President Bush Comes Out Swinging
Bush Reveals Secret War on Terror, Movement of Suspects
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
He also announced that he was asking Congress to pass legislation that would allow the United States to try the terror suspects for war crimes.
"The families of the 9/11 attacks have waited patiently for justice, And it's time they get it" Bush said.
Issuing a warning to terrorists around the world, the president added, "We will find you, and we will bring you to justice."
.................................Khalid Sheik Mohammed
The president's comments came during a White House speech on the War on Terror, his third such speech, and before an audience of Sept. 11 families and first responders.
Bush acknowledged for the first time the existence of secret prisons to hold terrorist suspects and outlined how the CIA and the government's intelligence and law enforcement agencies were fighting a secret war against Al Qaeda to "stop attacks before they occur."
He detailed how the administration plans to legally try the more than 400 detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The suspects will be transferred to Defense Department custody as a first step in preparing them for trial, a senior administration official. The suspects would be afforded some legal protections consistent with the Geneva Conventions, he said.
In addition to Sheik Mohammed, believed to be the No. 3 Al Qaeda leader before his capture in Pakistan in 2003, the suspects include: Ramzi Binalshibh, an alleged would-be Sept. 11 hijacker, and Abu Zubaydah, whom U.S. intelligence officials believe was a key link between Usama bin Laden and many Al Qaeda cells. Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan, in March 2002.
...........................Ramzi Binalshibh
The announcement of the prisoner transfers is the first time the administration has acknowledged the existence of CIA prisons, which had been reported in the media and the subject of friction between Washington and some allies in Europe. The administration has come under criticism for its treatment of terrorism detainees.
...............................Abu Zubaydah
Bush referred to his comments on the CIA program as "limited disclosures" to enable intelligence officials to continue to investigate terrorists' knowledge of future attacks.
"To win the War on Terror, we must be able to detain, question and when appropriate, prosecute terrorists captured here in American and in battlefields around the world," Bush said.
The disclosure of initial leads, photographic identification, voices in recordings of intercepted calls and interpretation of terrorism communications have allowed U.S. officials to stop attacks against the United States, Bush said.
It also came as the president pressed a hard line with Congress on legislation he says is needed to permit the trial of terror suspects through military tribunals. Bush exhorted lawmakers on Wednesday to allow evidence to be withheld from a defendant, if necessary, to protect classified information.
"One of the most important tasks is for Congress to recognize that we need the tools necessary to win this War on Terror and we'll continue to discuss with Congress ways to make sure that this nation is capable of defending herself," Bush said after meeting with members of his Cabinet.
The Supreme Court ruled in June that military tribunals were never authorized by Congress and would violate U.S. and international law. Since the ruling, administration officials have been working on a new proposal to try terrorism suspects.
Of the 770 terror suspects had been sent to Guantanamo Bay, 315 of were returned to other countries and 455 remain in U.S. custody, Bush said.
Some of those suspects are linked to the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen and the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Bush's 40-minute speech pressured Congress to pass legislation that would allow military trials for terror suspects so they "can face justice."
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Congress will come to a resolution.
"Obviously there will be differences in approach by the administration and the Congress," Warner said.
Warner, Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham drafted a proposal different than the White House measure that would guarantee legal rights to defendants and access to evidence used against them.
"I think it's important that we stand by 200 years of legal precedents concerning classified information because the defendant should have a right to know what evidence is being used," McCain said.
White House spokesman Tony Snow downplayed reports that there are major differences between the White House and Congress.
"It's going to get worked out," Snow said when asked if the White House will negotiate with the lawmakers. "It may be that the Hill is willing to negotiate."
Bush's proposal faces opposition from members of Congress, including Republicans, over objections to whether prosecutors could use sensitive evidence that defendants would not be allowed to see. Some Republicans say it is violates constitutional rights of due process and could encourage other countries to use the same procedure against captured U.S. military personnel.
Some military lawyers back a system similar to the current system of military courts martial. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has objected to rules that would give terror suspects the right to remain silent or challenge hearsay evidence.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he will likely introduce the legislation late Wednesday.
The president also is scheduled to meet with members of his Cabinet and Republican leaders Wednesday. The White House plans a fourth speech by the president in the series on the War on Terror Thursday in Atlanta.
The president's speech comes a day after proclaiming that the United States "will not retreat" from the fights against radical Islamists bent on attacking America.
