Posted By:
Catherine Moy
Permalink

Shawn Adams joined the Army when he was 17. Two and a half years later, he was already a Sergeant and a Ranger, both achievements of a hard-driving hero who loved his family, America and God.

On July 22, terrorists in Iraq unleashed a roadside bomb that killed Shawn. It was his one-year wedding anniversary. Instead of planning a future celebration with her husband, Shawn’s widow, Beth, had to plan his funeral.

And history would repeat itself in the town of Vacaville, Calif., the home of another hero, Casey Sheehan.

In this town, Steve Nadeau will carefully and respectfully handle the funeral for Shawn, just as did for Casey Sheehan. Nadeau will receive Shawn’s body at Travis Air Force Base this week, hold a viewing at Nadeau Family Funeral Home on Friday, then oversee Shawn’s funeral Saturday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where Casey’s funeral was held in 2004.

Vacaville and Dixon residents worry that Cindy Sheehan will appear at Shawn’s funeral to protest the war in which he gave his life. The worries led Nadeau to employ extra security. Vacaville police as well as enforcement from Travis Air Force Base will ensure Shawn’s funeral is not disturbed by protesters. Father Mike McFadden will officiate at Shawn’s funeral. He will not tolerate disruption of any kind.

But they won’t have to worry about Cindy Sheehan. I contacted Sheehan’s sister, Dede Miller, who assured me that Cindy would not protest at a soldier’s funeral.

I thanked Dede and Cindy for easing the tension so many have felt.

Security will remain tight for Shawn’s funeral because crazies have shown they will protest at our heroes’ funerals.

I know that patriots will surround Shawn’s family, who has suffered too much. I pray that nobody causes them more pain.

Still the Shining City Upon the Hill

I just returned from Washington D.C. on a fact-finding mission and to gather more support for the massive gathering of patriots on Sept. 15, the culmination of Move America Forward’s cross-country caravan/rally called the “FIGHT FOR VICTORY TOUR.”

Thousands of pro-troops, pro-America folks will gather under different banners. But we all gather under one cause: We support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom by letting our elected officials (and I use the word loosely) know that America does not quit. We have the will, the means and the confidence to win the war against radical Muslim Jihadists, thanks to our selfless men and women in the Armed Forces.

This historical pushback against the Chicken Littles of the Left, who have already hoisted their white flags in defeat, comes as Gen. David Petraeus releases his report on how the troop reinforcements, or “surge,” is working. The Little Lefties have already said the United States has lost the war against a ragtag group of fanatics who rely on Iran for firepower. Thousands of realists, Gold Star parents whose children gave their lives for the fight against Islamic Jihadists, children, veterans and just red-blooded Americans will show the might of the silent majority. We will not allow the Cindy Sheehans of our country – and from elsewhere – to lead America into the abyss.

While in D.C., I roamed around the White House and looked at tourists from around the world as they posed for pictures in front of the huge white symbol of America’s freedom and strength. Judging from the lines of people with their Kodaks, I believe that the media have once again distorted America’s standing in the world. We are not the Ugly Americans they portray. We are a beacon of love, strength. We must never allow the naysayers to break our will to help the helpless, to stand as the light of the world.

As always, I welcome your input and feedback:  catmoy@moveamericaforward.org

Posted By:
Melanie Morgan
Permalink

This has been big news yesterday and today:  2 analysts of the liberal Brookings Institute who were previously critical of the war effort, now saying that “the surge” in Iraq is working.

In a report printed in the New York Times, ”A War We Just Might Win,” Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack state the following:

Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms. As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.

Be sure to pass the word along to everyone you can.  We’ve got to get the word out that our troops are winning the war against the radical Islamic jihadists in Iraq who want to defeat us, and establish a new foothold for their global “jihad.”

Posted By:
Melanie Morgan
Permalink

I was on Hannity & Colmes last night, discussing the case of Stanislav Shmulevich, a Pace University student who is being charged with 2 FELONIES for throwing a Koran into a toilet.  He’s being charged with a “hate crime.”

.....

Pushing the case is CAIR - the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a radical Islamic group that has come under considerable fire for attacking opponents of radical Islam, and egregiously defending Islamic terrorists.

What Mr. Shmulevich is guilty of - if he is indeed found guilty, which he has yet to be - is committing an act of vandalism.  Is it a stupid thing to do to flush any book down a college/university toilet?  Sure it is.  Is it an act that deserves being arrested and charged with 2 felonies?  Absolutely not.

You can watch my appearance on Hannity & Colmes - HERE.

Little Green Footballs also has a discussion forum on this - HERE.  More insight from TheWay2K Blog - HERE.

Michelle Malkin debated Bill O’Reilly on this issue.  You can watch that discussion - HERE.

Posted By:
Melanie Morgan
Permalink

The White House Office of Public Liaison tipped us off to some highlights of the progress being made in Iraq, as reported in Rear Adm. Mark Fox’s briefing in Baghdad today.

