Video: Bush on the “19 kids” who attacked us on 9/11
posted at 2:37 pm on August 9, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Not just cringeworthy but factually wrong: many of them were in their mid-20s and Atta, the ringleader, had just turned 33. Tammy Bruce is beside herself. I don’t want to beat up on him too much since his larger point, about the need to dismantle the Islamist death cult before it brainwashes more fanatics, is right and just. But he’s awfully close to the line here of excusing them for what they did. Absolving terrorists of their moral agency is the province of the left. Let’s keep it that way.
If you’re wondering about the substance of the presser, he called on Iranians once again to rise up and cast off their chains, which shows you how confident he is in his other strategic options. WaPo reports this morning that Iran hawks have regained the momentum inside the administration and that if Iran doesn’t stand down on its nuke program things may come to a head next spring — right around the time we’d be starting to draw down troops if the Democrats have their way next month. Which, the latest polls notwithstanding, they probably will.
Meanwhile, a think tank at NYU thinks the unthinkable.
Update: The cult/deprogramming paradigm is no idle metaphor. “[Gen. Ray] Odierno is out there killing Al Qaeda. I’m trying to kill the idea of Al Qaeda.”
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Unthinkable? Many liberals I know have been saying that for years now. Iraq can only be managed by a dictator. That’s not new or unthinkable. It’s old hat, really.
lorien1973 on August 9, 2007 at 2:39 PM
So he called them kids. They were kids, mentally speaking. Besides, the left has been calling our own fighting men and women “kids” for years.
So when someone calls him on it, he should point that out.
CurtZHP on August 9, 2007 at 2:41 PM
oy vey!
zane on August 9, 2007 at 2:42 PM
Tacos Rule!
libertytexan on August 9, 2007 at 2:43 PM
I had heard it when I was liveblogging, but I thought I heard wrong.
Ugh.
Michelle on August 9, 2007 at 2:45 PM
Yeah, not good. Ugh is about it.
Bad Candy on August 9, 2007 at 2:51 PM
What is it with liberals loving dictators? If they get thier way, we’ll have one here, named Hillary…
jdawg on August 9, 2007 at 2:53 PM
I listened to the presser live and this struck me as odd too. It looks like we have a new narrative of portraying the teachers of evil as our real enemy, not the students.
Just as the left here are trying to portray the men and women of the U.S. military as our innocent children being sent off to die for the evil Bush administration.
Not that it will work before Jan. 2009 but it’s a good long term strategy. For example, the U.S. is working with Pakistan on introducing vocational coursed in the madrassas.
TunaTalon on August 9, 2007 at 2:54 PM
This is not the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, but its one more example of how little emotional and intellectual energy W has left.
He is completely out of gas, and really shouldnt be doing any more talking about anything. he should be DOING.
if Harry Truman’s Senate oversight committee was worth 2 divisions to General Marshall in WW2, W’s lack of communicative ability or willingness to find a way to turn that shortcoming into advantage has cost the allies at least 2 divisions.
i still prefer him over Gore or Kerry, but thats all i am prepared to say in his favor anymore.
Mike D. on August 9, 2007 at 2:58 PM
19 Kids! You have got to be joking. I hate the fact that this is so factually incorrect. I am crying for frankness and accuracy because it is important to call these people what they are. Muslim men between the ages of 20-40. These details are too important to gloss over. If we are going to win this war we have to know clearly who our enemy is, what they believe, what they look like and who is most likely a threat to our safety.
Zetterson on August 9, 2007 at 2:59 PM
He’s old enough to be their father, so calling them kids is really no big deal.
Why would a person tell a recovering alcoholic to have a drink? Tammy is more than capable of making a point without bringing stupidity into it. Why link it?
Pam on August 9, 2007 at 3:00 PM
I almost fell out of my chair when he said that. Calling them “kids” makes them sound as though they did this on a lark or were somehow duped/misled. That isnt the case and we ALL know it. Even our President.
labwrs on August 9, 2007 at 3:00 PM
He must have adopted the leftist belief that childhood doesn’t end until you are too old to fight.
