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| Terror Networks |
| Bush says 75% of al-Qaeda leadership neutralized |
| 2004-09-01 |
| President Bush said on Tuesday he would tell the Republican convention that three-quarters of known al Qaeda leaders have been captured or killed, an increase from an earlier estimate of two-thirds. For months, the CIA had privately advocated switching to the 75 percent figure, though the White House balked at using it publicly. Critics say the estimate is meaningless as losses by a decentralized al Qaeda are ever harder to estimate. Bush told conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh that during his speech accepting the Republican nomination on Thursday he would "tell the people that three-quarters of the known al Qaeda leadership has been brought to justice. And we're still obviously on the hunt." White House officials said the change took new information about arrests and the al Qaeda network into account, and was not politically timed for the Republican convention, where Bush's war on terror is a central theme. A CIA spokesman said the 75 percent estimate "is absolutely consistent with our view." John Pike, a defense analyst with GlobalSecurity.org, said recent arrests may have helped prevent attacks against the United States but it was hard, because of the decentralized nature of al Qaeda, to estimate losses. "That's been a pretty slippery issue right there," he said. Flynt Leverett, who was a senior director on Bush's National Security Council and now an informal adviser to Democratic rival John Kerry, called it a "meaningless assertion. We don't really know at this point the real map of the al Qaeda network as it has morphed." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #16 Murat must be pissed that so many of his chums are dead or captured. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-09-01 11:13:04 AM |
| #15 aack..needed some commas and better sentence structure above. sorry. |
| Posted by: B 2004-09-01 11:11:52 AM |
| #14 That explains why this AQ strip tease link piece of spin was churned out (posted rantburg yesterday). Not sure if the piece is trying to tell us that this 75% is not really masterminds - or if these non-masterminds are just Frankenstinian creations of Bush that will create a climate of fear that will allow him to get reelected. Take your pick from this this grab-bag of lame insinuations. Cause, despite Bush capturing 75% of top AQ leadership, there is nothing to see here. Move along. |
| Posted by: B 2004-09-01 11:10:28 AM |
| #13 ...the fat guy has guts... No one's gonna argue with that. ...showing up at a Republican convention and telling Bush he's got two months left, that's style man. Yep, the 'L' for loser sign - class. Kindergarten class. He's going to look even more of a fatgut Krispy Kreme Kretin when Bush wins in November, donchathink? |
| Posted by: Anonymous6234 2004-09-01 7:39:09 AM |
| #12 Don't be that unfair Bulldog, the fat guy has guts, showing up at a Republican convention and telling Bush he's got two months left, that's style man. |
| Posted by: Murat 2004-09-01 7:18:02 AM |
| #11 Oh yes, a really nice guy; a man of the people. An anti-materialistic egalitarian who's selflessly taking blows for the little guy. You're such a tool, Murat. I'm sure you'd get on really well, if you could buy Moore's time for a while. "Michael Moore reportedly left London under a cloud of bad feeling amid claims he was not paid enough for his recent one-man show at the Camden Roundhouse. The director and star of the acclaimed Bowling For Columbine played a sell out two month run at the London venue before Christmas, but the London Evening Standard says he was irritated to be paid as little as £500 for each gig. The Standard quotes "a source" saying Moore threw a temper tantrum on the penultimate night. "He completely lost the plot," says the unnamed member of staff. "He stormed around all day screaming at everybody, even the £5-an-hour bar staff, telling us how we were all conmen and useless. Then he went on stage and did it in public." Enraged staff, the Standard continues, refused to work on Moore's final night until the comic apologised, delaying the start for over an hour." He's very anti-Blair. So was Saddam. He's pro-Castro, pro-Kim Il-Sung, pro-twats the world over. I'm not at all surprised you like him. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-09-01 6:23:02 AM |
| #10 I figured it out. Fatboy is showing us how islamo-fascists wipe their ass. No wonder we can't sell them toilet paper. Too bad Moore is so fat he has to get someone else to do the job. He has to hand sign for it. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-01 6:19:07 AM |
| #9 it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-09-01 6:00:03 AM |
| #8 He is just a nice fat guy who is against fools Bulldog, if he had been English he would have been anti-Blare too. |
| Posted by: Murat 2004-09-01 5:52:04 AM |
| #7 Moore's debating skills are indeed on a par with yours, Murat: pathetic. You're a joke. A bad one at that. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-09-01 5:29:33 AM |
| #6 A better picture |
| Posted by: The Minnesota Manatee 2004-09-01 4:20:18 AM |
| #5 Be his tool, Murat. He cares for you. He's looking out for your interests. Just ask him. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-09-01 4:10:12 AM |
| #4 I think he meant Bush dear Ed. I like this fat guy. |
| Posted by: Murat 2004-09-01 4:05:37 AM |
| #3 I could not agree with you more Murat. Muslims are LOSERS. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-09-01 3:37:07 AM |
| #2 Fat boy counts his IQ on one hand. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-01 3:35:44 AM |
| #1 |
| Posted by: Murat 2004-09-01 3:33:35 AM |