Al Qaeda Is Getting Stronger - Richard Engel Says "It's All About Iraq"
NBC's Richard Engel joined hack host Tucker Carlson today to discuss the recent claims by the Bush Administration that Al Qaeda is at it's strongest since 9/11 and Engel's fantastic report in which he was allowed to get an up-close interview an Al Qaeda cell in Jordan. Engel's report completely debunks Bush's fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here meme. The members of the cell make it clear that Iraq is their biggest recruiting tool and that they can move freely in and out of Iraq to anywhere in the world to recruit and train new members.
Download | play 
Download | play
Richard Engel is a gutsy reporter who has spent a lot of time doing real investigative and hard hitting reporting in Iraq. Silent Patriot posted his War Diary earlier this year, if you missed it you can watch it here.
Herr Frist!
It's too bad my bastard father couldn't live to see this.
"Goldstein! Goldstein! Goldstein!"
Time to institute the "Two-Minutes Hate".
So we're fighting them over there so that we can fight them everywhere else too? Makes about as much sense as anything else that's come out of the WH.
How strong was Al Kida before 9/11? . . . what metrics are we using to determine strength? Do they have submarines or can they bench press 225 pounds?
On September 10th, 2001, Donald Rumsfeld announced at a press conference that the Pentacon could not account for 2.3 trillion dollars of tax-payer money. The only representative that tried to find out what happened to the missing loot was Cynthia McKinney.
http://www.alexjonesfan.com/daniel_sunjata
Fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here. That must read well to Iraqis.
You have to love how revealing (unintentionally, we'd suppose) Tucker's first question is: "How did you get these guys to talk?"
Am I crazy, or isn't that more or less what investigative journalism is about -- getting people to tell the / their story? Yes, another fine day for self-exposure, Mr Carlson.
WEEKLY END THE WAR DEMONSTRATION
By the way a group of us meet every Thursday 4:30 to 6PM
on the corner of Middleneck Road and
Northern B'lvd in Great Neck Long Island NY
We demonstrate against this war,
Bring American Flags and or "Bring Home the Troops" signs
or sign Honk to End the war
Or What ever suits your fancy
“How easy is it to join Al Qaeda?”
According to the video loop I have seen over the past six years it seems that all you have to be able to do is make it through their grade school-like obstacle course while wearing a hood. The hardest part seems to be swinging bar-to-bar on the overhead ladder. BOO!!
Bush is THE reason why the United States is THE MOST HATED country in the world.
[...] Watch Video [...]
O SNAP! That was a great report... strange that Tucker was so complementary. Will he now take a more considered tone on Iraq in future interviews? I've only seen bits and pieces of him but I assume he supports the surge etc.
Thank God I'm an Atheist:
I'm sorry, but Bush is not the reason the world hates us.
Our ignorance and selfishness is.
Any country in which somebody can make $10 million a year to play a damn sport is not a country that should be loved and admired, no matter whom occupies the presidency.
Eamon @ 11:
I bet it makes Tucker's ass pucker to listen to a real reporter. I'm surprised he was able to choke out the compliment.
Glad to see Al-Qaeda finally got themselves uniforms and t shirts so that journalists can easily identify them.
We'll hear this all summer. "Al-Qaeda is getting stronger." "I have gut feeling we're going to be attacked." So, when we are attacked, there'll be NO question who did it. We've already been told in advance. Expect anyday to hear about some new country hosting Al-Qaeda. Iran probably. My guess is bombs will be falling on Tehran before the snow flies.
Being a US citizen and an active recruiter for Al Qaeda is Treason. George W. Bush needs to be impeached, convicted, put on trial for treason, and suffer appropriate punishment!
Think Tucker is mellowing?
I'm surprised Tucker did not call Engel a "wuss".
I hear that Al-Quada now trains to the music of Chicago.
"FEEELIN' STRONGER EVERY DAAAAAY!!!"
Bush hasn't even defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan. Imagine if he had been president during WW II.
We don't have Al Qaeda pinned down in Iraq, Al Qaeda has us pinned down.
boosh couldn't even defeat Al Bundy.
Uh, No.
Engel is not a "gutsy reporter who has spent a lot of time doing real investigative and hard hitting reporting in Iraq" If you have watched the NBC nightly news much at all it is obvious he has carried water for the Administration and the rest of the pro-war imbiciles much more often than he has disagreed with them.
If Engel counts as a "hard-hitting" reporter then the bar has been lowered to the ground since the days of Halberstam, et al.
Dood @ 15:
Iran has flies during their winter?
Is booscho and pnacers going to go on the air singing the Beatles, "It's getting better everyday...better....better...better"?
