John Kerry: Sadr "Legitimate", Hamas and Hezbollah "sort of" Terrorist

[The Mad Monk]

Kerry Calls al-Sadr Voice 'Legitimate'
11:58 am PST, 7 April 2004

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday called the voice of militant Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr "legitimate," setting off a firestorm of protest from a number of American political quarters.


Kerry, in an interview with National Public Radio, said of a newspaper owned by al-Sadr, which was shut down last week after it urged violence against U.S. troops, "They shut a newspaper that belongs to a legitimate voice in Iraq."

The Massachusetts senator quickly reversed himself, however, adding the imam was aligning himself with known terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Kerry could not completely condemn those groups, either.

"Well, let me . . . change the term legitimate. It belongs to a voice — because he has clearly taken on a far more radical tone in recent days and aligned himself with both Hamas and Hezbollah, which is a sort of terrorist alignment," he said in the NPR segment.

Kerry's comments--first reported by the New York Sun--come amid escalating violence in several Iraqi cities, including Fallujah, which U.S. military officials say is being directed by al-Sadr.

Military sources say fighting inspired by the imam has left some 30 U.S. troops and at least 130 Iraqis dead.

Kerry also wavered somewhat when asked whether he supported al-Sadr's arrest.

"Not if it's an isolated act without the other kinds of steps necessary to change the dynamics on the ground in Iraq," Kerry said, according to the Sun.

On March 28, the U.S.-led coalition authorities closed al-Sadr's newspaper, al-Hawza, for 60 days, the Sun reported.

http://7am.com/cgi-bin/catwire.cgi?POLITICS_1000_2004040704.htm

[Drake Tungsten]

"Well, let me . . . change the term legitimate. It belongs to a voice because he has clearly taken on a far more radical tone in recent days and aligned himself with both Hamas and Hezbollah, which is a sort of terrorist alignment," he said in the NPR segment.

Ahh, more flip-flopping from the master...

[Dis]

that guy is such a weenie. I'm ashamed he is a navy guy

[Seeker]

geeze kerry...I'm kinda liberal centrist and I think this was weak....

...democratic leadership= Be the Political Pablum

[rev]

*sigh*

We coulda done a whole lot better than Kerry, guys.

At best, it's an innocent mistake of semantics: "sort of" could refer to the "alignment". Realistically, the guy's going to get himself into trouble trying to fine-cut the issues. Americans, for the most part, are dumb and will take Bush's black-and-white perspective hook, line, and sinker, if they're to choose between his and Kerry's perceived flip-flopping and pandering.

[Giancarlo]

Kerry really ****ed up this time. Sadr's militia killed more than 30 troops. Kerry is just making too many screw ups and is doing it over and over again. This is over for him. Little revy, you just don't get it? Kerry's flip-flopping isn't perceived. He's a lying traitor having nice words to say to a militant cleric who killed US troops. He isn't going to win the election with the crap that comes out of his mouth. Supporting a newspaper that supports violence against US troops? He really hates the US military that much?

[Donegeal]

[Jaguar]

[Drogue]

I think the Economist summed up how was of thinking like this best. He thinks out load when asked questions. It seems quite obvious to me, reading what he said, that he's trying to say that while al-Sadr is a terrorist, the fact he has many supporters and sympathisers means we can't just ignore him. Yes, the fact he condone's violence against American troops is bad, but there are a lot of Iraqi's that don't want American troops there, and it is a popular voice. It can't just be ignored.

He did not say Hamas was a 'sort of' terrorist organisation, he said a newspaper that has started to align itself with Hamas is a sort of terrorist alignment. It's not the newspaper of Hamas, it's not directly terrorist, so he is correct, it is a sort of terrorist alignment. As for the term legitimate, he meant the voice of the newspaper, and then clarified that while legitimate was probably a little strong a term, it can't be ignored, and it does have support among groups of Iraqi's. Also, IIRC, it was considered legitimate until recently, before it aligned so much with Hamas.

He has flip-flopped, but when asked in an interview for a quick answer, he may think about it during the interview and realise the exact wording he used may not be the most appropriate, so go and further explain what it. It's just semantics. I wouldn't call this flip-flopping, I would call saying one thing to one group, then another thing to another group, as he did during the primaries, flip-flopping.

I support the closing of a newspaper that calls for attacks on US and Iraqi peacekeeping troops, but I agree with Kerry that you can't just ignore al-Sadr and hope his followers go away or see sense. What they've done is despicable, but ignoring them makes them more likely to attack again, to get out attention.

[Dis]

Any decent democrat should be able to Demolish Bush this election. But Kerry just keeps ****ing up.

I kind of want Kerry to be prez because I don't want Hillary in 2008. But there is no way can vote for a guy with no principles. The guy has been brainwashed by the left. He only goes against that when it is clear most of america doesn't support that view (like his stance against gay marriage).

I have shocking news. I may actually vote for Bush again this election . Unless there happens to be a libertarian on the ticket.

[Tripledoc]

Hezbollah have never been a terror group. If they are on any 'official' list, then that must have happened quite recently. They are a legitimate group formed after Israels aggression against Lebanon. They kicked the IDF out, and are still exchanging gunfire with the Israelis when they violate Lebanese airspace, which they do quite often.

They cannot by any strecth of the imagination be called a terror group, since they fight using conventional means, to protect sovereign territory.

By maintaining that they are a terrorist group the one's who do lose any credibility, if they even had one to begin with.

[Zevico]

They cannot by any strecth of the imagination be called a terror group

Hezbollah has shelled a civilian town. Is is this a terrorist act?
Hezbollah supports Hamas and Islamic Jihad with money and knowhow.
It advocates a worldview including such pearls of wisdom as "the Jews are trying to take over the world".
More recently, in fact, it created a television show featuring that very statement and the 'Protocols of Zion': "Horseman without a horse".
Is it too much of a stretch now?

[DinoDoc]

I wonder if the Bush campaign has that recorded for the next round of ads.

[Tripledoc]

Originally posted by Zevico
Is it too much of a stretch now?

You don't support any of your claims.

The EU has designated most of the groups and individuals listed by the U.S. for asset freezing, with the notable exceptions of the Hamas "political wing" (the "military wing" has been listed), and Hezbollah.

http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/fs/21922.htm

The U.S is playing high and mighty, but...

Why are local Lebanese subsidiaries of major American corporations -- like PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Western Union -- lending comfort and support to terrorists by advertising on Hezbollah television?

Hezbollah is officially named a "specially designated terrorist group" under Executive Order 13224. This designation empowers the U.S. government to impose financial sanctions against those "that support or otherwise associate" with Hezbollah.

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/media/jorisch/jorisch101302.htm

The hypocrisy...

[Edan]

Originally posted by Zevico

Hezbollah has shelled a civilian town. Is is this a terrorist act?

Not to mention the bombing of a civilian Jewish centre in Argentina, kidnapping civilians, hijackings, etc.

Hezbollah is certainly on the "official" US list of terroris organizations.