.............................The Commander-In-Cheif
"We will not rest, we will not retreat, we will not withdraw from the fight until this threat to civilization is removed," Bush told a gathering Tuesday of the Military Officers Association of America.
The speeches lead up to Bush's trip to New York on Monday's fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Bush will visit ground zero, the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania field where Flight 93 passengers forced hijackers to crash to avoid further loss of life.
President Bush's Speech
U.S. Dept. of Defense Detainee Directive...PDF
Read Full Story Here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that's how it's done!! Way to go Mr. President!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
He also announced that he was asking Congress to pass legislation that would allow the United States to try the terror suspects for war crimes.
"The families of the 9/11 attacks have waited patiently for justice, And it's time they get it" Bush said.
Issuing a warning to terrorists around the world, the president added, "We will find you, and we will bring you to justice."
.................................Khalid Sheik Mohammed
The president's comments came during a White House speech on the War on Terror, his third such speech, and before an audience of Sept. 11 families and first responders.
Bush acknowledged for the first time the existence of secret prisons to hold terrorist suspects and outlined how the CIA and the government's intelligence and law enforcement agencies were fighting a secret war against Al Qaeda to "stop attacks before they occur."
He detailed how the administration plans to legally try the more than 400 detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The suspects will be transferred to Defense Department custody as a first step in preparing them for trial, a senior administration official. The suspects would be afforded some legal protections consistent with the Geneva Conventions, he said.
In addition to Sheik Mohammed, believed to be the No. 3 Al Qaeda leader before his capture in Pakistan in 2003, the suspects include: Ramzi Binalshibh, an alleged would-be Sept. 11 hijacker, and Abu Zubaydah, whom U.S. intelligence officials believe was a key link between Usama bin Laden and many Al Qaeda cells. Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan, in March 2002.
...........................Ramzi Binalshibh
The announcement of the prisoner transfers is the first time the administration has acknowledged the existence of CIA prisons, which had been reported in the media and the subject of friction between Washington and some allies in Europe. The administration has come under criticism for its treatment of terrorism detainees.
...............................Abu Zubaydah
Bush referred to his comments on the CIA program as "limited disclosures" to enable intelligence officials to continue to investigate terrorists' knowledge of future attacks.
"To win the War on Terror, we must be able to detain, question and when appropriate, prosecute terrorists captured here in American and in battlefields around the world," Bush said.
The disclosure of initial leads, photographic identification, voices in recordings of intercepted calls and interpretation of terrorism communications have allowed U.S. officials to stop attacks against the United States, Bush said.
It also came as the president pressed a hard line with Congress on legislation he says is needed to permit the trial of terror suspects through military tribunals. Bush exhorted lawmakers on Wednesday to allow evidence to be withheld from a defendant, if necessary, to protect classified information.
"One of the most important tasks is for Congress to recognize that we need the tools necessary to win this War on Terror and we'll continue to discuss with Congress ways to make sure that this nation is capable of defending herself," Bush said after meeting with members of his Cabinet.
The Supreme Court ruled in June that military tribunals were never authorized by Congress and would violate U.S. and international law. Since the ruling, administration officials have been working on a new proposal to try terrorism suspects.
Of the 770 terror suspects had been sent to Guantanamo Bay, 315 of were returned to other countries and 455 remain in U.S. custody, Bush said.
Some of those suspects are linked to the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen and the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Bush's 40-minute speech pressured Congress to pass legislation that would allow military trials for terror suspects so they "can face justice."
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Congress will come to a resolution.
"Obviously there will be differences in approach by the administration and the Congress," Warner said.
Warner, Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham drafted a proposal different than the White House measure that would guarantee legal rights to defendants and access to evidence used against them.
"I think it's important that we stand by 200 years of legal precedents concerning classified information because the defendant should have a right to know what evidence is being used," McCain said.
White House spokesman Tony Snow downplayed reports that there are major differences between the White House and Congress.
"It's going to get worked out," Snow said when asked if the White House will negotiate with the lawmakers. "It may be that the Hill is willing to negotiate."
Bush's proposal faces opposition from members of Congress, including Republicans, over objections to whether prosecutors could use sensitive evidence that defendants would not be allowed to see. Some Republicans say it is violates constitutional rights of due process and could encourage other countries to use the same procedure against captured U.S. military personnel.
