Quotes of the Morning: What Problem?

“What I find interesting is that it's okay for a British company to manage some ports, but not okay for a company from a country that is a valuable ally in the war on terror.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, February 23, 2006

“I disagree here because of one thing. The company is not ‘from a country’. The company IS the country. That isn’t why this is such a controversy though. It is stuff like this that fuels the fire.”
-Skippy

“Others, however, point out that two of the September 11, 2001, hijackers were from the UAE. In addition, most of the hijackers received money channeled through various sources based in the UAE, according to the Justice Department and the 9/11 commission.”
-CNN, February 20, 2006

“The United Arab Emirates has become what the Bush administration calls a reliable partner in the war against Islamic terrorists, but its rulers maintained close ties to Osama bin Laden before September 11, and the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai have since served as operations and financial bases for al Qaeda terrorists.
[…]
During the Clinton administration, the United States even considered killing bin Laden when he was on a hunting expedition but did not because one of his hunting partners was one of the United Arab Emirates' emirs.
[…]
The U.S. September 11 commission's report is replete with accounts of some of the 19 hijackers -- two of whom came from the United Arab Emirates -- using Dubai's permissive banking system and lax passport certification to gain entry into the United States and bankroll a mission that killed more than 3,000 people.
During bin Laden's stay in Afghanistan -- where he built terror training camps, a personal army and a financial network -- some of the United Arab Emirates' upper crust, known as emirs, visited him. The United Arab Emirates was one of only a handful of countries that recognized the harsh Taliban regime, bin Laden's protector.”
-Washington Times, February 23, 2006

“So the ports will be run by a company owned by the government of the UAE, and the UAE (the Emirates) is run by people (the Emirs) who supported the Taliban and had Bin Ladin over to go hunting. If the Emirs had been as accurate when hunting as Dick Cheney this wouldn’t even be an issue anymore. The problem is that the Administration has spent an awful lot of time and effort proving that everyone linked to Bin Ladin is an immediate threat.”
-Skippy

"You can't distinguish between Al-Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror."
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 25, 2002

"The danger is, is that they work in concert. The danger is, is that Al-Qaeda becomes an extension of Saddam's madness and his hatred and his capacity to extend weapons of mass destruction around the world."
- George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 25, 2002

"There clearly are contacts between Al-Qaeda and Iraq that can be documented."
-Condoleezza Rice, September 25, 2002

“This is a man who continues to murder his own people, a man who has gassed - used gas on his own citizens, a man who has used chemical weapons on his neighbors, a man who has invaded two countries, a man which hates - who hates America, a man who loves to link up with al Qaeda, a man who is a true threat to America, to Israel, to anybody in the neighborhood.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 28, 2002

“Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of al-Qaida.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, January 28, 2003

“We've learned a couple of things. We learned more and more that there was a relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda that stretched back through most of the decade of the '90s, that it involved training, for example, on BW and CW [biological weapons and chemical weapons], that Al Qaeda sent personnel to Baghdad to get trained on the systems that are involved. The Iraqis providing bomb-making expertise and advice to the Al Qaeda organization."
-Dick Cheney, September 14, 2003

“Vice President Dick Cheney, in a speech Monday in Florida, raised eyebrows by reasserting claims that Saddam ‘had long-established ties with al Qaeda.’"
-CNN, June 15, 2004

“And that was despite this..”
-Skippy

The Sept. 11 commission reported yesterday that it has found no ‘collaborative relationship’ between Iraq and al Qaeda, challenging one of the Bush administration's main justifications for the war in Iraq.
-Washinton Post, June 17, 2004

“So, we had to invade Iraq because of the threat of Saddam and al Qaeda working together, despite a lack of any evidence whatsoever, but the UAE, which is a non-democratic oligarchy that recognized the Taliban but won’t recognize Israel, is our best buddy, despite being closely linked to the terrorists behind September 11. Hmm.. Can’t imagine why everyone isn’t lining up behind Dubya on this.. I’m not saying that the UAE isn’t a valued friend. I’m just saying that it isn’t the kind of friend that you let keep an eye on your house while you’re on vacation..”
-Skippy