White House Calls Bin Laden "Impotent"

Bush Adviser Mocks Power Of Al Qaeda Leader But Experts Say Propaganda Messages Are Potent

(CBS/AP) 
Townsend said experts are doing a technical analysis, looking for clues about bin Laden's health and whereabouts.

"There's nothing overtly obvious in the tape that would suggest this is a trigger for an attack," she said.

However, CBS News consultant Michael Scheuer, a former CIA analyst, is unconvinced bin Laden's appearance is not a threat, as Townsend had claimed.

"I think there's an overwhelming threat in it," Scheuer said on the Saturday Early Show. "Bin laden, again, offered us a chance to convert to Islam, which is required in their religion before they attack us. So to say there's no threat in this message is just 180 degrees incorrect."

Townsend emphasized another finding from the intelligence estimate released in July - that worldwide counterterrorism efforts have constrained the ability of al Qaeda to hit the U.S.

"We ought to remember, six years since the tragedy of the September 11th, we haven't seen another attack," Townsend said.

More than 3,000 people died on that day in 2001, the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. Tuesday's anniversary has renewed questions about whether the country is safer today.

"Six years later, we are safer in a narrow sense: We have not been attacked, and our defenses are better," wrote the chairmen of the independent Sept. 11 commission, Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, in Sunday's Washington Post. "But we have become distracted and complacent."

Townsend disputed that assessment. She said the government has made considerable progress in protecting the country.

"We are safer than we were in 2001," she said.

The anniversary of the attacks comes in the same week that President Bush is expected to announce the next stage of U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq. The war is portrayed in starkly different terms by Mr. Bush, who sees it as vital to stopping al Qaeda, and by his critics, who view it is as unrelated to the terrorist attacks.

"This is an insult to everybody in the world that this man is still sending his tapes," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., of bin Laden. "And it is the real failure because Iraq has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden in the beginning."

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona - who has stuck by Mr. Bush's war strategy - nevertheless described bin Laden as a "great danger."

"He continues to communicate, he continues to lead, and he continues to be a symbol for them of leadership in this radical hatred and evil radical Islamic extremism," McCain said.

Taunting bin Laden as "virtually impotent" would likely not provoke him to respond, because his strategy of attacks involves lengthy planning that would not be derailed by a single comment, said Sanderson, a senior fellow at CSIS. But such a comment could prove incendiary to like-minded followers of bin Laden who see themselves as a "vanguard of a global assault on the United States," he said.

"A provocation like that," he said, "is not helpful."

Townsend appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and CNN's "Late Edition." Kerry and McCain were on "This Week" on ABC.

[kansas1946]

Oh, you know, this is just another "Bushism." You know the guy can''t speak English.
He meant to say, "important" not "impotent."

[king77shaw]

there is no democRAT party - there is just one party, the Republican party, that has a Democrat faction - the same ultra-elite global banking interests that brought you 9/11 and choose your presidential candidates call all the shots - the illegal Federal Reserve is the REAL government - Bush, cheney, Pulosi, Reid are just bad actors in the grand facade - that''''s why nothing is getting done... watch the following movies and WAKE UP AMERICA - turn off you nightly propaganda for just two nights and educate yourself or at least entertain the possibility of an alternate paradigm - CHALLENGE YOURSELF - BE BOLD - WATCH THE FOLLOWING!!!!

America: Freedom to Fascism:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173&q=freedom+to fascism&total=922&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0


Zeitgeist:

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

[prinzowhales]

Ironic that a employee of Queen George would characterize bin Laden as "impotent"...he''s not the one who has male prostitutes stay over at the White House on overnighters who advertize that they always ''play the teapot, never the cup'' if you get my drift.

Queen George even claims that we are fighting al Qaida...this has cost the United States over half a trillion dollars, thousands of deaths and tied up the US military for years...Considering the fact that he has only limited resources...that sounds pretty potent ju-ju from where I sit...particularly considering the fact that the Asian and Saudi press has reported him dead for over five years and whose tedious tapes have contained only a lot of old footage, few if any exhortations for his alleged jihadists or attempts to use his ''star power'' as a recruitment tool..."Bin Laden Wants You!"...

Bin Laden is the Emmanuel Goldstein of the Stupid Peoples'' War. One simply cannot kill the dead...unless one lives in George Bush''s War Pig Toon Town...Troops Home Now! And bring some ''Dip'' for these stinking Toons...

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by parro

Polly wanna, whah, whah, whah, blah, blah, blah. UBL is waiting for your to convert. Be a good little Dimnowit and crossover.

[flreason]

mudrose: Get real!