Some military lawyers back a system similar to the current system of military courts martial. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has objected to rules that would give terror suspects the right to remain silent or challenge hearsay evidence.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he will likely introduce the legislation late Wednesday.
The president also is scheduled to meet with members of his Cabinet and Republican leaders Wednesday. The White House plans a fourth speech by the president in the series on the War on Terror Thursday in Atlanta.
The president's speech comes a day after proclaiming that the United States "will not retreat" from the fights against radical Islamists bent on attacking America.
.............................The Commander-In-Cheif
"We will not rest, we will not retreat, we will not withdraw from the fight until this threat to civilization is removed," Bush told a gathering Tuesday of the Military Officers Association of America.
The speeches lead up to Bush's trip to New York on Monday's fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Bush will visit ground zero, the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania field where Flight 93 passengers forced hijackers to crash to avoid further loss of life.
President Bush's Speech
U.S. Dept. of Defense Detainee Directive...PDF
Read Full Story Here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that's how it's done!! Way to go Mr. President!
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 1:57 PM
14 Comments:
I watched the shameful performance of democrats yesterday as they continued to deny that there is a war with Islamic tyrants going on. I was wondering why they didn't just put their tablecloths on for the press conference and stop trying to fool everyone.
Bush is doing what is necessary to miinimize the threat to our nation and when he leaves office he will be cursed by al-queda and democrats. That speaks for itself and no other comment is necessary.
JG,
I missed the shameful performance.
What did they do now?
What is it with them? Why do they continue to deny we are at war?
Why do they think it is so simple to Move On? Do they honestly think we want to get attacked repeatedly like before?
I had to stop and think about the tablecloth's for a second lol, ha good one.
I can imagine what will be said about Bush after he leaves office, but I think history will show, he was The Right Man, at the Right Place, at The Right Time in our history. Even if it takes a few years for everyone to realize that.
marie does laura no u creem you pants when you see bush?
Anon,
You need to put the pipe down.
I was in a bit of a hurry when I made that first post Marie.
The democrat leadership had a press conference just after the one President Bush had and they fell allover themselves trying to get to the mike to bash Bush, calling for a pullout of troops so we can fight the real war on terror and calling for Rumsfeld resignation. It was truly a shameful performance by people bent on the destruction of this country for their own aggrandizement
Like I said over at my blog to Mrs. Green, there are so many things going on at one time the front page news from yesterday is already buried in the archives. I've been doing this for quite sometime but I have never seen things move this quickly.
One of things I have learned over the years is to stay focused and not let all the things that happen that are not relevant to the task at hand distract me. This is the way President Bush is conducting himself with the war on terror but it's a lot easier for me to stay focused than it is for him because I don't have the lives and future of my country in my hands. The pressure on the president is almost unbelievable with our enemies constantly challenging his/our resolve.
There is only one choice for him and that is to do what needs to be done to protect the country and remain faithful to his oath of office. When he places his hand on the Christian Bible and swears before God and his fellow Americans”I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
I understand swearing an oath and the responsibility that you take on when you do. I swore this oath when I was one month over my 18th birthday;
"I, Jennifer ------- (last name withheld) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
Enemy
1: one that is antagonistic to another; especially : one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent
2: something harmful or deadly *alcohol was his greatest enemy*
3 a: a military adversary b: a hostile unit or force
I suppose that the guys we're fighting over in Iraq and Afghanistan are of the 3rd instance whereas the current democrat leadership could be considered our enemies in the 1st instance. That is really the difference between the current democrat leadership and the leaders that I knew and disagreed with when I was learning about politics. Both parties may have disagreed on ways of doing things but they both had the well being of our nation in mind. Not so now, democrats now want power back at any cost and will stoop to any tactic to achieve that objective.
So much for swearing an oath to preserve and protect. Sounds to me like Bush swore an oath to flip-flop.
Why did Bush flip-flop over bin Laden?
This is what he said in March of 2002:
"As I say, we haven't heard much from him [Osama bin Laden]. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I--I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots fo the Taliban. But once we set out the policy and started executing the plan, he became--we shoved him out more and more on the margins. He has no place to train his al Qaeda killers anymore."
This was not spoken by some obscure politician running for office in some backwater district. Those words were spoken by the president of the US and the leader of the GWoT. Bush had to have known that those words would forever be in the record and referred to each time he or his administration made a pronouncement on bin Laden.
