Reality
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
Last week, a letter titled "GOP Hypocrisy" accused Republicans of playing politics with national security. The author's numerous misrepresentations (as set forth below) shall, in the words of President Obama, serve as a "teachable moment."
Author: Bin Laden escaped because Bush waited to "call [off] the dogs and send in private contractors."
Reality: In a report addressing Bin Laden's escape, Senator John Kerry found that there were too few troops to cordon off the mountainous area surrounding Tora Bora and prevent Bin Laden from retreating into Pakistan. According to Kerry, Rumsfield was concerned that too many U.S. troops in Afghanistan would create an anti-American backlash and fuel a widespread insurgency. The report attributes nothing to private contractors.
Author: Republicans supported Bush's treatment of Richard Reid now fault Obama for his handling of the Christmas Day Bomber.
Reality: While Bush mirandized and prosecuted Reid within the criminal system, at the time of Reid's arrest (December 2001), military tribunals were not put in place. Thus, Bush did not have the luxury of constitutionally tested military tribunals that Obama now enjoys. Moreover, Reid's criminal prosecution is the reason Republicans passed the military commissions act in 2006 which permits the military prosecution of terrorists while limiting MSNBC's ability to broadcast intelligence secrets to our enemies.
Author: Gitmo detainees released by Bush in 2007 trained the Christmas Day bomber.
Reality: Several Democratic lawyers represented terrorists claiming their detentions were unconstitutional. To blame Republicans for the Christmas Day attack, when Eric Holder and company were arguing for the terrorists' release, suggests that Democrats want to have their cake and eat it too. The very policy underlying the creation of Gitmo is to prevent terrorists from returning to the battlefield - a policy Obama actively subverts daily.
Author: Detainees released by Bush are responsible for the "re-emergence" of Al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Reality: To "re-emerge" there must be withdrawal. The Jamestown Foundation, which has monitored terrorism since 1984, found that Yemen has long been a safe haven for Al-Qaeda since the early 1990s. Particularly fatal to the author's case - on two separate occasions in 2000, Al-Qaeda attacked US naval ships docked in Yemen. Are Democrats holding Bush responsible for Al-Qaeda in Yemen even when President Clinton was in office?
Author: Former Bush officials charge Obama with "killing too many terrorists."
Reality: After stating all terrorists are legitimate targets, the official questioned whether Obama's drone campaign against terrorists is more advantageous than Bush's policy of capture and interrogation. In other words, while a targeted strike may win the battle against the individual terrorist by virtue of killing him, are we sacrificing the war and vital intelligence since dead terrorists tell no tales?
Author: To suppress opposition, Republicans call dissenters unpatriotic.
Reality: Even if true, it was Obama who placed dissenters on the terrorist watch list. See Government Report "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."
Zachary L. Stavedahl
Warsaw, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
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Last week, a letter titled "GOP Hypocrisy" accused Republicans of playing politics with national security. The author's numerous misrepresentations (as set forth below) shall, in the words of President Obama, serve as a "teachable moment."
Author: Bin Laden escaped because Bush waited to "call [off] the dogs and send in private contractors."
Reality: In a report addressing Bin Laden's escape, Senator John Kerry found that there were too few troops to cordon off the mountainous area surrounding Tora Bora and prevent Bin Laden from retreating into Pakistan. According to Kerry, Rumsfield was concerned that too many U.S. troops in Afghanistan would create an anti-American backlash and fuel a widespread insurgency. The report attributes nothing to private contractors.
Author: Republicans supported Bush's treatment of Richard Reid now fault Obama for his handling of the Christmas Day Bomber.
Reality: While Bush mirandized and prosecuted Reid within the criminal system, at the time of Reid's arrest (December 2001), military tribunals were not put in place. Thus, Bush did not have the luxury of constitutionally tested military tribunals that Obama now enjoys. Moreover, Reid's criminal prosecution is the reason Republicans passed the military commissions act in 2006 which permits the military prosecution of terrorists while limiting MSNBC's ability to broadcast intelligence secrets to our enemies.
Author: Gitmo detainees released by Bush in 2007 trained the Christmas Day bomber.
Reality: Several Democratic lawyers represented terrorists claiming their detentions were unconstitutional. To blame Republicans for the Christmas Day attack, when Eric Holder and company were arguing for the terrorists' release, suggests that Democrats want to have their cake and eat it too. The very policy underlying the creation of Gitmo is to prevent terrorists from returning to the battlefield - a policy Obama actively subverts daily.
Author: Detainees released by Bush are responsible for the "re-emergence" of Al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Reality: To "re-emerge" there must be withdrawal. The Jamestown Foundation, which has monitored terrorism since 1984, found that Yemen has long been a safe haven for Al-Qaeda since the early 1990s. Particularly fatal to the author's case - on two separate occasions in 2000, Al-Qaeda attacked US naval ships docked in Yemen. Are Democrats holding Bush responsible for Al-Qaeda in Yemen even when President Clinton was in office?
Author: Former Bush officials charge Obama with "killing too many terrorists."
Reality: After stating all terrorists are legitimate targets, the official questioned whether Obama's drone campaign against terrorists is more advantageous than Bush's policy of capture and interrogation. In other words, while a targeted strike may win the battle against the individual terrorist by virtue of killing him, are we sacrificing the war and vital intelligence since dead terrorists tell no tales?
Author: To suppress opposition, Republicans call dissenters unpatriotic.
Reality: Even if true, it was Obama who placed dissenters on the terrorist watch list. See Government Report "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."
Zachary L. Stavedahl
Warsaw, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
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