“In several respects, the [December 15, 2005] elections [in Iraq] were an unprecedented success. Voter participation jumped dramatically, from 9.8 million in the October 15 constitutional referendum to nearly 11 million in December (about 70 percent of registered voters), despite the continued efforts of Sunni jihadist groups to deter voting.” – Larry Diamond, Squandered Victory, […]
Category: quotes
12/15/2005
In Iraq, “The third election of the year, held in December [15, 2005], was to replace the interim assembly with a permanent legislature. Once again, Iraqis defied terrorist threats. Nearly twelve million people–a turnout of more than 70 percent–cast their ballots. This time Sunnis participated in overwhelming numbers.” – George W. Bush, Decision Points, Page […]
12/15/2005
Appearing on National Public Radio on December 15, 2005, former Deputy Chief of the Office of Legal Counsel John Yoo “admitted that ‘some of the worst possible interrogation methods we’ve heard of in the press have been reserved for the leaders of al-Qaeda that we’ve captured’ and, with remarkable candor and abandonment, ‘I’ve defended the […]
12/15/2005
“During 2005, alarmed by the course of events, [al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-] Zawahiri sent a letter to [al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-] Zarqawi urging him to show restraint. In December of that year, when Zarqawi failed to heed such calls, [senior al Qaeda member Atiyah Abd al-] Rahman sent a much […]
12/15/2005
The New York Times “posted the story [about the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program] on the newspaper’s Web site on the evening of December 15 [2005], shortly after informing the White House. [President] Bush and [Vice President Dick] Cheney felt betrayed by not having much if any real notice, which exacerbated their anger. The […]
12/15/2005
As stated in "The Report of the Iraq Inquiry – Executive Summary:" "Parliamentary elections in Iraq." – Commissioned by the Prime Minister The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry: Executive Summary,” IraqInquiry.org.uk, Dec. 15, 2005, […]
12/14/2005
From the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, President George W. Bush said: “The terrorists affiliated with or inspired by al Qaeda are the smallest, but most lethal group. They are led by a brutal terrorist named Zarqawi. He’s al Qaeda’s chief operations officer in Iraq. He has stated his allegiance to Osama bin Laden. The […]
12/12/2005
Following a speech in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 12, 2005, President Bush took a question from former libel lawyer Didi Goldmark. ” ‘Since the inception of the Iraqi war, I’d like to know the approximate total of Iraqis who have been killed,’ Goldmark said. It was a question that the White House and the Pentagon […]
12/11/2005
“On three separate occasions, for example, in mid-2001, mid-2002, and January 2003, just before the war, the CIA asked the French for their evaluation of the now infamous reports that Iraq was trying to buy ‘yellowcake’ uranium ore from Niger. According to the Los Angeles Times of December 11, 2005, the French intelligence chief at […]
12/11/2005
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrote on December 11, 2005: “The phenomenon of weak and failing states is not new, but the danger they now pose is unparalleled. When people, goods and information traverse the globe as fast as they do today, transnational threats such as disease or terrorism can inflict damage comparable to the […]