So the Republicans and their desperate sympathizers - that's you Lieberman - are doing what they do best: exploiting the terrorist plot to blow up planes bound from British airports to the U.S. to justify their ill-conceived and poorly executed war in Iraq. They are somehow trying to equate opposition to the war in Iraq to being against working to guard our country from terrorism.
In the midst of all the fear the news of this thwarted terrorist attack has created, let's make certain one thing is crystal clear:
OUR PRESENCE IN IRAQ HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH STOPPING THE TERRORIST PLOT ON BRITISH AIRLINES!
Let me repeat that another way:
WE ARE STILL NO SAFER BECAUSE ARE TROOPS ARE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLOODY CIVIL WAR IN IRAQ!
In fact, if Al Queda is at all behind this attack, it's probably because they have been able to regroup in Pakistan and the mountain regions of Afghanistan because we took our focus away from that country. They have been able to train more terrorists and fund their exploits from afar because our forces are mired in Iraq. Democrats - and the world community - supported going into Afghanistan. And now that country is in danger of being overrun again by either the Taliban or tribes sympathetic to the Taliban. Osama Bin Laden is still alive and his being on the loose is just a joke to Muslims who are angry with our presence in Iraq.
The $250 million a day that we are spending in Iraq could have gone a long way to helping eradicate the Taliban and Al Queda from Afghanistan and Pakistan. $250 million a day could have helped to create better security at airports through manpower and technology. That $250 million a day would mean Homeland Security wouldn't have to spread its resources so thin that fairs in Indiana were being put on par with targets in New York City for terrorist attacks. $250 million a day could go toward checking more cargo that comes into our country. $250 million a day could help go toward guarding our water systems and nuclear power stations that are vulnerable to attack. With our troops redeployed and not stretched as thin, they could help as peacekeeping forces elsewhere in the world. With our state department freed up from the conflict in Iraq, we could maybe enter into negotiations for peace in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict.
Republicans and Lieberman want to paint our party as weak on security and its a load of bullshit. They are wasting our money and power in this world and have brought us little security to show for their waste and blunders.
So repeat after me:
THE UNITED STATES IS NO SAFER BECAUSE WE ARE MIRED IN IRAQ.