Gee, I'm so surprised. I thought everything was going so well in Iraq.
is there any doubt left in anyone's mind that al qaeda and cheney/bush NEED each other?
they have a symbiotic relationship, based on mutual cooperation. bush's imperial america destroys lives and countrysides, thus sowing hate, and OBL and AZ then channel the hate into increased al qaeda recruits. of course the 16 US intel agencies have been saying this for awhile now... too bad cheney/bush spurn their own intel agencies, they might learn something (don't laugh)
Thats it in a nutshell. The Islam world sees this country's administration as the evil enemy. Who wouldn't want to fight Satan? We have enough people here doing a pretty good job at it.
hooptycritter, i would actually say the 'bar' is subterranean at this point. i long for the days when it was all the up to the ground.
Don't worry everybody! Nothing will change! The Dems and Repugs are on the same page:
Democrats, GOP don't differ much on Iraq war plan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20070713/us_time/theiraqdebatethatwasnt
Michael @ 6:
Our Gov seems to have pretty accurate info on Al Queda. Are we doing a census or registering members?
Is there a chance that Richard interviewed fake Al Queda members?
I know I am not unique with this, but it is funny how I tried to tell nearly everyone I knew the same thing this guy has just confirmed. I was ridiculed by friends, family members, and coworkers for my beliefs. It was just completely obvious to me that blowing the crap out of the middle east might be bad for terrorism and good for terrorist recruitment.
But to them, I was simply a liberal, not an expert, and out of touch with reality. How could I know anything about foreign policy? How could I know more than what the Bush Administration was saying? How could they be wrong?
I don't take any pride in being right either. It is partially my fault that I wasn't able to convince enough people. I will not let it happen again. We must impeach, change our foreign policy, and somehow pull ourselves out of the craphole we have created. Is it even possible, or has too much destruction already been done? I only hope that they take it out on the White House and not American citizens this time.
funny story - I was interviewed by Aljazeera and I told them I was a 5 star Navy Seal. Im all over tv now in the Arab world. Hey, Im on tv so it makes it so, right?
Zio-Sheep @ 32:
Bah, I'm sure Richard checked their ID to make sure they were the real McCoys.
[...] House Link to Article iraq Al Qaeda Is Getting Stronger - Richard Engel Says “It’s All About Iraq” [...]
The difference nobody talks about is heart & will. The typical US marine/reservist is over there because of job commitment. The typical insurgent is there, nothing to do with job or salary but heart and concience.
They are willing to die and there is no need for the US marine/reservist to have that level of commitment.
Now, if the battle was on our soil...it would be completely different.
When will the Ass-hole understand this? Not unless there is $$$$$$$$$$$ to be made from creating dead people.
Zio-Sheep @ 32:
So are we to assume that he's lying and it isn't all about Iraq, Iraq, Iraq.....
Samson- @ 26:
Cheney and Usama Bin Laden work for the same people
majicman @ 34:
No offense meant towards you but "insurgent" is another one of those labels that drives me nuts. Insurgent forces can be defined as forces that are surging. It all produces way too much cognitive disonance for this simple soul.
Bill-O in a rare moment of reality, clarity and truth lays it on Snowjob. http://rawstory.com/news/2007/OReilly_takes_on_Tony_Snow_You_0713.html
Ruthless People @ 38:
Obviously there has been a tear in the fabric of the space-time continuum!
Arrrghhhh!!!!!! Help me! My braining is melting!!!!
Ruthless People @ 38:
Yeah, Iraqis are getting fatigue by all the grave digging.
Weaseldog @ 40:
I read in a history book that the Poles were not grateful when the Germans liberated them
Ruthless People @ 38:
O'Reilly thinks the Irish and British were at odds for thirty years.
With a name like O'Reilly, I'd be tempted to assume he'd know better. But then I know he just makes a lot of crap up, and his faithful are dumber than dirt.
Al-Qaeda grows stronger while our kids grow flabbier.
What are they doing right?
Weaseldog @ 39:
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahhahah!
Engel did a great job against Bush's stupid motto
Orwell, the world doesn't hate the USA because overgrown adolescents make $10 million or more playing games professionally. They absolutely hate us because of Busholini, his "policies" and, generally speaking the mentality of the sheeple of this country. After all, Busholini was selected twice.
[...] Clark Link to Article george w bush Al Qaeda Is Getting Stronger - Richard Engel Says “It’s All About [...]
Actually Dr. Acula, the hatred is more then that. Many countries and their people hate the USA government for meddling in these countries politics and sending our military into these countries for the benefit of corporate America who then goes into said country to steal it's natural resources and/or uses it's citizens as slave laborers to make big profits.
Al Qaeda: The Ghostly Army Never Scene
Al Qaeda, the militant group, lead by Osama Bin Ladin , claimed to be responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks that killed well over 3000 Americans. Most Americans want to see Al Qaeda wiped off the face of our planet. I bet most Americans cannot conjure up an image of an Al Qaeda combatant if they tried. This majestic element concerning Al Qaeda has created many doubts in the America that are finally being stated.
