freeping rightwingnuts are Tora Bora stoopid

[LynnTheDem]

bush's Pentagon:

U.S. Officials Believe bin Laden is in Tora Bora
Aired December 15, 2001

http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/15/cst.08.html

Washington Post article from April 17, 2002:

The Bush administration has concluded that Osama bin Laden was present during the battle for Tora Bora late last year and that failure to commit U.S. ground troops to hunt him was its gravest error in the war against al Qaeda, according to civilian and military officials with first-hand knowledge.

After-action reviews, conducted privately inside and outside the military chain of command, describe the episode as a significant defeat for the United States.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A62618-2002Apr16¬Found=true

Al Qaeda expert, author, and CNN contributor Peter Bergen:

There is no debating the fact that US "outsourced" the Tora Bora operation to local Afghan warlords.

Sen. Kerry's charge that Tora Bora was a missed opportunity to bring bin Laden to justice isn't "garbage", but an accurate reflection of the historical record.

http://www.peterbergen.com/clients/PeterBergen/pbergen.nsf/Web00002Show?OpenForm&ParentUNID=D8B946D6FD3B25AC85256F34006138CD

As for the freeping silly rightwingnuts accusing Kerry of being "for" outsourcing to Afghan warlords, let's look at the ENTIRE transcript relevant to the actual question Kerry was responding to;

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.

http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/14/lkl.00.html

FLAME THROWERS; nothing whatsoever to do with outsourcing to warlords.

Kerry, on bush's outsourcing to warlords, September 2002:

"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

If anyone find more links, such as McCain commenting in 2001 about bush's outsourcing OBL in Tora Bora to Afghan warlords (he said this on a TV interview, not sure which one) etc please add here if you would. :)

[billybob537]

1. Leave no DUMBASS behind!

[DireStrike]

2. How could Bush learn from 'Nam? He wasn't there. EOM

[nonconformist]

3. This is so easily debunkable it's amusing

And quite telling too... they're so obviously grasping at straws now.

Hey lurking Freepers - ever think about running on YOUR GUY'S RECORD? Nope, can't do that can you, it's a surefire way to lose.

I did see a funny over there. There is some speculation that the October Surprise will be that higher-ups are aware that OBL is actually dead, but it is classified info until after the election because popular support for both wars would dwindle quickly if this was discovered. Yes, they said this. The Kerry angle comes in when they say that he knew OBL was dead yet still criticized Bush for not catching him, but Bush couldn't respond because the info is classified. I literally BURST out laughing. Something like that would hang BUSH, not Kerry!