August 21, 2004
Get In The Game!
I’m reading the 9/11 Committee report, and one of their recommendations is to promote moderate Islam as a counter to bin Laden’s brand of extremism. The commission also notes polls showing support for the US in Muslim dominated South East Asia plummeting from 61% before the Iraq invasion to 15%.
Having just read that, I came across this article in my local paper, “US failing to reach out to Muslim leaders in S-E Asia”,
President Bush's administration talks repeatedly of trying to bring democracy to the Islamic world, but often seems to fail to realise that it already exists in South-east Asian Muslim nations.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah was recently in Washington to meet with President Bush, "he was squeezed in for barely a half-hour meeting with Mr Bush and this was squeezed between the president's lunch with his Chilean counterpart and a photo-shoot for a car race."
This guy just won a landslide victory against Muslim extremists in Malaysia by running on a "moderate Islam" platform, yet President Bush isn't promoting him as a political success story and a role model for other Islamic nations. Bush barely gave him the time of day.
C'mon! Are we trying to win an ideological war against militant fundamentalist Islam, or are we just screwing around?
The very next day, Condoleezza Rice speaks about reaching out to the Muslim world,
We must also do everything that we can to support and encourage the voices of moderation and tolerance and pluralism within the Muslim world.We need to understand their challenges and their cultures and their hopes... Our interaction must be a conversation, not a monologue. We must reach out and explain, but we must also listen.
She neglected to add, "...as long as it doesn't interfere with the president's lunch and photo-ops."
I really don't understand the Bush administration. They talk the talk on fighting terrorism, but when it comes to walking the walk, they just fall flat.
Q. ...why is it that in the three years since 9/11 you haven't given this kind of a speech to a Muslim audience in one of the five largest Muslim countries, nor has any senior administration official?DR. RICE: That's a very good question, maybe we should.
Good grief!
“….maybe we should.” ???????? Maybe ?????? We Should ??????
Sounds like a smoker talking about quitting. Maybe I should. (Subtext - but I really don’t want to, and certainly not today).
What an idiotic response. ! This administration has got to go! At least with another President and administration there can and will be the hope that our nation and the world will improve their lot. We now have proof that under this administration’s 4 years, far too many things in the world and our country got worse, not better.
Posted by: David R. Remer at August 21, 2004 09:18 AMNobody wants to touch this one? Weak.
Posted by: American Pundit at August 24, 2004 08:21 AMI think the weakest thing about no one commenting on this is that instead, all the comments are going to the Swiftboat Liars posts.
I think you state the issue very clearly, let’s hope the reason why no one commenting is because they agree with you completely.
Posted by: Joseph Briggs at August 24, 2004 10:29 AMJoseph, that’s the only reason I can think of.
After the sorry state of planning for the Iraq war, the left isn’t surprised to find Bush has no no plan to fight the war on terrorism. And the right can only hang their heads in shame.
