Need JK's statements re terrorists coming into Iraq BECAUSE of Bush's war

[blm]

there.

Poster claims he never heard Kerry make any comment about the terrorists coming into Iraq because of the occupation.

I clearly heard Kerry bring it up a number of times, but can't locate exact quote.

Damn, I wish JKs site was still filled with archived material.

[TayTay]

1. There have been several recent floor speeches

that have referenced IRaq. You can search for these at the http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r109query.html site. Select Kerry as Senator and then list your search words (and sort by date.)

IMHO, it is even more important that Kerry denounce the building of permanent bases in Iraq. This is what is drawing the violent factions to Iraq in the first place. The US should not be building these bases or announcing to the violent religious extremists that we are planning on a permanent presence in Iraq. This, as much as anything else, is fueling the movement of young men into Iraq to fight the invaders.

[MH1]

2. Did you try the

Kerry Reference Library ?

[MH1]

3. Also

Kerry on Iraq War

For example here is one I found from Sept. 1 2004:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5887758/

(snip)

Kerry catalogued what he said was a long list of administration shortcomings on Iraq — failing to heed the advice of senior generals on the number of troops needed for postwar operations, failing to secure the country’s borders, failing to share responsibility with NATO or the United Nations, shortchanging the training and equipping of the Iraqi police and more.

As a result, he said, “today’s terrorists have secured havens in Iraq that were not there before. And we have been forced to reach accommodation with those who have repeatedly attacked our troops.

(snip)

I'm sure you can find more if you poke around KOIW. (Great site, Noisy Democrat!)

[blm]

4. Thankee, thankee.

.

[Noisy Democrat]

5. Aw, thanks! n/t

[globalvillage]

6. Here's a good one

John Kerry Speaks Out on Iraq, Details Concrete Steps President Must Take to Rescue the Mission

<snip>

“And that includes acknowledging that Iraq today is something it wasn’t before the war: a breeding ground for jihadists. Today there are 16-20,000 insurgents, and the number of jihadists among them is growing. This is a growing challenge, and we need to take immediate steps to address it. Our officer corps reports that every time our troops kill or capture an insurgent, three more step forward to take his place. That is not a compelling strategy for success.

http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=239696

[TayTay]

7. I was thinking about this today

when Sen. Kerry made these remarks (and when he was on Meet The Press in Jan.) he prefaced his remarks by saying that the Admin had only a short period of time in which to get it right in Iraq.

I'm beginning to wonder if that time has run out. Kerry's practical suggestions have been ignored. (No surprise there.) The commanders in the field indicate that things are getting worse by the day and that the insurgency is growing. There is not going to be a democracy in Iraq, but an Islamic Republic that will probably look more like Iran than anything else.

This is way pessimistic, but I just wonder if time has indeed run out on what we can do in Iraq.

[globalvillage]

8. I don't think we can even fix what we broke.

I'm just back from San Francisco, and too brain dead to think this through, but I don't think any good can come of what we've done in Iraq. We can not impose our democracy on another country. We could have helped them find their own, but I think that's an opportunity lost. War is just only in the context of defense. Diplomacy is the only way to guide other nations to a democratic form of government. Aggression only serves to inflame the populace, and of that, I think we've done a bang-up job.
I think you're right to be pessimistic. We fucked up.

I'm ready for peace.

"What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana, enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children - not merely peace for Americans, but peace for all men and women - not merely peace in our time, but peace for all time."
John F Kennedy

Can you tell I read Kennedy on the plane? Here's another, then I'll put the book down.

"Peace is the necessary precondition for the advance of freedom..."

Hear that, 'W'? All you had to do was read a freaking book.