Our offensive operations continue with increasing evidence that the surge is pressuring terrorists, keeping them off balance, and eliminating safe havens. We have established a degree of tactical momentum that we will continue to build on.

• We continue to pressure former sanctuaries in the Baghdad Belts, around Ramadi and in and around Baqouba.
• We are denying al Qaeda Iraq (AQI) freedom of movement and disrupting extremist secret cells while increasing local citizens’ confidence in the Coalition and Iraqi Security Force.

The number of caches found and cleared continues to grow.

• In the last week, Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces seized more than 120 weapons caches.
• We have seized more weapons caches in the first six months of this year than all of last year combined.

On July 24, Iraqi Security Forces conducted a raid in An Nasiriyah and seized a large cache that included:

• 42 improvised explosive devices
• Approximately 400 rockets of various calibers
• 70 mortar rounds
• 11 heavy machine guns

Leads and tips received from Iraqi citizens are up and helping us discover these weapons caches.  Last month there were some 23,000 tips a month, four times the number at this time last year.

We are seeing more and more Iraqis turning against violence.

• On July 7, 100 Sheikhs and 400 religious and political leaders met in Ramadi for a conference called “Promise of the People.”
• They agreed to “The Ramadi Covenant” - a solemn agreement between tribes and most importantly with the Government of Iraq that is a clear sign the people of Iraq are rejecting the hatred, violence, sectarianism and Taliban-like state offered by AQI.
• In Baqoubah, 50 tribal leaders met at the governor’s house on July 14 to discuss security, services, and pledged to work together in the Muqdadiyah Tribal Conference.
• On July 16 in Taji, Sunni and Shia shieks pledged unity to one another to stop the sectarian attacks, each signing a map next to their village.
• On July 23, 16 local shieks and tribal leaders in Khalis pledged on behalf of some 75 shieks to work to end the violence.

Congratulations to Iraq’s National Soccer Team on winning the Asian Cup yesterday. This championship team represented Iraq with distinction and honor, inspiring all with their unity, teamwork, dedication and athletic ability.

Posted By:
Melanie Morgan
Permalink

This news made me feel awful.

The memorial that honored a fallen Marine, Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, has been vandalized.

My staff at Move America Forward learned of this awful news from the Military Families Voice of Victory Blog - here.  More details are available from the 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America, where they wrote:

They bent a twenty-foot flagpole, draped that flag on the monument, burned a part of the flag, stole a bronze eagle, and destroyed a lot of the flowers and plants that surround it.

Above: Image Courtesy of 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America

What’s more, the memorial was designed by Gold Star Father Greg Garvey, whose son Army Sergeant Justin W. “Hobie” Garvey died while serving this country in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Posted By:
Melanie Morgan
Permalink

Caos Blog has a great post about the recent Gallup Poll that showed Americans respect the U.S. Military more than any other institution surveyed.

And who rounded out the bottom of the list?  None other than the U.S. Congress, which has tried repeatedly to undermine the missions of our troops serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the broader war on terrorism.

Senator Harry Reid has declared, ”This War is Lost,” at a time when U.S. troops are in the battlefield, fighting a war that Islamic jihadists declared against America.  Senator John Kerry intimated that our troops were not very smart, and thus were “stuck in Iraq.” Senator Dick Durbin compared U.S. troops to Nazis, the Soviets and their Gulags, and the genocidal regime of Pol Pot.

Americans have rejected the attacks against our troops and are showing that they will stand behind our troops.  It’s time for the news media and our political leaders to do the same!

Posted By:
Melanie Morgan
Permalink

From the White House Office of Public Liaison

Today President Bush made a significant speech that answered critics of the war in Iraq who continue to claim that the battle there is not a central front in the War on Terror and who believe, despite evidence to the contrary, that al Qaeda in Iraq is a homegrown, Iraqi-led movement.

Those critics apparently do not remember that al Qaeda in Iraq was founded by a Jordanian, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, who led a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Zarqawi formally joined al Qaeda in 2004, pledged his loyalty to Osama bin Laden, and communicated with senior al Qaeda leaders about the war in Iraq.

Zarqawi was killed by U.S. troops in 2006 and replaced as head of al Qaeda in Iraq by another foreigner, the Egyptian Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who also spent time in Afghanistan teaching al Qaeda’s radical ideology. Osama bin Laden sent a top commander, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, to Iraq to assist Masri and the al Qaeda terrorists there. 

A few weeks ago U.S. forces captured the senior Iraqi in al Qaeda in Iraq, a leader named Mashadani, who confirmed that foreign leaders make the operational decisions for al Qaeda in Iraq. And U.S. military leaders estimate that 80 to 90 percent of the suicide bombings in Iraq are carried out by foreign-born terrorists.

Critics of the war in Iraq like to claim that the war has been a distraction from the broader war on terror.  Al Qaeda disagrees. Osama bin Laden has said “The whole world is watching this war and the two adversaries; the Islamic nation, on the one hand, and the United States and its allies on the other.”

