HuffPo: Fred thinks Hezbollah is based in Afghanistan?
posted at 10:01 pm on October 4, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Intriguing. An outright lie to make him sound stupid or a semi-honest misunderstanding of a more complicated point he was trying to make? You make the call!
Former senator Fred Thompson continues to be his own worst enemy on the path to the White House. Thompson’s appearance last weekend at the annual conference hosted by Teddy Forstmann in Aspen was “embarrassing,” several attendees have told the Huffington Post, as he botched current events questions and suffered from verbal gaffes.
Amid a gathering of high-profile media, business, and government figures, Thompson made the strange claim that the Islamic group Hezbollah is in Afghanistan (it’s based and run out of Lebanon).
Fred was indeed at the Forstmann conference but could he really be so ignorant as to think Hezbollah is based in Sunni nutjob country? I googled around and couldn’t find any statements from him referring explicitly to where the group is located but he does mention in passing in this radio commentary that they were responsible for the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers that instigated the war last summer. Assuming he remembers in which country that war was fought and isn’t under the impression that Hezbollah was vacationing there at the time, I think it’s safe to say he knows where they’re based.
Could HuffPo’s source have simply misunderstood him? Here’s a report from three months ago about Iranian EFPs of the type used by Hezbollah being sent to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The U.S. also caught a top Hezbollah bombmaker in Iraq earlier this summer, a fact to which Petraeus alluded during his testimony a few weeks ago. Fred might have made some offhand comment about cross-pollination of terror technology and personnel via the conduit of Iran and speculated that Hezbollah might be lending a hand somehow in Afghanistan. Not all that likely but not exactly out of left field either.
Exit question: Smear or mistake?
Update: Commenter JiangxiDad finds the smoking gun.
Thompson said military action is not “the first thing that ought to be thrown out for consideration.” But, he later added, “ultimately you cannot take the military option off the table. You’re dealing with a country where terrorism and state sponsorship go hand in hand. They’re responsible for many of the activities of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Taliban now in Afghanistan… not to mention what they’re doing in Iraq.”
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Geez, AP, don’t you get tired doing to Fred! what the MSM is trying to do to Rush? Try posting something positive once in a while…
rmgraha on October 4, 2007 at 10:03 PM
Smear
Topsecretk9 on October 4, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Incidentally, not knowing the difference between Sunni and Shia and also being elevated to the head of the intelligence committee is pretty embarrassing, so glass houses and all that.
Topsecretk9 on October 4, 2007 at 10:06 PM
What’s next, citing the truthers? Of course it wasn’t a misunderstanding. It probably never happened. Jeez.
We are really eating our own this election cycle. I demand more Rudy in a dress videos and Romney in period costume with the cast from Big Love.
Bill C on October 4, 2007 at 10:08 PM
Well, every time Fred does start being specific he screws up. He did the same thing in his statement about Cuban immigration and didn’t he just claim that the Dems held the judiciary committee when Bush asked him to shepherd Roberts through to nomination?
I’d like to get some specifics, but judging by his track record so far, it don’t look good for the lying faker.
csdeven on October 4, 2007 at 10:08 PM
of course he knows where they’re from. pointing out what could amount to a slip of the tongue is alway a lame way to attack someone. but neither huffpo nor allah are proving whether or not he did in fact slip up
ernesto on October 4, 2007 at 10:08 PM
Sounds like some of our very own derranged Fred-haters, doesn’t it?
Some of you guys should go on over to huffpo to post and raise the IQ’s both here and there. ;)
techno_barbarian on October 4, 2007 at 10:09 PM
It’s been almost a month since Fred! entered the race. We were supposed to be so wowed by him that we would forgot about how he sat around all summer. Are we wowed yet?
Has there been any positive news from Fred! yet? I mean besides the fact that he’s the front-runner among the Republicans.
pedestrian on October 4, 2007 at 10:10 PM
You have to call the messenger a liar to avoid concluding Fred is an idiot
tommylotto on October 4, 2007 at 10:11 PM
I spent a half-hour researching this post to defend the guy and you’re bitching that I’m being mean to him. Perfect.
Allahpundit on October 4, 2007 at 10:13 PM
This ’stuff’ is only going to escalate, and it will continue to get worse until someone pays a price for it.
rockhauler on October 4, 2007 at 10:16 PM
Thanks for the story AP.