Words have meaning. Especially words spoken by someone in this powerful office and with the world listening to him.
Why did he say, in 2002, that he was not concerned about bin Laden, and now in 2006, he is concerned?
How could Bush's attitude have changed from wanting bin Laden "dead or alive" to "...not that concerned about him..." to now comparing bin Laden to Hitler and taking him seriously?
John Kerry was excoriated by conservatives in 2004 for saying he actually voted for the war before he voted against it, yet we have the man whom conservatives insist is our best protector from terrorism flip-flopping all over the map on the man who was responsible for killing 3,000 Americans.
How does Bush get a pass on that?
Now that Bush has likened bin Laden to Hitler, imagine his 2002 speech in these terms:
As I say, we haven't heard from Hitler. And I wouldn't necessarily say Hitler is at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where Hitler is. I--I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about Hitler. I know Hitler is on the run. I was concerned about Hitler when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that Hitler was basically running Germany and calling the shots for the Nazis. But once we set out the policy and started executing the plan, Hitler became--we shoved him out more and more on the margins. Hitler has no place to train his Nazi killers any more.
Bush is a fraud.
JG,
I was in a bit of a hurry when I made that first post Marie.
The democrat leadership had a press conference just after the one President Bush had and they fell allover themselves trying to get to the mike to bash Bush, calling for a pullout of troops so we can fight the real war on terror and calling for Rumsfeld resignation. It was truly a shameful performance by people bent on the destruction of this country for their own aggrandizement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh lol I only watch Bush I never pay attention to the Democrat Response. They say the same crap over and over again.
Mrs Green,
So much for swearing an oath to preserve and protect. Sounds to me like Bush swore an oath to flip-flop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You really ought to watch the ABC movie comming in a few days if you want to see a flip flop!
Mrs Green,
Bush is a fraud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Awwww what's the matter feeling a bit on the defensive today?
Why is it when you on the left feel cornerd you name call?
Great so Bush has finally admitted that he held captives in secret CIA torture camps. Now being that he lied about this when it was first exposed by European law, and that it's illegal, when does he get arrested for even more war crimes? George is such the humanitarian it brings tears to my eyes. Wait maybe thats the electricity he has strapped to my nuts.
Sweet Cheeks,
Great so Bush has finally admitted that he held captives in secret CIA torture camps. Now being that he lied about this when it was first exposed by European law, and that it's illegal, when does he get arrested for even more war crimes? George is such the humanitarian it brings tears to my eyes. Wait maybe thats the electricity he has strapped to my nuts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bush never lied about having Terrorists in jails across the World. And obviously those Countries that these jails are in TOOK THESE LUNATICS!
They got powerful information from them and no matter how much you dont approve, they managed to get them to cough up thier plans to attack us, and further plans to attack us have been foiled.
Or would you like to see this Country get attacked repeatedly like what happened in the previous administration?
Whatever it takes to keep us from getting attacked, WHATEVER IT TAKES!!
If there is anyone that needs electricity strapped to thier balls it is deffinately YOU!
Mrs Green says...Oh, and the husband and wife who are my neighbors--one is a physicist and the other is a mathematician. Their children are honor students at the local high school. I've learned some really fabulous recipes from Yasmeen, it's wonderful to hear her speak
I never said they were stupid. I said they are dangerous. One day in the not to distant future they are going to be forced to choose, Mrs. Green. Do you think those Muslims that planned the last foiled attack from England came from the slums of Beirut or the grinding poverty of some Indonesian shanty town. No, those terrorists came from middle class a fairly well fed families but jihad has taken over their senses and hate pours from every pore of their skin.
Yes, Mrs. Green your neighbors are probably very nice people to you but when they head of to the mosque and are confronted by the Iman they are reminded that they are Muslim first and that jihad is coming to a neighbor near you. The time and date are the only question.
I think maybe the purple thingy had some electrodes strapped to his head in the procedure they used to do called "Electroshock therapy". The comments from this person seem to coincide with the results from this type of experiment
JG,
I think maybe the purple thingy had some electrodes strapped to his head in the procedure they used to do called "Electroshock therapy". The comments from this person seem to coincide with the results from this type of experiment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wouldnt doubt if he performs wild experiments on himself all the time.
If he hasnt yet, he should.
If he is recieving "Electro", that explains alot of his posts and proves to me they do have internet play time at the asylum every now and again!
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