(World after Iraq War) Safer or Not? (Bush laughs at question)

[DeepModem Mom]

Washington Post:

White House Briefing
by Dan Froomkin

Safer or Not?
Wednesday, Mar 17, 2004; 10:35 AM


It's not often that a question from a reporter makes President Bush laugh out loud.

But at yesterday's photo-op with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, when a Dutch reporter suggested that many Dutch people think the war in Iraq may have actually encouraged rather than discouraged more terrorism, Bush chuckled.

Here's the question:

"Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. President, according to opinion polls, most Dutch people want to withdraw the Dutch troops from Iraq. Many Dutch people think the war in Iraq has little to do with the war against terrorism, and may actually encourage terrorism." "How would you respond to those Dutch people who want to withdraw?"

Bush's response, in part:

"I would ask them to think about the Iraqi citizens who don't want people to withdraw, because they want to be free. And I would remind the Dutch citizens that al Qaeda has an interest in Iraq for a reason, and that interest is, they realize this is a front in the war on terror, and they fear the spread of freedom and democracy in places like the greater Middle East. They can't stand the thought of free societies springing up in the Middle East, because they understand a free society is against their very wishes."....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/administration/whbriefing/

[ixion]

1. which is why BushCo supports dictatorships worldwide

because they hate freedom.

[glarius]

2. What an embarrassment!....these words came from a world leader?

"they realize this is a front in the war on terror, and they fear the spread of freedom and democracy in places like the greater Middle East. They can't stand the thought of free societies springing up in the Middle East, because they understand a free society is against their very wishes."....

It sounds like the ramblings of a semi-literate drunk....Hmmm...come to think of it......!

[prodigal_green]

3. well

I'll bet that convinced the Dutch, eh?