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| Tommy Franks on GWOT, Clinton and MSM |
| 2005-12-11 |
| EFL HT Human Events, via RedState.org ARLINGTON, VA.âRetired four-star Gen. Tommy Franks gave a rousing address Thursday night in support of the War on Terror, raising speculation about a possible political career in the near future or at least a more visible role in defense of President Bush. I read a lot about this in the MSM, didn't you? âWe believe that in this War on Terror we can fight them over there or we can fight them over here,â Franks told the group of Freedom Alliance supporters. âPeople ask me all the time, what good has come since 9-11-01? I donât know, the Afghans are working hard, the Iraqis are working hard. Nobody said it was going to be easy. And there has not been another attack on American soil.â Franks, an ardent supporter of Bush, opened his speech with jokes about a future in Washingtonâwhich fueled talk among attendees that he could be asked to take a job in the Bush Administration or run for political office. âWhat a treat to be back in Washington,â Franks said, pausing momentarily as he awaited laughter. âSome of yaâll will get these jokes on the way home.â In his speech before the Freedom Alliance, Franks didnât hold back criticism of the Clinton Administration, specifically for its failure to respond to terrorist attacks against Americans. Among the reasons he cited for the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon: The 1983 terrorist bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed 220 Marines and 21 other U.S. service members; The first bombing of the World Trade Center in New York in 1993; The United Statesâ decision to leave Mogadishu, Somalia, in disgrace in 1993 following the deaths of 19 U.S. soldiers; The 1996 terrorist bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. servicemen; The 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya by al Qaeda, killing more than 200 Africans; And the 2000 attack by al Qaeda on the U.S.S. Cole, which killed 17 sailors. âAmerican history is full of occasions where weâve found it fit to recognize there is something worth going to war for,â Franks said. âAnd our freedom and our liberty is of that stub. We didnât do it in â83, â93, â96, â98 or 2000. âI stand here tonight as a proud Americanâproud of the fact that subsequent to 2001, this country, you and I, said and have maintained in the political process that we would do whatever is necessary to buy the next 200 years of freedom and liberty for our grandchildren and for their grandchildren and for generations yet unborn.â Franks pinned part of the blame for the publicâs disapproval about Iraq on the mainstream media, which, he said, is providing only one side the story. âWhen we look at the mainstream media, and they want to know, when are you going to get out of Iraq? And the President doesnât know when weâre going to know when weâre going to get out of Iraq because heâs feisty,â Franks said. âHeâs focused on it for as long as it takes. Heâs put energy behind it. The man has the highest integrity of anyone I have ever known, and I know it. He takes the blame, and so forth.â About the mission in Afghanistan, he added: âI am proud that in a period of 75 days, my country gave 26 million people a chance for something they had never known in perhaps 2,000 years. I missed the stories in our media about what our country did for the people of Afghanistan.â It's not surprise that he saw nothing nor that you haven't seen coverage of this speech. A real front line in this conflict is management of public perception of the progress at the combat front lines. Neither is more important than the other because the MSM and the terrorists are hoping for a collapse of domestic will just like Vietnam. They and the Copperhead donks are allied in making this self-defeat happen. I hope Franks does run for the Senate to drown out the false veterans like Inouye and Murtha who counsel defeat and retreat. It would be good for the country to get this debate out on the table and settled once and for all infront of the world. Franks also said he supports Bushâs strategy in Iraq that the United States cannot pull its troops out until the mission is completed. âWhen we think about where we came from and how far Iraq has to go, what more could one do than to carry on until we reach a successful end stage, which means that Iraq will never ever become what Afghanistan was. And that is a place that supports and defends not a constitution but a bunch of terrorists who are bent on the destruction of the United States of American and our way of life,â Franks said. âWhat would we have the President do except say, âWeâll come home when itâs over over there.ââ I hope Tommy Franks gets so much political exposure Fred has to add his picture to the posing list. |
| Posted by:Crerert Gluque4727 |
| #2 |
| Posted by: .com 2005-12-11 20:46 |
| #1 âWhat a treat to be back in Washington,â Franks said, pausing momentarily as he awaited laughter. âSome of yaâll will get these jokes on the way home.â I think that's funny. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-11 17:17 |