops who have served honorably.
The Pentagon could spend up to $20 million of its $532 billion budget in 2007 for the commemoration, minus any private contributions it might receive for such an event.Read More...
I can understand the country wanting to celebrate the end of the supposed Iraq war, but, was it actually a war? We invaded Iraq! this has been proven. How dare we want to celebrate when their is no end to the violence in Iraq. How dare Congress use 20 million dollars or more for a party. There are many military families that can use that money if their came a time when we could pull out of Iraq. Which I do not see that happening. This Congress is definately no conservative. This money has clearly been set aside to help GOP for the 2008 elections. Milking America's patriotic udders. So pathetic, everything about GOP is pathetic. Slight of hand is something they have developed well while constructing these bills.
Michelle, thank you for posting this link. This is something I have heard of and I know that think tanks have been working on a way to withdrawl from Iraq after the mid term elections and before '08' preisdental elections take place.
This only goes to porve that this admin is using the fear card to keep the public at large go 'yes this admin is screwing up but we can't afford not to be safe'.
I can't help but wonder what are the republicans going to say when they do start to withdrawl troops and how the party is going to explain how no longer the war on terrorism has to be founght there. I think it will prove to be intersting times ahead.
Remember the meek will inherit the world, and this present admin certainly are not meek.
~~~~~~Forever A Faceious Pain~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~Sweetest Smiles~~~~~~~~~
Muse, the new/old thing in Iraq is going to be outsourcing our military, which is really already in motion, since we do not have enough Americans to send to Iraq. These companies are private corporations like Haliburton and the Carlysle Group. I bet they will be getting a hell of better paycheck than our soldiers. This also includes foreigners that are promised American citizenship if they fight in Iraq. We all know that torturing is outsourced in Iraq. This is probably one of the reason's we are paying so heavily a price for Iraq.
So, what does this all mean? It means basically they will be able to withdraw troops, but in reality replace them with private security agencies or militias (like they have done in other countries) to continue their occupation of Iraq.
They will have their 20 mil to help their 2008 elections with a grand party, all the while Iraqi suffering will continue. Just think, we will be flipping the bill , oh joy!!!
I will post some information I found later on. I am currently tiling my studio, so I have been taking short breaks to run my mouth. :)
Post a Comment