Nosferightu on August 9, 2007 at 3:03 PM
Bush has probably recently been watching all these Hamas and other groups brainwashing kids into Jihad, which 9/11 is what they do once they get old enough after a lifetime of Jihad pressupositions about the world.
I saw David Frum on CSPAN once, he claimed Rumsfeld wanted to go the pro-western Dictator route after saddam instead of Democracy but got beat by the State Dept. over it.
jp on August 9, 2007 at 3:03 PM
I just found out, not 15 minutes ago, that the lady across the street is a 9/11 Doofer. To steal a line from Santa when he sees the M&M guys: “They ready DO exist!”
Tony737 on August 9, 2007 at 3:06 PM
Wow. If he thinks the 19 were “kids,” who were “lured” into hijacking those planes, he may not actually understand the war at a fundamental level.
Bryan on August 9, 2007 at 3:06 PM
I’ll replace an “ugh” with a “meh.”
I look at it as him saying that we need to hit the source of islamism.
The murderous b*st*rds were kids, at one point, and then got sucked in to the whole jihad-mindset.
yo on August 9, 2007 at 3:08 PM
I think he just made a mistake. Like Allah, I think his larger point is right, and more important. Do I really think he believes that they were “kids,”? No. Just a mistake in referring to them.
Bush makes speaking mistakes all the time. And he gets hammered for it. What I wonder is, why don’t I hear the Left ridicule of Obama’s intelligence when he says he will talk to Canada’s President?
I think I’ve heard this theory a number of times. And I still think it is dumb.
nailinmyeye on August 9, 2007 at 3:11 PM
I think that’s a gross overreaction. He did nothing of the sort. This is nothing to be alarmed about. Geez, this man’s actions are so over-parsed already. Don’t beat him up for something that’s not there.
CP on August 9, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Meanwhile, the top headline at HuffPo?
Bush Treated For Lyme Disease, Failed To Disclose For Nearly A Year
(not kidding)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Complete with sinister/sick looking Dubya, and super closeup images of ticks. Lol.
I’ll be interested to see if the left says anything about the “kids” comment.
RightWinged on August 9, 2007 at 3:17 PM
When he spoke about the conditions that would cause this to happen, he was saying it in the context of the conditions these men were raised in as kids, that would convince them to fly planes into a building. It takes a poor communicator to understand a poor communicator.
captivated_dem on August 9, 2007 at 3:18 PM
I heard this on NPR this morning.. Yes, I know I was in danger of being infected with some degree of leftism just for having the radio dialed there. Anyway, I thought it interesting that he used the term “kids” but I don’t think its worth discussing. Slow news day?
RobertCSampson on August 9, 2007 at 3:19 PM
Since when has Bush acted like a member of the right?
Gregor on August 9, 2007 at 3:19 PM
I have no problems with the word “lured”, if you cast the struggle as one between good vs. evil (which he did with the initial reference years ago to the axis of evil). The dark side of the force is quicker, more seductive. Fine.
But the ‘kids’ comment, the only reason I can think of framing it that way is to provide opportunity for governments to distance themselves from jihadists. An extension of the proverbial ‘youths’. So maybe this is an artifact from some other conversation where that was a topic and that is still bouncing around upstairs.
But we need to stop pretending that everyone burns for freedom. There are maroons that walk around in our country saying that they respect dictators as long as they provide health care.
Spirit of 1776 on August 9, 2007 at 3:20 PM
This gaff isn’t some sort of glimpse into his inner mind, so I’m not concerned that this tells us something significant about his conception of the war.
What it is, is another example of this president’s greatest failure: his abject, evidently congenital, inability to effectively communicate his policies, goals and motivations in a manner that causes people to rally to them through difficult times.
I agree with Mike, above. He does seem out of gas.
Fred on August 9, 2007 at 3:20 PM
Lured, that was dead wrong. But calling someone that is 1/2 to 1/3 of your age kids, that’s excusable.
Anyone else think that this is more of a political play against the Imams who raticalize them while they are young? Farfar anyone?
- The Cat
MirCat on August 9, 2007 at 3:23 PM
I get his point… mid-20’s (and even as late as early 30’s) is a bit toward the end of that range where impressionable idealism is characteristic. That’s why most actual terrorist “footsoldiers” are in that 18-35 range, I would think.