Clinton could not have sold anything to China without the Congress being complicit. Considering that he was dealing with a Republican majority Congress for his entire Presidency, it''s safe to assume that any sale or tranfer of intelligence would have gotten a lot more of their attention than Monica''s dress. The sale of the U.S. to China has been going on for decades, but it has accelerated exponentially under Bush because of the record national debt his administration has initiated in their zeal to cut taxes for businesses and high income contributors. There''s plenty of blame to spread, so don''t single out Clinton in your obsessive need to demonize all Democrats and idolize all Republicans.

[killtheliars]

it seems to me that Bin Landen has alot more followers then GW does. Bin Laden still has the respect and support of the radicals in the Middle East, Eurpoe, and Central Asia.
GW has the support of his wife and his cabinet. nobody lese in the country believes a word he says.
The world would be a better place with out either of them

[bogusbones]

Why provoke these people? When are we ever going to learn? Their manhood is a supreme part of their psychological being and when challenged they have a strong tendency to "set things right." Maybe we should blame the buffoons in the Administration for the next wave of killings. If we were so powerful and almighty, bin Laden would be either captured or deceased. Never stir a hornets nest you idiots.

[realpatriot1]

mudrose,

I know that you would prefer to talk about Clinton and China but let''s get back to the subject of the article.

How is it that we had Bin Laden in our sites at Tora Bora(according to the CIA agents on the scene), we have aerial recon that can track a license plate from space, the Pakastani troops on the other side of the border are our "#1 allies in the war on terror", and he still got away with his large contingent?

How does that work for you?

[jn122736]

Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda have never been anything more than characters in a superman movie. The title could be anything; 911, Mushroom cloud, Invading Iraq, or fighting terrorists. (Insert name here).

Osama plays the roll of Lex Luthor.

Only the brilliant mind of Lex Luthor could plan and carrying out 911 with nothing more that a few box knives while the majestic, all-powerful, superman (Bush) was sitting on his kryptonite and doing nothing to stop the attacks during the long length of time it took to complete.

Superman (Bush) immediately recognized Lex Luthor as the culprit and dashed off to Afghanistan to bring him in to face justice and the American way.

The brilliant Luthor secretly placed a tiny bit of kryptonite inside superman%u2019s earphone, just enough to addle him, causing him to immediately switch his attack to Saddam/Iraq, where he showed his super powers by swiftly defeating Saddam and landing on an aircraft carrier, wearing his cape, and a banner flashing, %u201Cmission accomplished%u201D.

BTW, The earphone is the reason superman makes so many blunders when making speeches or addressing audiences. Can you imagine how confusing it can be trying to make a speech and listen to voices in your ear at the same time, especially if you believe it is God speaking to you?
It might even cause one to take the wrong direction exiting stage.

[realpatriot1]

mudrose,

Neither party is in a position to criticise the other for allowing Chinese access to our sensitive intelligence because both have been lax.

You blame Clinton, for example, for loosening up security at nuclear weapons labs. Recent events have shown that they''re just as loose today.

Neither party has stood in the way of Defense contractors selling to overseas markets, including to the Chinese and neither party has done anything to police trade shows where Chinese spys give our military equipment the complete once over.

I respectfully disagree with the dubious conclusion that China posed no military threat before 1993. Have you forgotten all of Neil Bush''s Chinese business deals and Reagan''s defense contractor buddies China deals?

Both parties have been part of the problem; the real question is which is going to do something about it and that''s still an unanswered question.

[mudrose-2009]

She''''ll say anything ..... Insinuating and spreading rumours - what was done to you, should be made Illegal in the south ..... they''''d procecute and jail where i''''m at.
Posted by parrot2

Aw, polly wanna I''m no insinuating anything. It''s all out there in the public record but, I agree, the Clintons should be persecuted and jailed and even executed. Now you just rant on and on with your stupid contentions like Bush should raid China garbage. See, the point is, the dimnowits have harmed this country gravely and yet you don''t see it because Mr. Clintoid didn''t give a ***** about the rule of law and just did what he did by relaxing this or that policy. He did it like the sneak he was and is.

[mudrose-2009]

If the story you refer to was written by a corespondent for the Wahington Times, I give it as much credibility as Senator Craig saying "I''''m Not Gay"
Posted by nolalou

It really doesn''t matter what you think or believe. He''s a credible source. See it''s like saying Hsu is a legitimate contributor to the Clinton campaign.

[nolalou]

mudrose,

If the story you refer to was written by a corespondent for the Wahington Times, I give it as much credibility as Senator Craig saying "I''m Not Gay"

[micma-2009]

BUSH ON BIN LADEN:




"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01


"I want justice...There''''s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, ''''''''Wanted: Dead or Alive,"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI


"I don''''''''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''''''''t care. It''''''''s not that important. It''''''''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02


"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)





We''''re wasting a trillion dollars and thousands of lives in Iraq while Bin Laden continues to build and strengthen Al Qaeda, plan new attacks, and even put out press releases!


