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McCain Falsely Claims 'No One' Believes Iraq 'Diverted Attention' from Osama Chase

Posted by Jordan Michael Smith, Think Progress at 5:34 AM on March 25, 2008.


According to Bob Woodward, when Gen Tommy Franks received the top-secret message asking for an Iraq war plan within a week, he was incredulous.
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John McCain continues to deny that the Bush administration’s turn to Iraq in late 2001 had any effect on the battle at Tora Bora, according to the LA Times yesterday:

“I know of no one who believes attention to Iraq at that point diverted our attention from Tora Bora,” McCain said. …
“We should have put more boots on the ground there to apprehend [Bin Laden]. Everyone agrees. But I have no reason to believe that because we urged attention to Iraq, it had any tactical effect on the battleground.”

But according to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, even before the Tora Bora battle, Bush began meeting with Army Gen. Tommy Franks and his war cabinet to plan the U.S. attack on Iraq:
On Nov. 21, 2001, 72 days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Bush directed Rumsfeld to begin planning for war with Iraq. “Let’s get started on this,” Bush recalled saying. “And get Tommy Franks looking at what it would take to protect America by removing Saddam Hussein if we have to.” …
Bush’s order to Rumsfeld began an intensive process in which Franks worked in secret with a small staff, talked almost daily with the defense secretary and met about once a month with Bush.

Similarly, Michael Gordon, co-author of Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, has reported that Franks, in charge of the battle, was upset about Bush’s turn to Iraq:

I was at Tora Bora at that point, in December ‘01. The desire to have a war plan for Iraq has already been telegraphed to [General] Tommy Franks at Centcom. Franks is actually struggling with Tora Bora, with his unhappiness with the results in Afghanistan, just as he is on the eve of returning for a very important meeting at Crawford with the President. I think they made a very quick decision that in principle Iraq was next on the agenda.

Reporter Christina Lamb, using Woodward’s book as her source, has said that “there was another reason for Washington’s reluctance to commit troops on the ground” at Tora Bora. According to Woodward, when Gen Tommy Franks received the top-secret message asking for an Iraq war plan within a week, he was incredulous. “They were in the midst of one war in Afghanistan, and now they wanted detailed planning for another? Goddamn,” Franks said, “What the f*** are they talking about?”

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Tagged as: iraq, woodward, terrorism, bush administration, bin laden, mccain, franks, tora bora


Return to Election 2008  » Post Tools: email EMAIL print PRINT 19 COMMENTS PERMALINK
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[Report this comment]
Posted by: chuckjs on Mar 25, 2008 6:48 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
And I believe you John McFlipflop. Your folks haven't been honestly searching for UBL since the start of the WOT. So why would the invasion and occupation of IRAQ have had any bearing on that search. Why is it that 7 years after 9/11 UBL is still listed as a top 10 fugitive, on the FBI site, with no direct mention of being wanted for the 9/11 crimes. It is mentioned nowhere. http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm Could that be because there is no evidence connecting him. I am pretty sure your government has no idea who was really behind those attacks.
McBush might want to pull his head out of his ass long enough to address the fact that all but 1 or 2 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia but you invaded Afghanistan and IRAQ for the crimes of the nationals from another nation. The Taliban, whom I despise, actually offered to turn over UBL if the US government offered evidence of his crimes. Instead of the peaceful diplomatic approach a war was started and to this day NO EVIDENCE HAS EVER BEEN PRESENTED to prove anything the US government says about 9/11 is true.
Who is actually a state sponsor of terrorism? Can you answer that question Mr. McBush and back it up with solid non-refutable evidence. Oh yeah I keep forgetting about that National Security thing you keep hiding behind.
Is there any politician in your country that actually speaks the truth even 10% of the time. And your media is just as bad repeating government rhetoric without any solid proof it is true.

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» Well, Chuck... Posted by: JoshuaLudd
Party-Line, Party-Lie
[Report this comment]
Posted by: QQOblivion on Mar 25, 2008 8:43 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The question is: Is McCain just lying, or does he really believe this? (He IS getting senile, I think.)

