HEADLINE from AUSTRALIA: Bush seeks political gains from terror plot

[Bluebear]

From correspondents in Crawford

August 11, 2006 12:00

US President George W. Bush seized on a foiled London airline bomb plot today to hammer unnamed critics he accused of having all but forgotten the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Weighed down by the unpopular war in Iraq, Mr Bush and his aides have tried to shift the national political debate from that conflict to the broader and more popular global war on terrorism ahead of November 7 congressional elections.

The London conspiracy is "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation," the president said on a day trip to Wisconsin. "It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America," he said. "We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people. But obviously we still aren't completely safe."

His remarks came a day after the White House orchestrated an exceptionally aggressive campaign to tar opposition Democrats as weak on terrorism, knowing what Democrats didn't: News of the plot could soon break.

Vice President Dick Cheney and White House spokesman Tony Snow had argued that Democrats wanted to raise what Mr Snow called "a white flag in the war on terror", citing as evidence the defeat of a three-term Democratic senator who backed the Iraq war in his effort to win renomination.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,200...

[90-percent]

1. what a jerk

Everybody knows American Fascists can kick Islamic fascists ass!

-85% jimmy

[Freedom_from_Chains]

2. we still aren't completely safe

And we will never have any chance of being completely safe until this regime is swept from power. Which I wouldn't look to happen anytime soon.

[leveymg]

3. " knowing what Democrats didn't: News of the plot could soon break"

Now, that my friends, is a classic example of the partisan misuse of intelligence.

They really are cynical bastards.

[Bluebear]

4. Precisely. Not that anything will ever come of it.

Assholes.

[leveymg]

8. The career types at CIA and DIA notice this sort of outrageous breach.

The nasty details of how this was engineered for political gain will leak out.

Each time the Administration misuses the intelligence process, the more likely that someone on the inside who holds the keys to a big secret -- like what Bush-Cheney was really told about the al-Qaeda cells inside the U.S. before 9/11 -- will release a file.

[Nikki Stone 1]

5. Gotta love the Aussies

[malaise]

6. Well written article n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

7. of course he's "weighed down by the unpopular war in Iraq"

It is completely unrelated to the real war on terror.

[leveymg]

9. "Weeks before September 11th, this is going to play big,"

"Weeks before September 11th, this is going to play big," said another White House official, who also spoke on condition of not being named, adding that some Democratic candidates won't "look as appealing" under the circumstances.

[Pacifist Patriot]

10. Could we please get some graphic photo warnings?

[Jack_Dawson]

18. LOL - NO SHIT...

that's going to haunt my dreams.

[Jamastiene]

11. Wow, the Aussies can see right through the nekked

little emperor. Wonder why so many Americans can't? Never mind. I know.

[MrCoffee]

12. That's the THIRD pic of Chimpy crapping in his suit TODAY

I'm keeping score, folks.

[OnionPatch]

13. We still aren't completely safe.....

That is, er, until we get all that oil out of Iraq, heh heh.....

[leesa]

17. They want the oil to stay IN the ground for now...keeps the prices higher

Right now they're focusing on draining the US treasury

[zanne]

14. I LOVE that picture!

That one always makes me laugh out loud.

[leesa]

15. Did Dubya make a little booboo in his speech today? Let the cat out of

the bag, so to speak?

[PA Democrat]

16. I guess Bush must like the idea of a few terrorists

hanging around plotting to blow us up. No wonder he didn't put all that much effort into getting Osama.