Prematurely withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq would allow al Qaeda this base of operations, in the heart of the Middle East. As the President stated today, “We’ve already seen how al Qaeda used a failed state thousands of miles from our shores to bring death and destruction to the streets of our cities—and we must not allow them to do so again.”

Below is the full transcript of the President’s important remarks today. 

________________________________


THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Charleston, South Carolina)
___________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release July 24, 2007

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR

Charleston Air Force Base
Charleston, South Carolina
11:50 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you all.  Please be seated.  Thank you, Colonel.  Thanks for the hospitality and kind introduction.  I’m proud to be with the men and women of the Air Force, the Navy, the Marines, the Army and the Coast Guard.  Thanks for serving.  Thanks for wearing the uniform of the United States of America.

I’m proud to be back here in the great state of South Carolina.  I’m proud to be with some of the Palmetto State’s finest citizens.  I’m glad to be eating lunch with you.  The food is pretty good, Colonel.  (Laughter.) I always like a good barbecue. 

I also am proud to be with the military families.  You know, our troops are obviously engaged in a tough struggle, tough fight, a fight that I think is noble and necessary for our peace.  And so are our families.  Our military families endure the separations.  They worry about their loved ones.  They pray for safe return.  By carrying out these burdens, our military families are serving the United States of America, and this country is grateful to America’s military families.  (Applause.)

I appreciate Colonel Millander leading the 437th Airlift Wing here at the Charleston Airbase.  Thank you for the tour.  Nice big airplanes carrying a lot of cargo.  And it’s good to see the amazing operations that take place here to keep our troops supplied. 

I’m honored here to be with Deb, as well.  That’s Red’s wife.  I call him Red; you call him Colonel.  He did a smart thing; he married a woman from Texas.  (Applause.) So did I.  (Laughter.) And Laura sends her very best to you all. 

I’m proud to be here with Mark Bauknight—Colonel Bauknight—Acting Commander of they’re 315th Airlift Wing, and his wife Leslie. 

I am traveling today with one of the true stalwarts of freedom, a man who understands the stakes of the war we’re in, and a man who strongly supports the military in accomplishing the mission that we’ve sent you to do, and that’s Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.  (Applause.)

This base is represented by Congressman Henry Brown, of South Carolina.  (Applause.) He understands what I understand; when we have somebody in harm’s way, that person deserves the full support of the Congress and the President.  And you’ll have the full support of the President of the United States during this war against these radicals and extremists.

I appreciate the Lieutenant Governor of this state, Andre Bauer.  Thanks for coming, Governor.  I’m proud to be here with the Speaker of the House of Representatives for South Carolina, State Representative Bobby Harrell.  Mr. Speaker, thanks for coming.

We’ve got some mayors with us, and I appreciate the mayors being here today:  Mayor Riley, Mayor Hallman, Mayor Summey.  I’m honored that you all would take time out of your busy schedule to come by and pay tribute to these men and women who serve our nation so ably. 

I’m proud to be with Chairman Tim Scott of the Charleston County Council.  I’m proud to be with other state and local officials.  And I’m really glad to be with you all.  Thank you for your courage.

Since the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, the Airmen of Team Charleston have deployed across the globe in support in the war on terror.  During the liberation of Afghanistan, air crews from Team Charleston flew hundreds of sorties to transport troops and deliver supplies, and help the liberation of 25 million people. 

Team Charleston is playing a crucial role in Iraq.  Every day C-17s lift off from Charleston carrying tons of vital supplies for our troops on the front lines.  Your efforts are saving lives and you’re bringing security to this country.  Every member of Team Charleston can take pride in a great record of accomplishment.  And America is grateful for your courage in the cause of freedom.  And your courage is needed.

Nearly six years after the 9/11 attacks, America remains a nation at war.  The terrorist network that attacked us that day is determined to strike our country again, and we must do everything in our power to stop them.  A key lesson of September the 11th is that the best way to protect America is to go on the offense, to fight the terrorists overseas so we don’t have to face them here at home.  And that is exactly what our men and women in uniform are doing across the world.

The key theater in this global war is Iraq.  Our troops are serving bravely in that country.  They’re opposing ruthless enemies, and no enemy is more ruthless in Iraq than al Qaeda.  They send suicide bombers into crowded markets; they behead innocent captives and they murder American troops.  They want to bring down Iraq’s democracy so they can use that nation as a terrorist safe haven for attacks against our country.  So our troops are standing strong with nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted for a future of peace, and they so for the security of Iraq and the safety of American citizens.

There’s a debate in Washington about Iraq, and nothing wrong with a healthy debate.  There’s also a debate about al Qaeda’s role in Iraq.  Some say that Iraq is not part of the broader war on terror.  They complain when I say that the al Qaeda terrorists we face in Iraq are part of the same enemy that attacked us on September the 11th, 2001.  They claim that the organization called al Qaeda in Iraq is an Iraqi phenomenon, that it’s independent of Osama bin Laden and that it’s not interested in attacking America.

