How come the so called "liberal media" never brings this up?

[SmallDaddy]

Wonder how many of you remember this?

Oh yeah they never had a plan to attack before 9/11 ?!?!?!?!
Bush: Iraq strikes part of 'strategy'

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</TD><TD width=206 bgColor=#cc0000> WEB EXCLUSIVE</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=220 border=0><!-- /........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/02/16/arraf.debrief/
Jane Arraf: Attack seen as affront to Muslims


</TD></TR><!-- /........... --><TR><TD><HR width="90%" SIZE=1></TD></TR><!-- /........... --><TR><TD align=left>http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/02/16/amanpour.debrief/
Christiane Amanpour: The British connection



</TD></TR><!-- /........... --></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- ======= /WRAPPER ======= --><!-- date --><SCRIPT>tst= new String(document.location.hostname);tst=tst.toLowerCase();if (!(tst.indexOf("europe.cnn.com")==-1)) {document.write('February 17, 2001
Web posted at: 6:59 a.m. GMT (0659 GMT)
');}else {if (!(tst.indexOf("asia.cnn.com")==-1)) {document.write('February 17, 2001
Web posted at: 14:59 HKT (1459 GMT)
');}else {document.write('February 17, 2001
Web posted at: 1:59 a.m. EST (0659 GMT)
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February 17, 2001
Web posted at: 1:59 a.m. EST (0659 GMT)
<!-- /date --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=215 align=top border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><HR align=left width=170 SIZE=1>In this story:

Targets 'threaten our forces'

Bush: Ground commanders called strike

All aircraft returned safely

RELATED STORIES, SITES

<HR align=left width=170 SIZE=1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. President George W. Bush called Friday's attack on Iraqi radar sites "a routine mission to enforce the no-fly zone."
United States and British warplanes attacked five Iraqi anti-aircraft radar control sites around Baghdad and 20 other radar installations, Pentagon sources said.
The 24-aircraft mission was the first against targets outside the southern no-fly zone in two years, but White House officials said it did not indicate an escalation in attacks against Iraq.
<!-- ======= WRAPPER ======= --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=170 align=right bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- reut --><!-- === video === --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 align=top bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14 bgColor=#ff6600 height=14>

</TD><TD class=BoxTitle width=156 bgColor=#666666> VIDEO</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=2>javascript:vod('/video/us/2001/02/16/jm.baghdad.attack.affl.html')
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(QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><HR width="90%" SIZE=1><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=2> U.S. President George W. Bush explains the action against Iraq (February 16)

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</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> AUDIO</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold explains the nature of the operation
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<HR width="80%" SIZE=1>CNN's Jamie Mcintyre: U.S. says it has right to strike Iraqi threats
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<HR width="80%" SIZE=1>Lawrence Eagleburger, former secretary of state: "It's more than about time"
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</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> RESOURCE</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><!-- /........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Graphic: Strike on Iraq <!--[[LI]][[A HREF="javascriptpenWindow('/interactive/world/0102/airstrike.pop/frameset.exclude.html','windowname','toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=no,width=510,height=400')"]]Map of airstrike targets[[/a]]-->

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</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> ALSO</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><!-- ........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Pentagon: Strike in planning stages for 'some time'
Airstrikes routine in no-fly zones
Congressional leaders irked they weren't told of strikes
Western diplomats surprised by airstrikes on Iraq
UK joins Baghdad strike
</TD></TR><!-- /........... --></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- === /also === --><!-- ========== THE UNFINISHED WAR ========== --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 align=top bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14 bgColor=#ff6600 height=14>

</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> IN-DEPTH</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left bgColor=#dddddd>

The Unfinished War: A Decade Since Desert Storm

• Video calendar
• Timeline
• Update: Gulf War Players
• Update: Coalition crumbling?
• Weapons disputes leave fallout of fear
• Do economic sanctions work?
• Gulf War illness remains unresolved
• An elusive enemy

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- ========== /THE UNFINISHED WAR ========== --><!-- ap --><!-- === community === --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 align=top bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14 bgColor=#ff6600 height=14>

</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> MESSAGE BOARD</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><!-- /........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Iraq airstrike

</TD></TR><!-- /........... --></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- === /community === --><!-- /ap --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- ======= /WRAPPER ======= -->
Iraq released a statement condemning the attack and said it was carried out by the United States and Israel and is the prelude to a holy war.
"The aggression of this night, the 16th of February, came to confirm that America was planning and working hand in hand with the Zionist entity," the statement said.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was said to be in an emergency meeting with the ruling Baath Party and the Revolutionary Command Council.
Iraqi television said two people were killed in the attack and showed pictures of other injured civilians, including children, in a hospital.
Bush on a one-day visit to Mexico, said the missions to enforce the no-fly zones are "part of a strategy, and until that strategy is changed, if it is changed, we will continue to enforce them." (More on no-fly zones)
Bush added that the United States fully expects Hussein to adhere to agreements he signed after Operation Desert Storm 10 years ago.
"Our intention is to make sure that the world is as peaceful as possible and we're going to watch very carefully as to whether he develops weapons of mass destruction," Bush said. "If we catch him doing so, we're going to take appropriate action."
The White House said missile attacks against Iraqi military command and control centers south of Baghdad on Friday did not "represent an escalation in attacks against Iraq or a change in policy."
Targets 'threaten our forces'

