Sweeney Parrots Bush's Talking Points on Iraq

Like Bush, John Sweeney (R-NY) pretends that the Iraq war is part of the war on terror when in fact the terrorists were in and from Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. The 9/11 commission was finished with it's study long ago yet neither Sweeney nor Bush seem to have read it. In June of 2004, CNN reported that:

The panel said it found "no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States."

The Bush administration has said the terrorist network and Iraq were linked.

Sweeney also peddles the Bush claim that we are "taking the fight to the terrorists overseas in order to protect Americans’ safety at home." This ignores the reality of the day: the FBI just captured terrorists here, Al Queda called off a planned attack against the NY subway. And if we're taking the fight to them, why is Bush spying on us here?

Here is Sweeney's letter. It sounds like it was written by Karl Rove. Sweeney has an election strategy but no strategy for winning the war in Iraq.

After 9/11, our nation united against terrorism and those who want to kill innocent civilians and destroy our American way of life. New York was impacted deeply by these tragic events and we understand first-hand the kind of unthinkable damage that can be inflicted by hate-filled violent extremists.

Our national security strategy consists of preemptive action against terrorists and those who harbor them. We are taking the fight to the terrorists overseas in order to protect Americans’ safety at home. The war on terrorism is one America cannot afford to lose. Our way of life is at stake as we defend freedom, democracy and peace around the world. I support this approach.

One necessary campaign in the war against terror is in Iraq. I voted to support the use of force in Iraq for many reasons: decades of deception and violation of United Nations resolutions; invading neighboring countries; and a litany of ruthless atrocities by Saddam Hussein involving murdering his own people. I believe that the best way to safeguard freedom in our nation increasingly depends on supporting a democratic global strategy in areas beyond our borders. That is why supporting the creation of a self-governing Iraq is so critical to the future of both our countries.

Last January, over eight million Iraqis openly defied the terrorists and voted in the first free election in decades. Iraqi citizens courageously inked their fingers on ballots while the terrorists threatened that they would “make the streets run with blood.” That was a watershed moment for Iraq and the region. Iraqi citizens now have a real stake in the governance and daily operations of their country. Previously, Iraqi citizens were jailed for raising their voice, and now their voice has been heard and counted. While some people initially boycotted the election, they have now been reintegrated into the political process as seen from the strong public support for the draft constitution, its ratification and the elections of a permanent government on December 15, 2005.

While all of this was important to the formation of a permanent government, difficult days and hard work still lie ahead in Iraq for both our military and this fledging [sic] democracy. As difficult as it is to question the mission, we must continue to unite in our support for both instead of cowering at the sight of controversy. It is more important than ever that America stands firm in support of the Iraqi citizens.

Your concerns are important to me. I appreciate hearing from you and will continue to welcome your views on such crucial issues.

Sincerely,

JOHN E. SWEENEY Member of Congress

Apparently Sweeney supports keeping our troops in Iraq indefinitely. He is also a lot like Cheney, who has been claiming that the Iraq insurgency has been in its "final throes" ever since Saddam was captured.

Related post: Read Democratic Candidate, Kirsten Gillibrand's letter challenging Sweeney to a debate on Iraq at DailyKos.