That would be news to Osama bin Laden.  He’s proclaimed that the “third world war is raging in Iraq.” Osama bin Laden says, “The war is for you or for us to win.  If we win it, it means your defeat and disgrace forever.” I say that there will be a big defeat in Iraq and it will be the defeat of al Qaeda.  (Applause.)

Today I will consider the arguments of those who say that al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq are separate entities.  I will explain why they are both part of the same terrorist network—and why they are dangerous to our country. 

A good place to start is with some basic facts:  Al Qaeda in Iraq was founded by a Jordanian terrorist, not an Iraqi.  His name was Abu Musab al Zarqawi.  Before 9/11, he ran a terrorist camp in Afghanistan.  He was not yet a member of al Qaida, but our intelligence community reports that he had longstanding relations with senior al Qaida leaders, that he had met with Osama bin Laden and his chief deputy, Zawahiri. 

In 2001, coalition forces destroyed Zarqawi’s Afghan training camp, and he fled the country and he went to Iraq, where he set up operations with terrorist associates long before the arrival of coalition forces.  In the violence and instability following Saddam’s fall, Zarqawi was able to expand dramatically the size, scope, and lethality of his operation.  In 2004, Zarqawi and his terrorist group formally joined al Qaida, pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, and he promised to “follow his orders in jihad.”

Soon after, bin Laden publicly declared that Zarqawi was the “Prince of Al Qaida in Iraq”—and instructed terrorists in Iraq to “listen to him and obey him.” It’s hard to argue that al Qaida in Iraq is separate from bin Laden’s al Qaida, when the leader of al Qaida in Iraq took an oath of allegiance to Osama bin Laden.

According to our intelligence community, the Zarqawi-bin Laden merger gave al Qaida in Iraq—quote—“prestige among potential recruits and financiers.” The merger also gave al Qaida’s senior leadership—quote—“a foothold in Iraq to extend its geographic presence ... to plot external operations ... and to tout the centrality of the jihad in Iraq to solicit direct monetary support elsewhere.” The merger between al Qaida and its Iraqi affiliate is an alliance of killers—and that is why the finest military in the world is on their trail. 

Zarqawi was killed by U.S. forces in June 2006.  He was replaced by another foreigner—an Egyptian named Abu Ayyub al-Masri.  His ties to the al Qaida senior leadership are deep and longstanding.  He has collaborated with Zawahiri for more than two decades.  And before 9/11, he spent time with al Qaida in Afghanistan where he taught classes indoctrinating others in al Qaida’s radical ideology. 

After Abu Ayyub took over al Qaida’s Iraqi operations last year, Osama bin Laden sent a terrorist leader named Abd al-Hadi al Iraqi to help him.  According to our intelligence community, this man was a senior advisor to bin Laden, who served as his top commander in Afghanistan.  Abd al-Hadi never made it to Iraq.  He was captured, and was recently transferred to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.  The fact that bin Laden risked sending one of his most valued commanders to Iraq shows the importance he places on success of al Qaida’s Iraqi operations.

According to our intelligence community, many of al Qaida in Iraq’s other senior leaders are also foreign terrorists.  They include a Syrian who is al Qaida in Iraq’s emir in Baghdad, a Saudi who is al Qaida in Iraq’s top spiritual and legal advisor, an Egyptian who fought in Afghanistan in the 1990s and who has met with Osama bin Laden, a Tunisian who we believe plays a key role in managing foreign fighters.  Last month in Iraq, we killed a senior al Qaida facilitator named Mehmet Yilmaz, a Turkish national who fought with al Qaida in Afghanistan, and met with September the 11th mastermind Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, and other senior al Qaida leaders. 

A few weeks ago, we captured a senior al Qaida in Iraq leader named Mashadani.  Now, this terrorist is an Iraqi.  In fact, he was the highest ranking Iraqi in the organization.  Here’s what he said, here’s what he told us:  The foreign leaders of Al Qaida in Iraq went to extraordinary lengths to promote the fiction that al Qaida in Iraq is an Iraqi-led operation.  He says al Qaida even created a figurehead whom they named Omar al-Baghdadi.  The purpose was to make Iraqi fighters believe they were following the orders of an Iraqi instead of a foreigner.  Yet once in custody, Mashadani revealed that al-Baghdadi is only an actor.  He confirmed our intelligence that foreigners are at the top echelons of al Qaida in Iraq—they are the leaders—and that foreign leaders make most of the operational decisions, not Iraqis. 

Foreign terrorists also account for most of the suicide bombings in Iraq.  Our military estimates that between 80 and 90 percent of suicide attacks in Iraq are carried out by foreign-born al Qaida terrorists.  It’s true that today most of al Qaida in Iraq’s rank and file fighters and some of its leadership are Iraqi.  But to focus exclusively on this single fact is to ignore the larger truth:  Al Qaida in Iraq is a group founded by foreign terrorists, led largely by foreign terrorists, and loyal to a foreign terrorist leader—Osama bin Laden.  They know they’re al Qaida.  The Iraqi people know they are al Qaida.  People across the Muslim world know they are al Qaida.  And there’s a good reason they are called al Qaida in Iraq:  They are al Qaida … in … Iraq.