An administration official told CNN that the White House views the attacks as consistent with U.S. policy established at the end of the Persian Gulf war.
"The targets were struck pursuant to existing policy in place since 1991," the official said. "The policy allows the U.S. to take out assets that threaten our forces. The president was aware of and approved the action. We have hit targets that constituted a threat to our forces, but this does not represent an escalation in our activity against Iraq or a change in policy."
The operation was prompted by an "increased threat to our aircraft and our crew," Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold said at a Pentagon news conference.
A spokesman for the British Minitry of defense told CNN that Iraq has launched more attacks aginst allied planes patrolling the no-fly zone in the month of January of 2001 than it did in the whole of the year 2000.
It marks the first time since Operation Desert Fox in 1998 that the allies have struck targets outside the no-fly zone, in this case north of the 33rd parallel. The no-fly zones are bands running across Iraq that are bordered by the 33rd parallel in the south and 36th parallel in the north.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issued a written statement on the attacks on Iraq.
"The objective of today's mission by coalition forces was to degrade Iraqi air defense capabilities and thus reduce the threat posed to coalition aircraft and aircrews," The statement said.
"The specifics of the mission were planned by the military commander in the field, and were presented to and approved by the national command authorities. The administration intends to enforce the no-fly zones in Iraq and will take appropriate steps to reduce the threats to coalition forces engaged in this mission," Rumsfeld's statement said. (More on the mission)
<!-- ap --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=220 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2><!--===========IMAGE============-->

<!--===========/IMAGE===========--></TD></TR><TR><TD><!--===========CAPTION==========-->Iraq says this man was one of the injured in Friday's airstrikes <!--===========/CAPTION=========--></TD><TD width=12> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- /ap -->
Bush: Ground commanders called strike

Bush authorized the attack on Thursday, CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King reported.
Bush said the decision to attack was made by military commanders in the region.
"Commanders on the ground rightly make the decision how to enforce the no-fly zone," Bush said at a press conference in Mexico, where he was meeting with President Vicente Fox. "Some of the missions require the commander in chief to be informed. This was one of them."
Asked whether he approved of the strike on Iraq, Fox said, "I do not have a position or statement at this time. That will be done through the Foreign Ministry in the future."
All aircraft returned safely

U.S. sources confirmed that at least six British aircraft participated in the attacks. All planes involved in the attack returned safely, Newbold said. (More on British participation)
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Tony Blair was apprised of the strikes, but it was the Minister of Defense Geoff Hune who authorized the strike, according to British government sources.

 

[SmallDaddy]

Isnt it interesting how Bush in Feb 2001 didnt think Saddam had WMDs but 12 months later he posed an immediate and 'clear and present danger'?

 

[SmallDaddy]

At least Bush was consistent on one thing from the get go

Congressional leaders irked they weren't told of strikes

<!-- date --><SCRIPT>tst= new String(document.location.hostname);tst=tst.toLowerCase();if (!(tst.indexOf("europe.cnn.com")==-1)) {document.write('February 17, 2001
Web posted at: 2:06 a.m. GMT (0206 GMT)
');}else {if (!(tst.indexOf("asia.cnn.com")==-1)) {document.write('February 17, 2001
Web posted at: 10:06 HKT (1006 GMT)
');}else {document.write('February 16, 2001
Web posted at: 9:06 p.m. EST (0206 GMT)
');}}</SCRIPT>February 16, 2001
Web posted at: 9:06 p.m. EST (0206 GMT)
<!-- /date -->CNN White House Correspondent Major Garrett
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush White House did not inform congressional leaders of the airstrikes against Iraq before they occurred, overlooking a courtesy previous administrations extended to Congress and ruffling even Republican feathers.
Sources tell CNN that Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, complained to the White House about the oversight. Aides to other lawmakers described the slight as irksome.
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</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> RESOURCES</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><!-- /........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Map of airstrike targets
</TD></TR><!-- /........... --></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- === /resources === --><!-- === also === --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 align=top bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14 bgColor=#ff6600 height=14>

</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> INTERACTIVE MAP</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><!-- ........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Map of no-fly zone
</TD></TR><!-- /........... --></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- === /also === --><!-- === also === --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 align=top bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14 bgColor=#ff6600 height=14>

