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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: CYBERKEN who wrote (385121)	4/4/2003 5:50:18 AM
From: JDN	Respond to of 769667

Dear C and all Red Blooded Americans: This speech was given at Pensacola, Fla. recently. I think it does a GOOD JOB of documenting the past and WHY WE FIGHT today. Suggest you all read it. JDN > Subject: Look at the Pattern > > > > > > > > > > U.S. Navy Capt. Ouimette is the XO of NAS, Pensacola. Here is a copy of > the > > speech he gave earlier this month. A wonderful and accurate account of why > > we are in trouble today. > > > > +++++++++++++++ America WAKE UP! > > > > That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 and maybe it > > was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" > > > > In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have > > continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of > > peaceful sleep since then. > > > > It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a > > religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked > > and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright > > attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most > > powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this > > sovereign US embassy set the stage for the events to follow for the next > 23 > > years. > > > > America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Viet Nam experience > and > > had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter, > had > > to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The > > ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's > > inability to deal with terrorism. America's military had been decimated > and > > downsized / right sized since the end of the Viet Nam war. A poorly > > trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to > > execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start. > > > > Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and > > killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her > > citizens living and working abroad. > > > > The attacks against US soil continued. In April of 1983 a large vehicle > > packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in > > Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and > > America hit the Snooze Button once more. > > > > Then just six short months later a large truck heavily laden down with > over > > 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps > > headquarters in Beirut. 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her > > dead and hit the Snooze Button once more. > > > > Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is > > driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber. > > The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the > > gates of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept. > > > > Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a > > restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid. Then in August a > Volkswagen > > loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force > > Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the Snooze Alarm is buzzing louder > > and louder as US soil is continually attacked. Fifty-nine days later a > > cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American > in > > a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed. > > > > The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when > > they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most > tragic > > bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 259. > > America wants to treat these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are > still > > trying to bring these people to trial. > > > > These are acts of war, the Wake Up alarm is louder and louder. > > > > The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America.. In January 1993, two > > CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, > > Virginia. The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are > > arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the > > underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six > > people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not > > an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again. > > > > Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in > > Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women. A few months > > later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the > > US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar > > Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500. > > > > The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America > does > > not respond decisively. They move to coordinate their attacks in a > > simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These > > attacks were planned with precision, they kill 224. America responds with > > cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep. > > > > The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 > > October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded > > killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but > > we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep. > > > > And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans > > think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong > > they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose > > to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep. > > > > In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high > > official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But > > if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see > > exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the > > National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing > since > > 1979. > > > > The President is right on when he says we are engaged in a war. I think we > > have been in a war for the past 23 years and it will continue until we as > a > > people decide enough is enough. > > > > America has to "Get out of Bed" and act decisively now. America has > changed > > forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to > > ensure our way of life continues.. We cannot afford to hit the Snooze > > Button again and roll over and go back to sleep. We have to make the > > terrorists know that in the words of Admiral Yamamoto after the attack on > > Pearl Harbor "that all they have done is to awaken a sleeping giant." > > > > Thank you very much.