Let me say this, I don't believe Richard Engel went to Jordon to interview someone from Al Qaeda about the so-called Al Qaeda in Iraq. In addition to this unlikely interview, the file footage accompanying Engel's report as been around for a long time. The footage has been used to demonstrate the complete training Al Qaeda soldiers go through. Many smart Americans wonder where this footage came from and how did we get it. I personally thought Engel is in Iraq, so why does he have to go to Jordon to get details concerning Al Qaeda in Iraq? Can't he update footage for Americans? When it comes to what Al Qaeda looks like, and this is important for public awareness, I have scene nothing new since 9/11. The intelligence people have recycled the same pictures over and over again. This a very disturbing fact.
Al Qaeda is supposed to be evident enough to launch a 10,000-man offensive. Should we see some pictures and eye witness reports relating to the fighting in Iraq. In Vietnam, we saw many pictures of the enemies in their guerrilla uniforms. There is nothing of a standard Al Qaeda soldier. This makes it hard for Americans, who are already skeptical of this administrations ability to be truthful, to believe we even have an enemy in the magnitude they describe.
Joseph
to repeat -
Engels' news "reports" on NBC Nightly News have been simply re-readings of the Army press releases of the day - how is that "gutsy?"
He offers no analysis and little back story. Chris Ware is not much better. MSM journalists today lack the substance to ask hard questions. Engels is simply following the political winds - far too late as usual.
It was a nice play what we saw. Two actors going through the script. Unfortunately it seems that another "terrorist" attack is imminent. The military industrial complex needs the jobs and revenue it creates in the "homeland". It's all about the money. Again, who benefits?
I have a sneaking suspicion that Al Qaeda and the boogeyman are one and the same.
So Iraq is a training ground and they're looking for people without a record... "really?" No seriously.. "really?" So this entire conflict to fight them over there.. was pointless.. because there's no strong base 'there' to begin with.
I don't know what to say except.. D'UH!!!!! I know what the reporter say isn't concrete facts.. but it makes a lot of sense to me. Iraq was never.. or will ever be important in the war against terrorism, so it won't surprise me that with a few sentences, the logic behind the republic's invasion will crash and burn.
Now we have to worry about doctors who'll take up the cause and join the US medical system in order to screw us.
Well, you can call Tucker Carlson a hack -- I've seen two clips in the past couple of days where he fits the bill to a T, denouncing atheists as inherently immoral and making snide quips about Gore/Live Aid -- but you've got to credit him for doing a piece like this with Engel. And I've seen other pieces he's done where he's been remarkably fair to guests whose viewpoints clearly clashed with his own. The other MSNBC conservative who occasionally impresses me with the depth of his views is Joe Scarborough, who's been refreshingly candid about his former support of the war and his turnaround -- a lot of these people now deny they EVER supported invading Iraq, and very few go out of their way to remind audiences of their former stands. I'm generally a lot less incensed by Scarborough than by presumed liberal Chris Matthews, whose attitude is often just bizarre. And I like Keith Olbermann -- he was the only mainstream news guy to take the 2004 election anomalies in Ohio and Florida seriously from the start -- but out of all the MSNBC guys his segments are probably the most regularly biased; too often he picks guests who he believes will amplify or lend authority to his own opinions ("So, do you think Bush is deluded or just lying?"). Of course, his opinions rarely clash with my own...
Well if Al Qaeda is stronger than ever then we're back to square one. Except, Cheney's pockets are now lined with gold while the Iraqis are lining theirs with sand. Seems fair to Iraq AND the U.S.. Oh I weep for thee.
Dr. Acula @ 47:
How else do you expect governments to control their population? I mean, China had totalitarian communism, we have corporate fascism, the former USSR had communist fascism. It's all the same except, in a so-called democracy, the control is done by manipulating the public instead of physically controlling it. That's where the mainstream media comes in. That's how the "dumbing down" of a nation occurs. We are under the illusion that we are free, but are we REALLY free?
Peter Gaffney @ 55:
I think the reason he was dignified with Engel is because Engel works in the news division and is a very reputable journalist ranking up there with Brian Williams and the like. The last thing Tucker needs is a call from GE's CEO informing him that he's fired. NBC may "diversify" a bit and try to appeal to a broader spectrum of audiences with the likes of Chris Matthews, and Tucker, but when it comes to their news division, they want to keep it credible and dignified.
Here, Here! I think the world of Richard Engel, & his MSNBC diary knocked my socks off. Good show.
[...] Crooks and Liars
I get it. Sort of like when the people elect a President, but the Supreme Court steps in and gives it to someone else. And we want to bring democracy to the world.
Comments are closed on this entry