</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> ALSO</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><!-- ........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Bush: Iraq strikes part of 'strategy'
Western diplomats surprised by airstrikes on Iraq
UK joins Baghdad strike
</TD></TR><!-- /........... --></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- === /also === --><!-- ========== THE UNFINISHED WAR ========== --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 align=top bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14 bgColor=#ff6600 height=14>

</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> IN-DEPTH</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left bgColor=#dddddd>

The Unfinished War: A Decade Since Desert Storm

• Video calendar
• Timeline
• Update: Gulf War Players
• Update: Coalition crumbling?
• Weapons disputes leave fallout of fear
• Do economic sanctions work?
• Gulf War illness remains unresolved
• An elusive enemy

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- ========== /THE UNFINISHED WAR ========== --><!-- ap --><!-- === community === --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 align=top bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=14 bgColor=#ff6600 height=14>

</TD><TD width=156 bgColor=#666666> MESSAGE BOARD</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=170 border=0><!-- /........... --><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Iraq airstrike

</TD></TR><!-- /........... --></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- === /community === --><!-- /ap --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- ======= /WRAPPER ======= -->
Typically, military actions of this kind are disclosed to the bipartisan leadership of Congress and the chairmen and ranking members of the military and international policy committees. The disclosures are treated in strictest confidence, and are part of a larger strategy of keeping Congress informed and facilitating quick press releases complimentary of the underlying military action.
But no one in the leadership was consulted, nor were members of the relevant House and Senate committees.
"We prefer to be kept informed," said one senior Republican source. "We want to know what's coming and how to respond."
The issue of consultation is very sensitive among congressional Republicans. They often complained bitterly about the lack of communication between the Clinton White House and Congress on several military actions. Republicans expected a new approach and were chagrined to be kept in the dark.
"They should know better," another senior Republican aide said of the new White House. "Prominent members of Congress should be told. Of all people, Dick Cheney should know that. He's a former chief of staff, a former Secretary of Defense and a former leader of the House."
Some congressional sources theorized the White House did not consult Congress in order to reinforce the appearance that the airstrikes were "routine" and unworthy of the type of congressional notification that would suggest a change of policy. Nevertheless, senior congressional sources said the Clinton White House notified congressional leaders the last time coalition partners attacked Iraqi sites outside of the north and south no-fly zones.
"They can't have it both ways," said a Republican congressional source. "If it was not new, why did it go all the way to the president and require his authorization?"
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[docmercer--banned]

The "No Fly" zone was not part of the UN concept

 

[docmercer--banned]

Bush had plans to invade Iraq in 99 ....

are you familiar with the history of UNOCAL and that whole pipeline deal that went sour for the Bushies????

Anyone that believes any of the "threats" Bush has said is very gullible

 

[JoeContrarian]

Bahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[docmercer--banned]

Contrarian:

We dont want to hear about your sex life

 

[bigplay]

Bush doesn't decide war, his butt-buddies at the Federal Reserve do.

 

[docmercer--banned]

Bush aint smart enough to spell W-A-R

"Ohhh, shit, Uncle Dick .. I thought it was spelled A-W-O-L"

 

[Jointpleasure]

I guess I really don't understand your question as to why the liberal media never brings up the air stikes against anti-aircraft control sites. Maybe it was because Saddam was trying to shoot our aircraft down while patrolling the no-fly-zone and the liberal media doesn't want you to remember or even know this fact.
Let it be known that taking these radar sites out wasn't difficult in Iraq. Our pilots had about as much fear of being shot down as a video gamer would have about pacman jumping out of the sreen and bonking you on the head. Iran, well they be a little bit tougher than Iraq as far as this goes.

 

[docmercer--banned]

The "No Fly" zone was not set up by the UN ... that was proclaimed by the USA/ Great Britain after the Gulf War in 91

 

[chiefssth]

The "No Fly" zone was not set up by the UN ... that was proclaimed by the USA/ Great Britain after the Gulf War in 91

Who cares if the UN set it up or not? That doesn't matter.

 

[JoeContrarian]

Chiefssth, Turd Spammy doesn't care about the estimated 150,000 - 200,000 Kurdish victims of Saddam's genocidal campaign. Like Howard Dean, the only thing that matters to him is if Karl Rove ends up behind bars.

 

[docmercer--banned]

Or how Bush set up the Kurds at the end of the Gulf War????

How come we are not in Rwandan??? I mean the Bushies are such
big humanitarians and their have been millions slaughtered in that
part of the world

Fuckin Bush couldnt tell ya the diffrence between Sunnis and Shiias
and MF probably thinks Kurds are some new bran cereal

 

[JoeContrarian]

*flush*

 

[xpanda]

Chiefssth, Turd Spammy doesn't care about the estimated 150,000 - 200,000 Kurdish victims of Saddam's genocidal campaign.

There's a laundry list of folks who didn't care about the Kuridsh victims of Saddam's genocidal campaign.

Shall I name them?

 

[JoeContrarian]

Go ahead. I was never one of them.