Justin_stacy
05/27/04, 01:24 PM
Gore demands six resignations
By Amy ***an
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Citing what he called "arrogance, willfulness and bungling" by President Bush in his foreign policy, Al Gore yesterday blamed flawed policies for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners and said six administration officials should resign because of the Iraq situation.
In a fiery speech at New York University — sponsored by the political action committee of the liberal group MoveOn.org — the former vice president called for the resignations of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, CIA Director George J. Tenet, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and Douglas J. Feith and Stephen A. Cambone, both undersecretaries of defense.
Mr. Gore told a cheering crowd that the Bush foreign policy was "a disaster" and that this group of six was responsible, as were the president and vice president.
A spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign said Mr. Gore's speech was "outside of the mainstream" and "fails to recognize the seriousness" of the war on terror. "Al Gore today, acting on behalf of the Kerry campaign, delivered an extremely angry, factually inaccurate political attack, filled with pessimism and defeatist rhetoric," said spokesman Steve Schmidt.
Mr. Gore also said that the prisoner-abuse scandal is a direct result of the attitude and policies of an arrogant administration that rejects any check on its power.
"What happened at the prison, it is now clear, was not the result of random acts by 'a few bad apples.' It was the natural consequence of the Bush administration policy that has dismantled ... wise constraints and has made war on America's checks and balances," he said.
Mr. Gore said the administration is guilty of ignoring the Geneva Conventions with regard to Iraq, rejecting military leaders' assessment of troop numbers, denying soldiers adequate tools and failing to plan to prevent looting and lawlessness there.
He said Mr. Bush has "created more anger and righteous indignation" against Americans than any other U.S. leader, because of his "contempt for any person, institution or nation who disagrees with him."
The problem began, Mr. Gore said, with the administration's new foreign policy of pre-emption and domination.
A Republican National Committee memo pointed out that Mr. Gore in 1998 had urged national unity against Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator who was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion last year. "[I]f you allow someone like Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many people is he going to kill with such weapons?" Mr. Gore had asked.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gore heaped praise on Democratic presidential contender Sen. John Kerry, but said the Massachusetts Democrat shouldn't have to provide his own detailed plan for the Iraq situation until after he wins the election because too many things could change in Iraq between now and then.
Republican Party Says Gore Shouldn't Be Attacking Bush
(CNSNews.com) - The Republican National Committee says Al Gore's attack on President Bush shows one of two things: "either he does not understand the threat of global terror, or he has amnesia." In a statement, RNC Communications Director Jim Dyke noted that Gore served as vice president of the United States for eight years. "During that time, Osama Bin Laden declared war on the United States five times and terrorists killed US citizens on at least four different occasions including the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the attacks on Khobar Towers, our embassies in East Africa, and the USS Cole."
By Amy ***an
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Citing what he called "arrogance, willfulness and bungling" by President Bush in his foreign policy, Al Gore yesterday blamed flawed policies for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners and said six administration officials should resign because of the Iraq situation.
In a fiery speech at New York University — sponsored by the political action committee of the liberal group MoveOn.org — the former vice president called for the resignations of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, CIA Director George J. Tenet, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and Douglas J. Feith and Stephen A. Cambone, both undersecretaries of defense.
Mr. Gore told a cheering crowd that the Bush foreign policy was "a disaster" and that this group of six was responsible, as were the president and vice president.
A spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign said Mr. Gore's speech was "outside of the mainstream" and "fails to recognize the seriousness" of the war on terror. "Al Gore today, acting on behalf of the Kerry campaign, delivered an extremely angry, factually inaccurate political attack, filled with pessimism and defeatist rhetoric," said spokesman Steve Schmidt.
Mr. Gore also said that the prisoner-abuse scandal is a direct result of the attitude and policies of an arrogant administration that rejects any check on its power.
"What happened at the prison, it is now clear, was not the result of random acts by 'a few bad apples.' It was the natural consequence of the Bush administration policy that has dismantled ... wise constraints and has made war on America's checks and balances," he said.
Mr. Gore said the administration is guilty of ignoring the Geneva Conventions with regard to Iraq, rejecting military leaders' assessment of troop numbers, denying soldiers adequate tools and failing to plan to prevent looting and lawlessness there.
He said Mr. Bush has "created more anger and righteous indignation" against Americans than any other U.S. leader, because of his "contempt for any person, institution or nation who disagrees with him."
The problem began, Mr. Gore said, with the administration's new foreign policy of pre-emption and domination.
A Republican National Committee memo pointed out that Mr. Gore in 1998 had urged national unity against Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator who was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion last year. "[I]f you allow someone like Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many people is he going to kill with such weapons?" Mr. Gore had asked.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gore heaped praise on Democratic presidential contender Sen. John Kerry, but said the Massachusetts Democrat shouldn't have to provide his own detailed plan for the Iraq situation until after he wins the election because too many things could change in Iraq between now and then.
Republican Party Says Gore Shouldn't Be Attacking Bush
(CNSNews.com) - The Republican National Committee says Al Gore's attack on President Bush shows one of two things: "either he does not understand the threat of global terror, or he has amnesia." In a statement, RNC Communications Director Jim Dyke noted that Gore served as vice president of the United States for eight years. "During that time, Osama Bin Laden declared war on the United States five times and terrorists killed US citizens on at least four different occasions including the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the attacks on Khobar Towers, our embassies in East Africa, and the USS Cole."