Bush Admin. Seeks Clarification Of Saudi Definition Of "Illegitimate Occupation"

[bigtree]

Bush officials, including Condi Rice, were urgently seeking clarification from Saudi Arabia today after the remarks from King Abdullah criticizing the "illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq. "In beloved Iraq, blood is being shed among brothers in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and ugly sectarianism threatens civil war," the King told those gathered at an Arab Summit on Wednesday.

US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said that it was possible the king’s comments could have been misrepresented by the media.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said: "I think it only stands to reason that we would be interested in understanding better what exactly King Abdullah meant by that phrase. At the briefing:

QUESTION: Sean, what exactly about the phrase "illegal occupation," which seems to be pretty cut and dried, needs to clarifying.

MCCORMACK: Well, we want to understand what the thinking is behind it.

QUESTION: Okay. And -- but you're not operating under the assumption that he misspoke or didn't mean to say?

MCCORMACK: I think it's just exactly what we said. We're going to -- we want to understand more clearly what it is exactly that he had in mind when he talked about an illegal occupation.

Yeah.

QUESTION: So in other words, you have clarified that he did indeed say this and you've checked all the translations and you're satisfied that that's what he did say?

MR. MCCORMACK: Oh, I -- you know, I can't vouch for that. I -- you know, we have obviously read the -- read a variety of different translations, but I -- you know, I can't vouch for the precise translation in those.

Rather than back away from the King's statement, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister echoed his remarks today, stating the obvious:

"I don't know how a country in which there are soldiers who don't hold its nationality can be described other than as (being under) occupation," Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters. He continued, "Did (Iraq) choose to have these forces? Had this been the case, it would have been a different matter. Any military intervention that is not at the request of the country concerned is the definition of occupation."

[proud patriot]

1. ROFL

:rofl:

[Blue_In_AK]

3. May I join you?

:rofl:

[rodeodance]

2. H AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa my GAWD!

[Dr.Phool]

4. I think it means,

What you're doing there, asshole!

[rodeodance]

5. Maybe the WH is giving SA a chance to parse words and get

out of saying what he did.

[Schema Thing]

6. I'm guessing he means the same thing Wes Clark means

when he calls the war "illegitimate".

What I keep noticing is that pundits are mis-quoting the Saudi king, using the word "illegal"; he didn't say that, he said it was "illegitimate".

[ceile]

7. Clarification?

Don't like what someone says about us, so we'll just get a bunch of different translations and pick the one that we do like.
:rofl:

[Behind the Aegis]

8. BEST. THREAD. TITLE. EVER!

:rofl:

My G-d these people are STUPID. I am convinced that thunder is no longer the sound that angels are making whilst bowling, but G-d, Himself, smacking Himself in the head and saying: "Oy Gevalt!"

[IChing]

9. Is that some kind of trick question?

[shadowknows69]

15. Is there anything Calvin and Hobbes CAN'T do?

I think not.

[loudsue]

10. I wish the bush administration treated the Dems with that much respect

They're all kissy ass to the Arabs, but 50% of their own country gets a backhand.

This, my friends, is America under repervlikin occupation.

:kick::kick::kick:

[Acadia Blue]

12. It is. And I bet he is suprised that the Saudis are concerned that he

might want to give then democracy and freedom like they did for Iraq.

[guitar man]

11. What part of

"illegitimate occupation" do these dipshits not understand?? :shrug:

[Acadia Blue]

13. They don't understand if it goes against their faith based beliefl.

They believed in the WMD's when everyone told them they were not there. They want to create reality.

[guitar man]

14. Well they are SOL

Nobody except the last of the hard Koolaid drinkers are buying it anymore. SA nailed it with "illegitimate occupation".

[LiberalEsto]

16. It all depends on what "is" is nt

[bigtree]

18. of course,

they can't vouch for the precise translation

[chaplainM]

17. watch out

Can you be beheaded in Saudi Arabia for "clarification," the way you can for "criticism?"

[Imagevision]

19. "Or it depends what the word IS means"