Some also assert that al Qaida in Iraq is a separate organization because al Qaida’s central command lacks full operational control over it.  This argument reveals a lack of understanding.  Here is how al Qaida’s global terrorist network actually operates.  Al Qaida and its affiliate organizations are a loose network of terrorist groups that are united by a common ideology and shared objectives, and have differing levels of collaboration with the al Qaida senior leadership.  In some cases, these groups have formally merged into al Qaida and take what is called a “bayaat”—a pledge of loyalty to Osama bin Laden.  In other cases, organizations are not formally merged with al Qaida, but collaborate closely with al Qaida leaders to plot attacks and advance their shared ideology.  In still other cases, there are small cells of terrorists that are not part of al Qaida or any other broader terrorist group, but maintain contact with al Qaida leaders and are inspired by its ideology to conduct attacks. 

Our intelligence community assesses that al Qaida in Iraq falls into the first of these categories.  They are a full member of the al Qaida terrorist network.  The al Qaida leadership provides strategic guidance to their Iraqi operatives.  Even so, there have been disagreements—important disagreements—between the leaders, Osama bin Laden and their Iraqi counterparts, including Zawahiri’s criticism of Zarqawi’s relentless attacks on the Shia.  But our intelligence community reports that al Qaida’s senior leaders generally defer to their Iraqi-based commanders when it comes to internal operations, because distance and security concerns preclude day-to-day command authority. 

Our intelligence community concludes that—quote—“Al Qaida and its regional node in Iraq are united in their overarching strategy.” And they say that al Qaida senior leaders and their operatives in Iraq—quote—“see al Qaida in Iraq as part of al Qaida’s decentralized chain of command, not as a separate group.”

Here’s the bottom line:  Al Qaida in Iraq is run by foreign leaders loyal to Osama bin Laden.  Like bin Laden, they are cold-blooded killers who murder the innocent to achieve al Qaida’s political objectives.  Yet despite all the evidence, some will tell you that al Qaida in Iraq is not really al Qaida—and not really a threat to America.  Well, that’s like watching a man walk into a bank with a mask and a gun, and saying he’s probably just there to cash a check. 

You might wonder why some in Washington insist on making this distinction about the enemy in Iraq.  It’s because they know that if they can convince America we’re not fighting bin Laden’s al Qaida there, they can paint the battle in Iraq as a distraction from the real war on terror.  If we’re not fighting bin Laden’s al Qaida, they can argue that our nation can pull out of Iraq and not undermine our efforts in the war on terror.  The problem they have is with the facts.  We are fighting bin Laden’s al Qaida in Iraq; Iraq is central to the war on terror; and against this enemy, America can accept nothing less than complete victory.  (Applause.)

There are others who accept that al Qaida is operating in Iraq, but say its role is overstated.  Al Qaida is one of the several Sunni jihadist groups in Iraq.  But our intelligence community believes that al Qaida is the most dangerous of these Sunni jihadist groups for several reasons:  First, more than any other group, al Qaida is behind most of the spectacular, high-casualty attacks that you see on your TV screens. 

Second, these al Qaida attacks are designed to accelerate sectarian violence, by attacking Shia in hopes of sparking reprisal attacks that inspire Sunnis to join al Qaida’s cause.

Third, al Qaida is the only jihadist group in Iraq with stated ambitions to make the country a base for attacks outside Iraq.  For example, al Qaida in Iraq dispatched terrorists who bombed a wedding reception in Jordan.  In another case, they sent operatives to Jordan where they attempted to launch a rocket attack on U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea. 

And most important for the people who wonder if the fight in Iraq is worth it, al Qaida in Iraq shares Osama bin Laden’s goal of making Iraq a base for its radical Islamic empire, and using it as a safe haven for attacks on America.  That is why our intelligence community reports—and I quote—“compared with [other leading Sunni jihadist groups], al Qaida in Iraq stands out for its extremism, unmatched operational strength, foreign leadership, and determination to take the jihad beyond Iraq’s borders.”

Our top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, has said that al Qaida is “public enemy number one” in Iraq.  Fellow citizens, these people have sworn allegiance to the man who ordered the death of nearly 3,000 people on our soil.  Al Qaida is public enemy number one for the Iraqi people; al Qaida is public enemy number one for the American people.  And that is why, for the security of our country, we will stay on the hunt, we’ll deny them safe haven, and we will defeat them where they have made their stand.  (Applause.)

Some note that al Qaida in Iraq did not exist until the U.S. invasion—and argue that it is a problem of our own making.  The argument follows the flawed logic that terrorism is caused by American actions.  Iraq is not the reason that the terrorists are at war with us.  We were not in Iraq when the terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in 1993.  We were not in Iraq when they attacked our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.  We were not in Iraq when they attacked the USS Cole in 2000.  And we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001. 