Bad word choice, but it’s understandable coming from somebody who’s in his 60’s.
DaveS on August 9, 2007 at 3:26 PM
Bush already started doing that years ago with his “Religion of Peace” babble and his later bowing to the muslims on American foreign policy – in his “no dictator” speeches.
But this is all a moot point. The only important question right now is how Iran will be handled. I don’t think Bush has the guts to do what is necessary, and that is a shame for all of us.
progressoverpeace on August 9, 2007 at 3:32 PM
Plus, it makes them sound less…scarry?
heatherrc77 on August 9, 2007 at 3:33 PM
Perhaps I’m tainted by my years at NYU, but I’ve been pondering this same issue lately.
I’m not saying that I think a dictator (no matter how awful) is fine as long as he keeps the oil pumping.
I do, however, think that the jump to democracy may have come too fast.
I’m not the biggest WWII history buff, but, I believe there was military rule in Japan (and perhaps in Germany) for quite a few years after the end of the war before democracy was instituted. Perhaps Iraq could use a similar situation (though, in reality, this wouldn’t work as the military would never be allowed to crack down on trouble the way they would need to in order for this to work again).
I guess I’m just tired of seeing this democracies get instituted just to enshrine sharia law in their constitutions or bring terrorist organizations into power.
JadeNYU on August 9, 2007 at 3:37 PM
You guys are idiots…simple. It was a mistake…jesus. You guys are the problem not this great man.
tomas on August 9, 2007 at 3:37 PM
Unreal.
The children in those planes that spent their last minutes in terror were kids.
The children who had parents jumping eighty floors to their death were kids.
The educated and brave Americans fighting the war include some that are kids.
The twisted, evil,Islamic pigs that flew those planes were not kids.
Hening on August 9, 2007 at 3:41 PM
I think it’s pretty condescending when liberals insinuate that the Iraqis are incapable of governing themselves, and therefore need a dictator.
Kevin from Ohio in V on August 9, 2007 at 3:41 PM
I knew it! He’s suffering from BDS.
It was only a matter of time.
Kini on August 9, 2007 at 3:41 PM
Makes me think of a possible onion headline. “It’s Bush’s fault – Bush”
- The Cat
MirCat on August 9, 2007 at 3:46 PM
The kids used boxcutters to slice open the throats of flight attendants.
Then the kids used the same blades to slice through the throats of the pilots and crews.
Some kids.
These were calculating terrorist maniacs.
Bush insults the intelligence in a new way.
Which is about his only developing skill.
profitsbeard on August 9, 2007 at 3:52 PM
Do we need any more proof that President Bush really is a Centrist in Conservative clothing?
Straddling the fence on this issue is telling, is it not?
Tammy Bruce gets it. How about the rest of us?
Lawrence on August 9, 2007 at 3:59 PM
Those who’ve been trained – all of their lives – for war and killing are not “kids.” Just ask the D-Day veterans who ran up against the SS Hitler Youth Division. Those “kids” fought fanatically and suicidally.
Before my dad turned 19, he’d made landings at the Marshall Islands, Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Leyte, Luzon and Iwo Jima – as a Navy corpsman. He was no “kid.” War prohibited and destroyed any chance of that.
Calling those who laid waste to the Trade Towers, “kids,” shows an amazing lack of understanding about them, and about our enemy.
When I hear Bush speak, I can only think of that great quote from a great chicken:
“That boy is as dull as a pound of wet leather.” – Foghorn Leghorn.
OhEssYouCowboys on August 9, 2007 at 4:00 PM
Other than cutting taxes, I can’t think of anything that Bush has done that separates him from the left.
Enrique on August 9, 2007 at 4:03 PM
Maybe he was choking a pretzel?
Kini on August 9, 2007 at 4:03 PM
I heard it a different way:
I saw that statement as saying we need to change the conditions that drive young people to, instead of having a family life an career, jump on planes and murder civilians.
These 9/11 terrorists were most likely indoctrinated at an early age, that instead of having a career, they should go off and kill innocent civilians.
amerpundit on August 9, 2007 at 4:07 PM
Tomas, you are quite the open minded free thinking fellow aren’t you. Those are very compelling arguments you make.
