The other night, a commenter brought up again the fact that Saddam was not involved in the 9/11 attacks, and therefore Bush lied when he blamed Saddam for that. That rather conveniently omitted the fact that Bush actually said just the opposite — that Saddam quite likely was NOT involved in the attack.
But that got me started. Bush said that it could be years, perhaps decades, until this war ended. But just when did it begin? I’ve kicked this around for a while, both by myself and with others, and I’d like to ask the readers of Wizbang just when they consider the War On Terror started. Here are some possibilities:
1) 2001
2) 1993
3) 1979
4) 1972
5) 1968
6) 1947
Those are my suggestions. I lean towards 1979, as it was the first time militant Islamists openly confronted the United States, violating sovereign territory (our embassy) to do so. I also believe our utter lack of a decisive response set the stage for 22 years of the US being perceived as a “paper tiger” in the Middle East.
So, when do you think the War on Terror started? One of those above, or some other event?
The war on terror began on 11 September, 2001, at the exact moment when American President George W. Bush heard about the attacks of the passenger planes of death…
Or 8 minutes later, anyway.
RE: mantis’s post (July 10, 2005 03:08 PM)
Or 8 minutes later, anyway.
Umm, and more than a half-hour before Curtain Number Two got his neuron’s firing. Remember Presidential Candidate Kerry’s lag time (the Vietnam veteran and pilot) from this CNN recollection:
KING: How’d you hear about it?
HEINZ KERRY: I was at home in Washington. I had just come in and I got a call…
KERRY: I think I called.
HEINZ KERRY: And they said, look at the TV. I looked at the TV and I couldn’t believe it.
KING: Where were you?
KERRY: I was in the Capitol. We’d just had a meeting — we’d just come into a leadership meeting in Tom Daschle’s office, looking out at the Capitol. And as I came in, Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid were standing there, and we watched the second plane come in to the building. And we shortly thereafter sat down at the table and then we just realized nobody could think, and then boom, right behind us, we saw the cloud of explosion at the Pentagon. And then word came from the White House, they were evacuating, and we were to evacuate, and so we immediately began the evacuation.
HEINZ KERRY: You walked out with John McCain, didn’t you?
KERRY: Yes.
KING: You and what?
HEINZ KERRY: He and John walked out together.
KING: He and John McCain walked out — what did you think?
Did you think…
KERRY: I knew instantaneously…
KING: Clinton said he though bin Laden.
KERRY: I knew instantaneously with the first. I’m a pilot, and I looked at the weather, and it’s what we call in pilot lingo CAVU, ceiling and visibility unlimited. And I knew that that plane did not fly into that building accidentally, as people were speculating. It just doesn’t happen, could not, under those circumstances. So I knew it was deliberate, whether it was suicide, whether it was something — I couldn’t tell. When the second plane hit, it was obvious to the world.
And as we went out of the building, my immediately feeling was, we’re at war. I mean, that was the sense, that we are under attack. People are attacking the United States of America and we needed to respond.
But this shouldn’t come as a surprise, mantis. After all, Bush made better grades under similar academic circumstances. Surely you didn’t forget that too?
What the hell are you talking about, Anon? I didn’t talk about Kerry, Kerry wasn’t president, I don’t particularly like Kerry, as I think he’s a dumbass. But you sure showed me!
Well, I’ll spell out my point since you didn’t follow though feigning ignorance isn’t particularly complimentary either.
Yours was a critique of Bush’s reading of “My Pet Goat” in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. [No one brought up that incident prior to your post so I guess I should have prefaced with “What the hell are you talking about?”.] Mine was a parallel critique of Kerry’s (among others’) even more delayed response. Oh sure, you stayed on topic about the start of the WoT, but only long enough to interject an irrelevant slam on Bush. You didn’t directly mention Bush (though you did quote someone else’s use) and you didn’t mention “My Pet Goat” either, but we’re all savvy enough to read between the lines you would have us believe that you glossed over. Give me a break.
Though you disapprove of Kerry, you disapprove of Bush more, so you took a cheap shot and I reminded you of the response of another once-significant politician who almost made it to the Presidency. If you cannot recognize the relevance of such an anecdote, then I have given you too much credit.
Incidentally, who did you vote for as President in ’04 seeing as you don’t particularly like Kerry? Nader? Or did you write-in someone else? And to think… the even-slower responder almost became CiC and would have delayed our response to terrorism that much more. I voted for Bush in ’04… just to highlight those lines a bit.
It’s called a joke, Driv. You need to get out more. Way too uptight.
RE: mantis’s post (July 12, 2005 02:24 AM)
It’s called a joke, Driv.
If you say so. I reread the thread’s flow and all I could sense was a subtext of derision.
You need to get out more.
I always need to get out more.
Way too uptight.
That may be in this regard. I thought it was a cheap shot and a bit Michael Moore-ish in delivery. Yes, you hit a hot button with me because it is a theme that is undeserved and unfairly perpetuated. I don’t blame any civilian’s delayed response – even Kerry’s – when their actions impact the lives of so many others. A grace period to collect thoughts is entirely reasonable and human. Still, I’d be curious to know how many people read the comment as a joke and how many read it as a snide attack.
At any rate, water under the bridge now. I’ll take your word that it was a joke and I’ll try to be less uptight.