Our action to remove Saddam Hussein did not start the terrorist violence—and America withdrawal from Iraq would not end it.  The al Qaida terrorists now blowing themselves up in Iraq are dedicated extremists who have made killing the innocent the calling of their lives.  They are part of a network that has murdered men, women, and children in London and Madrid; slaughtered fellow Muslims in Istanbul and Casablanca, Riyadh, Jakarta, and elsewhere around the world.  If we were not fighting these al Qaida extremists and terrorists in Iraq, they would not be leading productive lives of service and charity.  Most would be trying to kill Americans and other civilians elsewhere—in Afghanistan, or other foreign capitals, or on the streets of our own cities. 

Al Qaida is in Iraq—and they’re there for a reason.  And surrendering the future of Iraq to al Qaida would be a disaster for our country.  We know their intentions.  Hear the words of al Qaida’s top commander in Iraq when he issued an audio statement in which he said he will not rest until he has attacked our nation’s capital.  If we were to cede Iraq to men like this, we would leave them free to operate from a safe haven which they could use to launch new attacks on our country.  And al Qaida would gain prestige amongst the extremists across the Muslim world as the terrorist network that faced down America and forced us into retreat. 

If we were to allow this to happen, sectarian violence in Iraq could increase dramatically, raising the prospect of mass casualties.  Fighting could engulf the entire region in chaos, and we would soon face a Middle East dominated by Islamic extremists who would pursue nuclear weapons, and use their control of oil for economic blackmail or to fund new attacks on our nation. 

We’ve already seen how al Qaida used a failed state thousands of miles from our shores to bring death and destruction to the streets of our cities—and we must not allow them to do so again.  So, however difficult the fight is in Iraq, we must win it.  And we can win it. 

Less than a year ago, Anbar Province was al Qaida’s base in Iraq and was written off by many as lost.  Since then, U.S. and Iraqi forces have teamed with Sunni sheiks who have turned against al Qaida.  Hundreds have been killed or captured.  Terrorists have been driven from most of the population centers.  Our troops are now working to replicate the success in Anbar in other parts of the country.  Our brave men and women are taking risks, and they’re showing courage, and we’re making progress. 

For the security of our citizens, and the peace of the world, we must give General Petraeus and his troops the time and resources they need, so they can defeat al Qaida in Iraq.  (Applause.)

Thanks for letting me come by today.  I’ve explained the connection between al Qaida and its Iraqi affiliate.  I presented intelligence that clearly establishes this connection.  The facts are that al Qaida terrorists killed Americans on 9/11, they’re fighting us in Iraq and across the world, and they are plotting to kill Americans here at home again.  Those who justify withdrawing our troops from Iraq by denying the threat of al Qaida in Iraq and its ties to Osama bin Laden ignore the clear consequences of such a retreat.  If we were to follow their advice, it would be dangerous for the world—and disastrous for America.  We will defeat al Qaida in Iraq.

In this effort, we’re counting on the brave men and women represented in this room.  Every man and woman who serves at this base and around the world is playing a vital role in this war on terror.  With your selfless spirit and devotion to duty, we will confront this mortal threat to our country—and we’re going to prevail. 

I have confidence in our country, and I have faith in our cause, because I know the character of the men and women gathered before me.  I thank you for your patriotism; I thank you for your courage.  You’re living up to your motto:  “one family, one mission, one fight.” Thank you for all you do.  God bless your families.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END 12:19 P.M. EDT

Hide Extra Text...

Posted By:
Melanie Morgan
Permalink

Kyle Dabruzzi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has compiled an outstanding report that all Americans should read.  The report, Iraq’s Centrality To The War Against Al-Qaeda demonstrates, “how critical this war is to our terrorist enemies.”

It includes a letter recovered by Coalition Forces in Iraq from al-Qaida’s Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief lieutenant to Osama bin Laden, in which al-Zawahiri states that al-Qaida’s goal is to, “expel the Americans from Iraq” and, “establish an Islamic authority or emirate, then develop it and support it until it achieves the level of a caliphate.”

Posted By:
Catherine Moy
Permalink

Sheehan: Gathering of Eagles’ Patriots are “Nazis” and “fascists.”

Presumptive Pelosi challenger, Cindy Sheehan, can’t get any peace these days. Every place she goes to spread her anti-American nonsense, patriots are there to meet her. The so-called Peace Mom today wrote that she has felt threatened when she met up with the walls of troop-supporters at her stops in the South.

Here is some of the peace Mom’s latest wisdom

At the School of the Assassins in Columbus, GA and in Charlotte, NC, we ran into similar problems: police presence that seemed to be there to foster violence. At both places the neo-Nazi, pro-war fascist group “Gathering of Eagles” came out to mostly try to intimidate us from our mission. At Ft. Benning, after we complained, the police kept them separate from us, but in Charlotte, the police refused saying that the Eagles had their rights to “freedom of speech.”

