Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
By Rupert Cornwell in Washington
04 February 2005
George Bush's State of the Union address, the first of his second
term, was a familiar mix the litany of sweeping goals at home and
abroad, the inconvenient truths glossed over or omitted, the whole
presented with astonishing self-belief.
On the domestic front, Mr Bush set out in some detail for the first
time his plans to part-privatise social security the biggest
overhaul of America's most-venerated welfare programme since it was
signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt exactly 70 years ago.
Abroad, he was more specific on the grand theme of spreading freedom
across the Middle East, first set out in his inaugural address last
month. He chastised Iran as the "primary state sponsor of terror" and
promised Iranian reformists the backing of the US: "As you stand for
your own liberty, America stands with you."
Syria was given a similar stern warning to "end all support for terror
and open the door for freedom". Mr Bush also urged Egypt and Saudi
Arabia US allies which have previously had a virtual free pass on
their internal repression to do more to foster democracy.
As usual, the President was well served by his speech writers and
stage managers of ceremony. State of the Union addresses now regularly
use special presidential guests to illustrate grand themes. But this
year's was especially emotional, the tearful embrace in the VIP
gallery between the parents of a US Marine killed in Iraq, and an
Iraqi woman who took part in Sunday's election, 11 years after her own
father was murdered by Saddam Hussein's intelligence services.
In the audience below, many Republican senators and congressmen
pointed their fingers, carrying the purple ink stains used to mark
Iraqis when they cast their vote at the weekend.
But now comes the hard part for Mr Bush to bridge the gap between
soaring rhetoric and awkward realities that do not conform with the
grand vision, and the race to turn proposals into law within 18
months, before the 2006 mid-term election campaign. After that, even
this most confident and determined of presidents will be treated as a
lame duck.
Iranian leaders reacted with fury to the speech because it picked out
Tehran as a sponsor of terrorism. But, as Iran prepares for
presidential elections in June, the signs are clear the favourite, the
former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, may be preparing the
ground for rapprochement with the US.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader said: "The Islamic
Republic of Iran, because of supporting the oppressed and confronting
oppressors, is being attacked by the global tyrants." But allies of Mr
Rafsanjani say the former president may be planning to seek a "grand
bargain" with the US, offering concessions on Tehran's nuclear
programme, terrorism and Iraq if he wins the election.
Meanwhile, the US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, said yesterday
he has not decided whether to attend the prestigious Munich Conference
on Security Policy next week in Germany, where he might be subject to
arrest on a war-crimes complaint. "I have not made a final decision on
that ," he said. "And there are several factors." CNN television also
reported that Mr Rumsfeld had twice submitted his resignation to
President Bush during the Abu Ghraib scandal last spring.
5 February 2005 02:14
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
05 Feb 2005 09:37:06 AM |
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Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
And he is correct in saying so.
Tony
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| User: "R. Foreman" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
05 Feb 2005 10:11:05 PM |
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Spat the Words
Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
And he is correct in saying so.
Tony
The fact Bush is able to construct a complete sentence is
the surprising part.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
06 Feb 2005 07:56:07 AM |
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itwill@happen.com Spat the Words
Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
And he is correct in saying so.
Tony
The fact Bush is able to construct a complete sentence is
the surprising part.
Wake up.
Tony
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| User: "R. Foreman" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
06 Feb 2005 09:28:51 PM |
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Spat the Words
Spat the Words
Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
And he is correct in saying so.
Tony
The fact Bush is able to construct a complete sentence is
the surprising part.
Wake up.
Tony
Ok, let's try again. Bush citing Iran as a primary state sponsor
of terrorism isn't news. Bush being able to form a complete
sentence makes heads turn and jaws drop.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
07 Feb 2005 07:41:04 AM |
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itwill@happen.com Spat the Words
itwill@happen.com Spat the Words
Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
And he is correct in saying so.
Tony
The fact Bush is able to construct a complete sentence is
the surprising part.
Wake up.
Tony
Ok, let's try again. Bush citing Iran as a primary state sponsor
of terrorism isn't news.
But yet you're in favor of letting them continue to do so?
Tony
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| User: "Nonsequiturlexa" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
07 Feb 2005 01:18:48 PM |
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Rock steady - rack em up.
I rack - you rack - I ran
Patron Saint of the Internet
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
06 Feb 2005 01:46:40 AM |
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On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 22:11:05 -0600, "R. Foreman"
<eidpers@anti-spam.comcast.net> wrote:
itwill@happen.com Spat the Words
Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
And he is correct in saying so.
Tony
The fact Bush is able to construct a complete sentence is
the surprising part.
The teleprompter helps
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Next legal war....Iran |
05 Feb 2005 05:55:03 AM |
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On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 10:37:06 -0500, wrote:
Bush cites Iran as the 'primary state sponsor of global terror'
And he is correct in saying so.
Tony
Can you say deja vu? Let me guess, the next step is to tell the world
that that Iran has WMD's buried in the sand, they also have links to
your American government invented Al-Qaeda, and they must be made into
a democratic society. Hahahahah, already been there...done that...here
we go again.
Hahahahahaha
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