And, in any case, according to the party-line, the invasion of Iraq and the attempt to capture Bin Laden (and, coming up, the war against Iran) are all part of the SAME war anyway, the "war on terr'". After all, all Muslims enemies are the same and have been all working together, right? Saddam, Bin Laden, all the same.

Hey, anyone -- such as Cheney, Bush, and McCain -- who still, after all these years, believes that shit is worse than brain-dead. At least the brain-dead don't believe in the exact opposite of all real truth.

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» RE: Party-Line, Party-Lie Posted by: 2dogarage
who keeps putting X
[Report this comment]
Posted by: hurricane hugo on Mar 25, 2008 9:46 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
in this man's pillbox?

jdfu!

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Lucky John Mc,
[Report this comment]
Posted by: oregoncharles on Mar 25, 2008 10:01 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
He said this the very day Frontline aired with a detailed story ("Bush's War") documenting the shift of critical military resources away from Afghanistan and the supposed hunt for UBL for Iraq. It was on last night.

Oddly enough, according to that report, the Pentagon refused to place blocking forces on the Pakistani border during the attack on Tora Bora, hence allowing UBL's escape. You figure it out.

This Frontline report isn't perfect - seeing Perle or Moskowitz respectfully interviewed is upchucking - but it isn't helpful to the Administration, either, or its flunkies like McBush (good one, that).

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Despite his failings, McCain will get my vote in November IF...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: HughScott on Mar 25, 2008 10:06 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Billary is the Democratic candidate. Otherwise, my vote will go to Obama. EAGERLY.

No more Clintons in the White House--PLEASE!

Hugh E. Scott, Vietnam vet, lifelong registered Republican

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What world does he live in?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: outlander55 on Mar 25, 2008 10:36 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Every time he opens his mouth, I shrug and chuckle at his unrealistic spew. It took me two years to feel that way about "W". McCain? What a jerk. Does ha actually think people believe him? If a miracle happens and actually does get elected, we are in big trouble.

Good night and good luck...

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» RE: What world does he live in? Posted by: 2dogarage
McCain will carry forward the insane lust for the One World Oil Order
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Pop on Mar 25, 2008 11:25 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
McCain knows that even in "Tora Bora" there was no intention of getting Osama bin Laden, in fact there never was any intention of capturing or killing him at all. The bin Ladens had close working relations with the Bush regime.
Osama was specifically avoided. The invasion of Afghanistan was carried out against the Taliban, who had been so bold in rejecting the US oil pipeline which was planned to cross Afghanistan. Any that have looked know that Osama had nothing to do with the high crimes on 9-11.

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This is disturbing,
[Report this comment]
Posted by: RevRick on Mar 25, 2008 12:41 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I don't expect him to agree with his opposition’s stance on the subject but he should at least be aware of it.

Many of his fellow Senators have said as much on the Senate floor.

This was a central platform of John Kerry’s presidential run.

If only the Democrats weren’t busy beating each other up things like this would sink his run so fast the Republicans might nominate someone else in August.

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Move on Democrats!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Opinionator on Mar 25, 2008 4:50 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This country cannot afford a fool like McCain or a dishonest woman like Hillary Clinton in the White House.

Get the superdelegates to move NOW!

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With this Idiot as the opposition in November,
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Quannah on Mar 25, 2008 5:26 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the Democrats better get their shit together because there couldn't be an easier candidate to beat!

Jeeeeeeze. Is he for real?

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Bin-Hilton
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Melvin on Mar 25, 2008 9:02 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Ah; Tora Bora. That underground labyrinth of al Queda ingenuity. The picture of that expansive complex still sticks in my mind! Here we have the ventilation shafts! here are the living quarters & don't forget the armoury! No wonder Bin Laden escaped no one could find him with all those rooms to search a regular underground Hilton it was.
BTW has anyone ever wondered why the newer Bin Laden messages are audio only? Maybe he's speaking from the grave.

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