Cindy better put on her big-girl panties before the big showdown in D.C. Sept. 15, because the red, white and blue will be out in force. From Sept. 3, 2007 through Sept. 15, 2007 the nation’s largest grassroots, pro-troop organization, Move America Forward will lead thousands of supporters in a cross-country effort called the “FIGHT FOR VICTORY TOUR.”

We need your help now more than ever. This is the time to pressure the pansy-spined politicians who want to leave our troops high and dry, while endangering us here on the homeland. Please help us send a message to the white-flag brigade by donating to Move America Forward

Cindy can’t keep her stories straight. Was the war started for Jews or Whoring politicians?

Since Sheehan has come out of retirement to stir up the anti-war crusade and “maybe” challenge Gen. Nancy Pelosi for her House seat, it is time to look at her record. Is she a flip-flopper, like her old compatriot John Kerry? Does she know anything about the world besides her foreign policy that President George Bush murdered her son?
Let’s walk down memory lane, shall we?

Sheehan appeared on Chris Matthew’s ‘Hardball” this week and said the war in Iraq was just to make dough for Bush’s buddies.

MATTHEWS:  Why do you think President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, the other hawks in this administration . . . why do you think they took us to war?
SHEEHAN:  Well, I think it was a lot to do with oil.  It was a lot to do with destabilizing that region, which they have done very thoroughly.  The Iraqi refugee crisis has made the entire region
compromised there. And I think it was for profit. I mean it’s for Halliburton. It’s for Blackwater. It’s for Standard Oil.  It’s for the war profiteers. And that’s why war is usually waged.
MATTHEWS:  You believe that this was . . .this war was fought because people in the White House decided to make some money for their pals in business?  You really believe that?
SHEEHAN:  I believe that that…

But go back a couple years, and Sheehan had an entirely different take on the war.
She blamed the Jews. Here are the contents of an email that Sheehan wrote and had a friend, James Morris, send to “Nightline”:

Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the army to protect America, not Israel. Am I stupid? No, I know full well that my son, my family, this nation and this world were betrayed by George Bush who was influenced by the neo-con PNAC agendas after 9/11. We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy … not for the real reason, because the Arab Muslims who attacked us hate our middle-eastern foreign policy.

Sheehan later claimed she didn’t write the passage. But I have communicated directly with Morris about this, and have read highly credible articles proving that Sheehan told a whopper when she denied her anti-Zionist position. 

So Sheehan has passed the first sniff test to become a member of the slimy Congress whose poll ratings are lower than a snake’s belly. If elected, she should fit in nicely with the caca-spewing Caucus.

D’Oh!! Dems don PJs while U.S. snags top Terrorist.
Double D’Oh!! al-Qaida in Iraq is an arm of bin Laden’s fraternity

The white-flag brigade was out in full force Tuesday night trying to secure America’s defeat in Iraq while our troop announced the capture of Iraq’s top al-Qaida terrorist. The worst part for the cheese-eating surrender monkeys (no offense to our primate friends), was they didn’t get the vote to yank our productive troops our of Iraq, PLUS our ‘catch” snitched on his big boss bin Laden.

From the Associated Press:

Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who was captured in Mosul on July 4, carried messages from bin Laden, and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, to the Egyptian-born head of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayub al-Masri, said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

“Communication between the senior al-Qaida leadership and al-Masri frequently went through al-Mashhadani,” Bergner aid. “There is a clear connection between al-Qaida in Iraq and al-Qaida senior leadership outside Iraq.”

D’oh!  Where will Harry ‘the runner” Reid go now that he and his comrades have been caught in their big lie that we “lost in Iraq?” Well, they’ll keep on lying and hope it sticks to the substantially frail frontal lobes of the ‘cut-run-and-duck-crowd.”

FYI: The cut-run-and-duck drill morphed from the Cold War nuclear attack drills in which many of us can remember diving under desks to protect us from radiation. Now, Democrats and Republican eunuchs cut and run when they hear that war is ugly, then duck the truth. Sens. Reid, Barbara Boxer, Pete Domenici and Chuck Hagel, among others, are on the cut-run-and-duck flavors of the month.

As the great philosopher Homer Simpson once said, “Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen.”

Are you listening America? If hanky Harry is talking, please don’t.

It’s bedtime for Boxer and her bedwetting buddies. Don’t forget the Astronaut diapers!

Iran’s war on U.S. Killing more soldiers

The AP also reported Wednesday that troops nailed three terrorists tied to Iran (surprise, surprise).

“Three other militants suspected of having ties to Iran were detained in a predawn operation by U.S. forces working with Iraqi informants in Baghdad’s main Shiite district of Sadr City, the military said separately.
The Americans have accused Tehran of providing mainly Shiite militias with training and powerful roadside bombs known as explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, that have killed hundreds of U.S. troops in recent months.
“Coalition forces are determined to counter Iranian influence in Iraq, pursuing those suspected of smuggling arms and other forms of lethal aid into Iraq,” military spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said in a statement. “Disrupting the bombing network in Baghdad remains a high priority for us, and we will continue to target the cells’ leaders and members.”