Zetterson on August 9, 2007 at 4:19 PM
Ok, seriously people. This is devolving into a HuffPo thread. Calm down. This is not some conspiracy to get worked up about.
CP on August 9, 2007 at 4:22 PM
In fairness, Bush does have a speaking problem.
Baked Beans.
Kini on August 9, 2007 at 4:24 PM
You guys are idiots…simple. It was a mistake…jesus. You guys are the problem not this great man.
tomas on August 9, 2007 at 3:37 PM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM COOL AID!!!!!
Meanwhile, a think tank at NYU thinks the unthinkable.
Imus was saying this for months.
Tacos Rule!
libertytexan on August 9, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Funniest comment ever….. I get it, Robot Chicken is great
Joey1974 on August 9, 2007 at 4:25 PM
Geez. He called them murderers and the MSM went nuts. He called them terrorists and the MSM went nuts.
Now, he called them kids and we are going nuts.
Is there any adjective he could use where no one will go nuts?
BacaDog on August 9, 2007 at 4:27 PM
He’s 61 years old. He has a different perspective when he says “kids”.
Christoph on August 9, 2007 at 4:29 PM
Bush does not get it. This is permissive, liberal parent speak. Just when does he plan on holding people accountable?
Who creates the society in which these “kids” were reared? At some point there has to be some Muslims who decide that THEY want to change conditions. It’s not our job. It’s our job to first protect our country and our citizens. We should have run Iraq ourselves for several years until there was stability there.
INC on August 9, 2007 at 4:31 PM
You know, I’ve defended his horrible speaking skills for years, and I’m just done. He called them “folks” after 9/11 and it made me crazy but this is just beyond.
Karol on August 9, 2007 at 4:33 PM
Bushism #40438. Ding!
Seixon on August 9, 2007 at 4:33 PM
Exactly. I’m almost 20 years younger and I call 20 somethings “kids”
From the cuts I heard on Rush today, this was one his best news conferences in a very long time and HA cuts this? What’s up with that?!
TheBigOldDog on August 9, 2007 at 4:35 PM
Stop making sense! Don’t you see how many kids here – oops sorry, – young adults, are anxious here to feign indignation? Stop raining on their parade!
TheBigOldDog on August 9, 2007 at 4:38 PM
I agree completely.
Dork B. on August 9, 2007 at 4:49 PM
First of all, I think this is a non-story. It’s clearly a slow news day. I have to take exception with the comment by
Kevin from Ohio in V–
“I think it’s pretty condescending for liberals to insinuate that the Iraqis are incapable of governing themselves, and therefore need a dictator.”
What evidence have you seen to the contrary?
sandman on August 9, 2007 at 4:49 PM
As painfully awful as it is, I’ll take “chocolate rain” over Bush speaking. He should stay away from cameras and microphones for the rest of his
termlife.MT on August 9, 2007 at 4:50 PM
I guess it would be wrong to call the kids pork hating terrorist, huh?
Kini on August 9, 2007 at 4:56 PM
Yeah right.
They put them on themselves. They helped the Ayatollah.
PRCalDude on August 9, 2007 at 5:04 PM
Breaking it down:
In context of his previous remark about the “universality of freedom” it seems that Bush believes that the “condition” which led to 9/11 is that the hijackers were not free enough.
What was the cause of 9/11? Jihad? No, apparently the “cause” is the same as the “condition”, an absence of sufficient freedom.
He doesn’t comment about the nature of the “lure”, but then I didn’t see the entire press conference so I may have missed it. However, considering the context again, I would imagine that the “lure” of which he speaks had something to do with the hijackers being presented with the opportunity to advance the cause of freedom. A “cause” that was difficult for them to resist because of the “conditions”.
The use of the term “murder” demonstrates that he views the actions of those nineteen kids as criminal, presumably because they attacked civilians. However the first part of Bush’s statement suggests that their goal of advancing the cause of freedom was just and that at the least, they were misguided.
FloatingRock on August 9, 2007 at 5:05 PM
Thursday Stupid.
