September 23, 2004
ZARQAWI'S AMERICAN MOUTHPIECE:
Iraq Leader Addresses Congress, Vowing January Elections (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 9/23/04)
Offering a simple, ``Thank you America,'' Iraqi interim prime minister Ayad Allawi declared Thursday that his country is moving successfully past the war that ousted Saddam Hussein and vowed that elections will take place next year as scheduled.``Elections will occur in Iraq on time in January because Iraqis want elections on time,'' Allawi told a joint meeting of Congress, an appearance that President Bush's advisers hoped would ease American voters' doubts about the troubled campaign in Iraq.
Despite struggles and setbacks, ``the values of liberty and democracy'' are taking hold in Iraq, Allawi said. ``We could hold elections tomorrow'' in 15 of 18 provinces, Allawi said, even though terror operatives hope to disrupt them.
``The insurgency in Iraq is destructive but small, and it has not and will never resonate with the Iraqi people,'' Allawi said.
He cautioned, however, that the election may not come off perfectly. But he assured it will be free and fair, ``a giant step'' in Iraq's political evolution.
``Today, we are better off, you are better off, the world is better off without Saddam Hussein,'' Allawi said. He added: ``Your decision to go into Iraq was not an easy one, but it was the right one.''
In a pretty clear illustration of how Senator Kerry is now in effective collaboration with the enemies of Iraqi democracy he began a rare press conference just minutes after Mr. Allawi finished in order to rebut the prime minister. Not only was it impolite to smack down the leader of a nation who had just thanked him for his vote for war, but Mr. Kerry's made himself the unofficial leader of the opposition.
MORE:
Senator Kerry's Remarks (September 23, 2004)
Following is a transript of remarks made by Senator John Kerry today in Columbus, Ohio. [...]Posted by Orrin Judd at September 23, 2004 11:22 AMQUESTION: Prime Minister Allawi told Congress today that democracy was taking hold in Iraq and that the terrorists there were on the defensive. Is he living in the same fantasy land as the president?
KERRY: I think the prime minister is, obviously, contradicting his own statement of a few days ago, where he said the terrorists are pouring into the country. The prime minister and the president are here, obviously, to put their best face on the policy.
Make this speech a GOP ad pronto.
Posted by: AWW at September 23, 2004 11:51 AMAllawi, Kerry or both?
Both! Clips of Allawi being optimistic followed by Kerry being pessimistic.
Posted by: PapayaSF at September 23, 2004 12:37 PMPriceless. Kerry's right about one thing: (even after all the "nuancing") the contrast couldn't be any clearer.
Posted by: John Resnick at September 23, 2004 12:40 PMKerry seems to think that his demented speech right after the RNC was such a tremendous success that he did it again with Allawi's speech. From which planet does this creature come ?
Posted by: Peter at September 23, 2004 12:55 PMI originally thought an ad with just Allawi but PapaSF is right - an ad contrasting Allawi saying things are better with Kerry's doom and gloom would be even better.
Posted by: AWW at September 23, 2004 1:01 PMUpdate - I'm seeing on other sites that Kerry spoke after Allawi did and basically refuted what Allawi said (i.e. the president of Iraq is wrong, Iraq is a quagmire"). More fodder for the ad.
Posted by: AWW at September 23, 2004 1:05 PMUnofficial?
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 23, 2004 3:04 PMDid al-Qaeda promise Kerry (who by the way served in Vietnam) that he would be the last dhimmi to be exterminated?
Posted by: Ken at September 23, 2004 3:57 PM