Roadside bombs, including EFPs and other makeshift devices used by Sunni and Shiite militants alike, are the No. 1 killer of foreign troops in Iraq. At least 20 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq this week all but five from wounds suffered from improvised explosive devices, the term the military uses for roadside bombs.

I’m sure the Iranians were just confused and believed they were practicing
their terrorism techniques inside Iran. Yeah, that’s the ticket . . .

Posted By:
Catherine Moy
Permalink

The day terrorists murdered Casey Sheehan, Jan Johnson sat in her Georgia home, frozen with fear that her own son was dead.

Mrs. Johnson’s son, Justin, was a good buddy with Casey. They met up at Fort Hood, Texas, where the young Christian men prepared to fight in Iraq.

When Mrs. Johnson finally got the phone call, she heard Justin’s tired and mournful voice. Casey was dead and Justin’s heart broke. Justin tried to save him and the others, but there was no way out for them.

Six days after Casey was killed, the same terrorists blew up Justin’s Humvee and stole Mrs. Johnson’s youngest child.
The deaths of Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Sheehan’s sons thrust them into the world of Gold Star Parents, those whose children die for America during wartime.

Since 2004 when the two women became Gold Star mothers, Mrs. Johnson has reached out to Ms. Sheehan, whom many in the mainstream media have glorified as the Peace Mom, the face of all mothers who’ve lost their sons and daughters in the current war with radical Muslim Jihadists.

But Ms. Sheehan has never returned an email.

Even after their stories appeared in the book I coauthored with MAF Chairman Melanie Morgan, “American Mourning,” Sheehan has rebuffed Mrs. Johnson’s attempts to meet and talk about their sons.

The latest attempt came this weekend. Mrs. Johnson heard that Ms. Sheehan would be in Georgia, the Johnsons’ home.  She and her husband, Joe (who served in Iraq as a gunner on a Humvee after Justin was killed), traveled close to the spot that Sheehan was to appear for a rally to wait.

Mrs. Johnson kept her plans quiet. This was a private meeting between two women who shared so much. She just wanted time with her Gold Star sister, even if they disagree on the United State’s war efforts.

Mrs. Johnson sent the following email to Sheehan via Sheehan’s sister and spokeswoman, Dede Miller. (Johnson did not release the email or plans to me until after Sheehan ignored her plea to meet).

Dede, I am requesting a meeting with your sister.  Isn’t it about time she and I sat down face to face and talked about our boys, after all, they were friends.  I’m not looking to start anything, I just think it would do both of us some good to finally meet and talk.  When Casey died, Justin called home as soon as he could to tell me about his buddy he had lost and cried on the phone to me about him.  Casey’s death really touched Justin deep....he was his first friend to get killed.  Of course, he was his last that he knew about since Justin was killed 6 days later.  So much has been made of their friendship. I have been told you will be in the Gainesville, Ga. area on Sunday...so will I.  If Cindy is willing to meet me and talk, give me a call on my cell.  Thank you...by the way, I’m not telling anyone about this either so don’t think I’m trying to set her up or anything...just two moms who have lost their sons.  Jan Johnson

The Silence was deafening. Joe and Jan waited for two days away from their homes, hoping Sheehan would call.

If Sheehan can’t meet with Gold Star Parents whose own child loved hers, how will she deal with her enemies? It is clear from her abhorrent behavior to the Johnsons that she is not fit for office and she never was a worthy representative of those whose children gave their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Devil Went Down to Georgia . . .on her way to Iraq

Cindy Sheehan was apparently too busy fighting with other Southerners who don’t agree with her to make time for other grieving parents. During a stop in Montgomery, Ala., Sheehan with Chris Vucovich, who supports the troops and their mission. Vucovich had just had surgery, but the pain didn’t stop him from confronting the Peace Mom who wants to oust House Speaker, Gen. Nancy Pelosi.

Sheehan was on her “Summer of Love 2007” tour. She was apparently spreading the peaceful words of such leftist pacifists as Che Guevara, the murderous thug whose picture ignorant Americans wear on their T-shirts like it’s a Levi’s logo.

Sheehan announced on CNN today that she will go to Iraq. Really?? I wonder if she will be flying on her buddy Hugo Chavez’s private jet. I’m sure Hugo could help her hookup with Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and they could work out some sort of deal to bring cheap gasoline to the Bay Area.

Watch out, Gen. Pelosi. Sheehan could be a real threat to your Speakership.  Under Sheehan’s dictates, San Francisco could earn the name, “Baghdad by the Bay.”

Thank the Wicken worshippers that Herb Caen isn’t around for this one.

Tomorrow: Big announcement at Move America Forward

Tune in toMove America Forwardfor really, really big news. We are ramping up for a strong pro-troops push. We’ll need your help.

Thanks and have a blessed evening.

As always, feel free to drop me an email here:  Catmoy@Moveamericaforward.org