Something to be familiar with in advance (Kerry transcript re: tora bora)

[troublemaker]

The Bush campaign seems very excited about this insofar as it's been selectively quoted by a dozen RW inernet liars and fellow travellers like Sullivan and Kaus may be the topic of a news story Monday. So everyone please read the transcript in context before hearing it out of context in the coming days. Kerry was giving an innocuous answer to a sort of loopy Larry King caller who was asking about flame-throwers.

One petty note about this transcript. Many, like me, don't like that Kerry said 'minimalize' instead of 'minimize,' but at least Kerry was speaking extemporaneously, unlike our fearless leader use of "minimalize" while reading a prepared reading a speech: http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2001/051601.asp)

Un-doctored Larry King transcript

KING: Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania—hello.

CALLER: Hello. Yes, I would like to ask the panel why they don’t use napalm or flamethrowers on those tunnels and caves up there in Afghanistan?

KING: Senator Kerry?

CALLER: My golly, I think they could smoke him out.

KING: Senator Kerry?

KERRY: Well, I think it depends on where you are tactically. They may well be doing that at some point in time. But for the moment, what we are doing, I think, is having its impact and it is the best way to protect our troops and sort of minimalize the proximity, if you will. I think we have been doing this pretty effectively and we should continue to do it that way.

KING: Congressman Cunningham, what do you think of that question?

CUNNINGHAM: I think Senator Kerry is right on the mark. To use a flamethrower, you’ve got to get right into the area close in. And plus, it doesn’t penetrate that deep in those tunnels. You’ve got to go in there after him. So I think you have to neutralize that threat. And then you can get him out in a lot of different, various ways including what the gentleman spoke about.

KING: General Joulwan, what are your thoughts?

JOULWAN: Well, I think what you are seeing here are laser- designated bombs going in that are highly effective. In fact, I think much more effective than napalm will be given the extent of these tunnels. You may see some of this when the troops get in there, you have troops on the ground. But right now, I think the laser- designated bombs are doing a great job.
_____________________________
transcript:
http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/14/lkl.00.html

Selective RW quote examples here:
http://www.andrewsullivan.com/index.php?dish_inc=archives/2004_10_17_dish_archive.html#109832627200710613http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2004/10/tora_bora_no_ma.html
http://www.cabalofdoom.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi?__mode=view&entry_id=1254


Debunkings:
I've read several on blogs I read but I'm not finding them redily. Please add de-bunking/discussion links in this thread

[NDFan]

1. This was discussed

A few days ago. Right-Wingers were trying to make it a story then, and it apparently didn't work.

[rockydem]

2. Is this really becoming an issue?

Or is it mostly confined to the internet?

[troublemaker]

3. RWs are abuzz about Monday's Washington Times and it is said

by some that they're going to make a big deal out of the bullshit. It's a pure Bush/Cheney creation.

If nothing comes of it then that's a good thing. Prior debunking works best when it pre-empts the topic.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. um, that's whitehouse.ORG, not whitehouse.GOV

other than that, good post.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

5. This bullshit was torn to shreds here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1127308

[troublemaker]

6. Killer debunk (from LittleClarkie)

Here, from a 2002 article, is Kerry talking about Tora Bora.

"Kerry reads the morning papers as quickly as he does everything else, meaning very quickly, muttering as he flips the pages ("Well, that's not good"), but this morning's grim headlines are stalling him: Colin Powell's Mideast peace mission appears to be floundering, the Boston priest scandal is unraveling, and, worst of all, the Post is reporting that U.S. forces somehow allowed Osama bin Laden to escape during the Tora Bora offensive in Afghanistan, something Kerry had been fearing. Kerry grabs his cell phone, dialing as he reads. "Did you see my story in the Post?" he says to a press aide on the other end. "Top of the fold, page one right." He reads bits of it aloud, sentence after sentence seeming to further stoke his anger; this was the worst-case scenario of a military strategy that Kerry had been quietly criticizing for months. "They let him go," he says. "It's disgraceful."

Swearing softly as we slow through a construction zone, Kerry tells me, by way of explanation, "I've been saying this privately for months now, and my staff at times has had to restrain me. They talk tough, but it's a risk-averse strategy. Bush gets daily briefings, for God's sake. He should be saying, 'Do we need more troops there, here, where? Do we need more firepower?' " He gazes out the car window as the Capitol comes into view. "Osama bin Laden got away," he says glumly. Pause. "You'd think they've learned some lessons in Vietnam."

http://web.archive.org/web/20020910104925/www.johnkerry.com/site/PageServer?pagename=news_2002_0827a

[Old and In the Way]

7. Here's a question Kerry should put forth-

"Mr. pResident, please explain to the American people why you allowed a special air corridor set-up from Kandahar Airport, letting AQ regulars, maybe even OBL himself, to leave Tora-Bora before the heavy bombing started?"

[emulatorloo]

8. If this is some kind of "evidence" against Kerry re Tora Bora Bush failure

it is pretty damn weak. . .

Bush is gonna try to say this is an endorsement for his failure to get Osama? PLEASE.