Jaibones on August 9, 2007 at 5:10 PM
I think he just meant that they started out as “kids” and grew up to become the a-holes they were on 911. He just didn’t get that message across, given his well-documented lack of communication skills…but i think in context it’s pretty clear what he meant… root the problem out while the kids over there are still impressionable, etc.
max1 on August 9, 2007 at 5:12 PM
In years to come, the spread of BDS to those once thought immune will be studied by the CDC…
TheBigOldDog on August 9, 2007 at 5:13 PM
Now that is funny!
Careful, the left will let you bash the POTUS all you like. You are now bordering on a hate crime there!
On-my-soap-box on August 9, 2007 at 5:13 PM
Chocolate Rain is painfully awful?
Christoph on August 9, 2007 at 5:41 PM
Hillary told us she’s “our girl”. From a PC standpoint, how could she best the 19 terrorists as “kids”?
Entelechy on August 9, 2007 at 6:06 PM
Ugh, he seriously needs a speech writer. These were NOT kids and to say so is embarrassing :( . I hate it when people call our troops kids too…they are more adult than most their age.
I am not a bush hater, I support him with the war on terror over seas, but man has he pissed me off about the border bs and the border guard issue. I about died with all the stuff that has come out about the trials of the two border guards and how johnny sutton mishandled it and bush referred to trusting Sutton as he was a *buddy* when asked about if he’ll pardon the two men. I cringed when he said buddy…as we aren’t interested in his buddy or his protection and backing of his buddy, we are interested in true justice and his buddy mucked up.
Highrise on August 9, 2007 at 6:18 PM
Yeah, your right. I apologize to all pork products out there.
Kini on August 9, 2007 at 6:33 PM
Good Lord, give me a break. Allah, maybe he mis-spoke. Hell I’m 36 and I call people that are in their mid twenties kids sometimes by mistake. Must be a slow day for you or you really really really dislike this man.
kara26 on August 9, 2007 at 7:06 PM
This is Bush trying to portray them as normal folks misguided into being capable of the most heinous crime. I’m sure the moderate Muslim loved it.
csdeven on August 9, 2007 at 7:15 PM
Wasn’t it Bush who coined the phrase, “The Religion of Peace”?
Kini on August 9, 2007 at 7:25 PM
“19 Kids”??? Wait a second here, are we talking about “The Little Rascals”, or are we talking about those 19 Islamic terrorists who killed over 3000 people on 9/11? WTF!?!?
KCtheKat on August 9, 2007 at 7:30 PM
Give me a break. Exactly who do you think does have the guts if not President Bush? He could care less what the polls say about him. He just does what is right – and if the Iran problem needs to be dealt with more severely, Bush is the guy I want in office. Can’t think of anyone else right now.
Ballistic on August 9, 2007 at 8:21 PM
Mega—-Dittos
Texyank on August 9, 2007 at 10:45 PM
Many others.
Where did I say anything about polls?
He just does what is right
He does what he thinks is right, and it is often wrong. Bush has done the bare minimum since 9/11. If you think that he is the toughest person around, then …
I can think of many others. Bush is 10,000 times better than any dem would have been, but that is a low bar to start from.
Iran should have been handled years ago. Explain to me why Bush has been pussyfooting around with them, since you think Bush is so tough, and what do you expect Bush to do to Iran before leaving office.
progressoverpeace on August 9, 2007 at 10:55 PM
Thank God the heroes of United 93 killed those “kids”…
For cryin’ out loud, words mean things.
I happen to be a big fan of kids and most folks, it is bizarre to refer to those evil twisted f-words as anything even remotely normal.
I couldn’t believe my speakers, for a second I couldn’t figure out to whom President Bush was refering. I had to glance back at the AllahP text(like there was some sort of field trip on a doomed plane).
Can someone prepare him a list of appropriate slurs to hurl when describing those monsters?
christophercube on August 9, 2007 at 10:58 PM
He showed today that he had no idea about islam before the Iraq invasion and none now. He still thinks islam is ‘a religion of peace’. Somebody should tell George to read Robert Spencer’s books or at least Spencer’s Sunday blog on the quran. He should stop listening to CAIR. Doesn’t he get it yet?
countywolf on August 10, 2007 at 1:30 AM
Have you actually spoken to a 24 year old person lately? Totally totally!
saved on August 10, 2007 at 7:17 AM
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