Thursday, December 8, 2005
John Kerry Blames Rush Limbaugh for Iraq Blooper
Failed presidential candidate John Kerry blamed top conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh Friday morning for the uproar over his claim that U.S. troops were terrorizing Iraqi women and children.
"You know, the only people who are trying to make anything out of that, to be honest with you, are Rush Limbaugh and a few people on the right," Kerry told radio host Don Imus.
On Sunday Kerry told CBS's "Face the Nation" that there was "no reason ... that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the - of - the historical customs, religious customs - Iraqis should be doing that."
Asked if he meant to say that American soldiers were guilty of terrorism, Kerry claimed: "Obviously not."
What he meant to say, he insisted, was: "After three years, Iraqis ought to be capable of searching a home ... It's inexplicable that when the biggest killers in Iraq are suicide bombers and IEDs, improvised explosive devices, that we're still on the front lines going into homes and going out in the dead of night. And it scares people."
The one-time top Democrat said that he'd like to see U.S. troops redeployed "in a way that accomplishes the goal but does it without needlessly putting troops at risk and incurring greater difficulties in feeding the insurgency."
Citing a year-old Washington Post report that claimed Iraqis resented home searches by U.S. troops, Kerry said his "terrorizing" comment was meant to be constructive.
"That resentment hurts our soldiers," he told Imus. "I'm trying to help our soldiers. We all are."
Asked if Iraqis soldiers wouldn't be "terrorizing" the same homeowners when they take over the searches, Kerry replied: "Hopefully not."
But in the next breath he added, "They're going to resent being terrorized if that's what happens."
Failed presidential candidate John Kerry blamed top conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh Friday morning for the uproar over his claim that U.S. troops were terrorizing Iraqi women and children.
"You know, the only people who are trying to make anything out of that, to be honest with you, are Rush Limbaugh and a few people on the right," Kerry told radio host Don Imus.
On Sunday Kerry told CBS's "Face the Nation" that there was "no reason ... that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the - of - the historical customs, religious customs - Iraqis should be doing that."
Asked if he meant to say that American soldiers were guilty of terrorism, Kerry claimed: "Obviously not."
What he meant to say, he insisted, was: "After three years, Iraqis ought to be capable of searching a home ... It's inexplicable that when the biggest killers in Iraq are suicide bombers and IEDs, improvised explosive devices, that we're still on the front lines going into homes and going out in the dead of night. And it scares people."
The one-time top Democrat said that he'd like to see U.S. troops redeployed "in a way that accomplishes the goal but does it without needlessly putting troops at risk and incurring greater difficulties in feeding the insurgency."
Citing a year-old Washington Post report that claimed Iraqis resented home searches by U.S. troops, Kerry said his "terrorizing" comment was meant to be constructive.
"That resentment hurts our soldiers," he told Imus. "I'm trying to help our soldiers. We all are."
Asked if Iraqis soldiers wouldn't be "terrorizing" the same homeowners when they take over the searches, Kerry replied: "Hopefully not."
But in the next breath he added, "They're going to resent being terrorized if that's what happens."
