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Tancredo's threats against Muslim holy sites spark criticism

First to apologize for being a day late with this post, I didn't get back to my home computer until too late for eastern time. I've been itching with this article all day! I won't be able to visit the site until late tomorrow either damn
WASHINGTON - From Turkey, from Russia and from the desk of Howard Dean - angry reaction to Rep. Tom Tancredo's threat against Muslim holy sites came from around the world Tuesday.
Ain't it grand being PC especially to folks that hate us
In Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul blasted Tancredo's comments suggesting the United States could "take out" holy sites, including Mecca, if Islamic terrorists detonated nuclear bombs in U.S. cities. "This was nothing but a fanatic speaking completely personally, irresponsibly and without thought of how far his statements would reach or what kind of problems they would create," Gul said, according to an Anatolia news agency report quoted by The Associated Press.
Yeah our Tancredo is the fanatic one.
Despite an international outcry, the Colorado Republican continued to stand by his comments Tuesday, saying he did not intend to offend moderate Muslims during last week's interview with Florida radio talk show host Pat Campbell.

But it did. Threatening to off the Pope would tend to upset me, and I'm a 'moderate' Catholic.

During the WFLA broadcast, Campbell referred to a report that Islamic terrorists hoped to strike several U.S. cities with nuclear weapons and he asked Tancredo how the United States could respond. "Well, what if you said something like - if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered.

"You're talking about bombing Mecca," Campbell said. "Yeah," Tancredo responded.
HELL YEAH
Does anyone remember how the cold war MAD policy "mutually assured destruction" worked to preserve the peace? Or do some have selective memory here
He went on to say that he was "just throwing out some ideas" but that an "ultimate threat" might have to be met with an "ultimate response."

In Moscow, Russian parliament member Konstantin Kosachev denounced the remarks during a news conference. "It's quite obvious that statements like the one just made by the U.S. lawmaker play into the terrorists' hands as they stir international strife and may lead to the emergence of new . . . suicide bombers," Kosachev said, according to the Russian news and information agency, Novosti.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called Tancredo's remarks "insulting to Islam" and said they do not represent the U.S. government position to "respect the dignity and sanctity of other religions."
Yeah like we need to respect the dignity of the law to kill all infidels
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Interfaith Alliance added their own denunciations.

Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, issued a statement calling Tancredo "utterly careless." "Remarks threatening the destruction of holy sites akin to the Vatican or Jerusalem do nothing to win the hearts and minds of Muslims in the United States and abroad," Dean said.

Several groups have demanded that Tancredo apologize, but he rejected that call again Tuesday.
Thank God He didn't apologize
"One of the things I rail about quite often . . . is this sort of slavish adherence to political correctness that prevents us from talking about the world in which we live in real terms," Tancredo said.
Well said
On a day when he had hoped to be spreading the word about his new immigration reform legislation, he hunkered in his Capitol Hill office writing a lengthy talking-points memo explaining his Mecca comments. "Call me a cockeyed optomist, ...
not a cross eyed optomitrist
... but I believe something good can happen" as a result of the dialogue, Tancredo said. "As we begin to discuss this issue forthrightly and realize the horrendous consequences of continuing on the confrontational path we are on, perhaps we can use this to begin steps in a different direction." He hopes his remarks spur moderate Muslims to identify and stop radicals before they get involved in terrorism.

Ironically, on the day Turkey's foreign minister was blasting Tancredo in Ankara, ...
The terrorists were making hay in Turkey
... his country's U.S. ambassador, Osman Faruk Logoglu, had a prearranged meeting to talk to Tancredo about legislation pending in the International Relations Committee. They touched on the Mecca comments only briefly, Tancredo said. "The guy said, 'You know how these things get spun in the press,' " Tancredo said. "He was being very diplomatic."

The ambassador's office did not return phone messages seeking comment.

By the time the day was over, Tancredo had done numerous radio and cable television interviews. While he defended his comments on Fox News, black and white pictures of atomic blasts were shown on the screen.
I just love the media slants. Listening to talk radio on my way home I was listening to an interview with Tancredo and he stood his ground very well.
Tancredo spokesman Will Adams celebrated his birthday Tuesday while fielding dozens of phone calls from reporters as far away at the United Arab Emirates.

Again, his boss was unapologetic. "He signed up," Tancredo said. "He's in for the duration."

Others who have criticized Rep. Tom Tancredo's remarks about Muslim holy sites:

â¢ Mohammad Noorzai, coordinator of the Colorado Muslim Council
â¢ The Council on American-Islamic Relations
â¢ U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli
â¢ The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
â¢ The Interfaith Alliance
â¢ Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean

Big surprise here
I often wonder why we allowed Osama Bin Laden's family to leave the United States, as maybe threats toward his family would have been a deterrent as well. It wouldn't have anything to do with being buddies with Bush now would it
Posted by: Jan 2005-07-21

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