Looks like the impotent one is Bu$h.

[mudrose-2009]

Indeed, Chinese intelligence organized a massive covert operation aimed at tilting the 1996 election Clinton''s way.

Clinton''s top campaign contributors for 1992 were Chinese agents; his top donors in 1996 were U.S. defense contractors selling missile technology to China.

Clinton recieved funding directly from known or suspected Chinese intelligence agents, among them James and Mochtar Riady, who own the Indonesian Lippo Group; John Huang; Charlie Trie; Ted Sioeng; Maria Hsia; Wang Jun and others.

Commerce Secretary Ron Brown served as Clinton''s front man in many Chinagate deals. When investigators began probing Brown''s Lippo Group and Chinagate connections, Brown died suddenly in a suspicious April 1996 plane crash.

Needless to say, China does not share Clinton''s enthusiasm for globalism or multipolarity. The Chinese look out for No. 1.

"War [with the United States] is inevitable; we cannot avoid it," said Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Chi Haotian in 2000. "The issue is that the Chinese armed forces must control the initiative in this war."

Bill Clinton has given them a good start.


Richard Poe is a New York Times best-selling author and cyberjournalist.

Yah know, it''s those Big Corporate Giants of the Bush-Cheney type that has really put this country in jeopardy. I''m so looking forward to another Clinton in the White House.

[kaviz]

Hey mudrose, it''s time to take your pill. You''re getting off subject.

[mudrose-2009]

As a globalist, Clinton promotes "multipolarity" %u2013the doctrine that no country (such as the USA) should be allowed to gain decisive advantage over others.

To this end, Clinton appointed anti-nuclear activist Hazel O''Leary to head the Department of Energy. O''Leary set to work "leveling the playing field," as she put it, by giving away our nuclear secrets. She declassified 11 million pages of data on U.S. nuclear weapons and loosened up security at weapons labs.

Federal investigators later concluded that China made off with the "crown jewels" of our nuclear weapons research under Clinton%u2019s open-door policy %u2013 probably including design specifications for suitcase nukes.

Meanwhile, Clinton and his corporate cronies raked in millions.

In his book "The China Threat," Washington Times correspondent Bill Gertz describes how the system worked.

Defense contractors eager to sell technology to China poured millions of dollars into Clinton''s campaign. In return, Clinton called off the dogs. Janet Reno and other counterintelligence officials stood down while Lockheed Martin, Hughes Electronics, Loral Space & Communications and other U.S. companies helped China modernize its nuclear strike force.

"We like your president. We want to see him re-elected," former Chinese intelligence chief Gen. Ji Shengde told Chinagate bagman Johnny Chung.

[mudrose-2009]

When Bill Clinton took office in 1993, China presented no threat to the United States. Chinese missiles "couldn%u2019t hit the side of a barn," notes Timothy W. Maier of Insight magazine. Few could reach North America and those that made it would likely miss their targets.

Thanks to Bill Clinton, China can now hit any city in the USA, using state-of-the-art solid-fueled missiles with dead-accurate, computerized guidance systems and multiple warheads.

China probably has suitcase nukes as well. These enable China to strike by proxy %u2013 equipping nuclear-armed terrorists to do its dirty work while the Chinese play innocent. Some intelligence sources claim that China maintains secret stockpiles of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons on U.S. soil, for just such contingencies.

In 1997, Clinton allowed China to take over the Panama Canal. The Chinese company Hutchison Whampoa leased the ports of Cristobal and Balboa, on the east and west openings of the canal, respectively, thus controlling access both ways.

A public outcry stopped Clinton in 1998 from leasing California''s Long Beach Naval Yard to the Chinese firm COSCO. Even so, China can now strike U.S. targets easily from its bases in Panama, Vancouver and the Bahamas.

How did the Chinese catch up so fast? Easy. We sold them all the technology they needed %u2013 or handed it over for free. Neither neglect nor carelessness is to blame. Bill Clinton did it on purpose.

[micma-2009]

BUSH ON BIN LADEN:




"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01


"I want justice...There''s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, ''''Wanted: Dead or Alive,"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI


"I don''''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''''t care. It''''s not that important. It''''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02


"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)





We''re wasting a trillion dollars and thousands of lives in Iraq while Bin Laden continues to build and strengthen Al Qaeda, plan new attacks, and even put out press releases! Looks like the impotent one is Bu$h.

[racam_us]

The game is on. This is getting to be like wrestling. Bush has thrown down the gauntlet. The trouble is troops are still dying. Families are getting more divided. Children are growing apart from their parents because of long separations. I wonder sometimes if this is not a government conspiracy to put a wedge between the parents and their children so that the government can control the kids. It would be nice to pick a neutral country and put Bush and Bin Laden in a steel ring and let them fight to the death. I almost forgot what a coward George Bush is. He would never go for this.