I appreciate it.
techno_barbarian on October 4, 2007 at 10:19 PM
Hard to tell without a transcript. Is there anyone we can contact to ask them?
amerpundit on October 4, 2007 at 10:21 PM
Whatever man, if it were Rudy you’d have totally spent like forty-five minutes at least.
Alex K on October 4, 2007 at 10:21 PM
Huckabee–an hour.
Alex K on October 4, 2007 at 10:22 PM
Jihadis are jihadis.
As long as Thompson knows what they need to have done to them (sub-machine gun), he can call them all al-Quazies for all I care.
But it sounds like a smear.
Via Phony Journalism.
profitsbeard on October 4, 2007 at 10:25 PM
Absent a transcript of the speech it’s impossible to say.
Unless you can read minds.
Personally, I’m no more inclined to give the Huffington Post the benefit of doubt than Thompson. When has Thompson demonstrated a comprehensive, informed understanding of foreign affairs? When has he demonstrated anything other than a flair for colorful Southern aphorisms? Not saying there isn’t more to Thompson, just raising the question.
On the other hand, when has the Huffington Post demonstrated basic political honesty?
RightOFLeft on October 4, 2007 at 10:26 PM
ALLAH! QUIT BEING MEAN TO (insert U.S. presidential candidate here)!!!
Troy Rasmussen on October 4, 2007 at 10:27 PM
What in that statement indicates that Hezbollah is based in Afghanistan?
What are you saying? There are no Hezbollah operatives in Afghanistan.
All I can say is that if I had jumped to conclusions with so little data, I would have never survived missions to 38 countries and not come home in a bag.
News2Use on October 4, 2007 at 10:27 PM
Exit question: Smear or mistake?
What does Brittney say about it?
MB4 on October 4, 2007 at 10:28 PM
Welcome to AP’s Drive through, can I take your order please?
Uh, yeah I’d like a 45 minute research article on the joy of Rudy, two one hour Huckabee love me dissertations, and 3 10 minute slam Fred shooters for dessert please.
Okay that comes to 1311 thread posts, pull on up to the window.
Bradky on October 4, 2007 at 10:28 PM
Why post a remark by Fred that has not been vetted? Much less make a big deal out of it. It’s a HuffPo peice…
Ask yourself this. Are there ANY Hezbos based in AFG?
Probably yes!!
Nelsa on October 4, 2007 at 10:28 PM
Uh, why do you say that? Hezbos are Shia…
Alex K on October 4, 2007 at 10:30 PM
This is the sort of thing the left does to all Republicans; try to make them look stupid. It’s the same old formula. The only thing significant here is that they’re using it so early and so often on Thompson. They must fear him the most.
jaime on October 4, 2007 at 10:30 PM
I’m thinking Fred might be removing the Hot Air link on his website sooner rather than later.
Connie on October 4, 2007 at 10:32 PM
AP getting his talking points from HuffPost? Fred must be a closet evangelical.
edgehead on October 4, 2007 at 10:32 PM
How is this hard to believe? Fred’s brief campaign has proved he doesn’t know much about anything.
This gaffe isn’t nearly as ridiculous as his claim that he helped Roberts get confirmed by the Democratic controlled Congress, since that was something he personally was involved in, and would, in theory, remember.
e-pirate on October 4, 2007 at 10:33 PM
All I can say is that if I had jumped to conclusions with so little data, I would have never survived missions to 38 countries and not come home in a bag.
News2Use on October 4, 2007 at 10:27 PM
Hell, you would not have survived the trip to the airport for the first of those missions without coming home as a picture on a milk carton.
MB4 on October 4, 2007 at 10:34 PM
I heard from several people who were present that Sam Stein spends rather too much of his time performing oral sex on certain large farm animals infamous for poor hygiene.
jaime on October 4, 2007 at 10:34 PM
So are they claiming that there aren’t ANY Hizbos in Afghanistan at all? Again, the leftists set up the convenient straw man interpretation of someone’s words, then knock it down.
I think it might have started with the Confederate Battle Flag. It doesn’t mean what the people who actually fly the flag think it means; it means what someone offended by it thinks it means.
The word “niggardly” doesn’t mean what dictionaries have said it has meant for centuries; it means what someone offended by it thinks it means.
The phrase “states’ rights” (which I actually oppose for entirely different reasons) doesn’t mean what the people who advocate it think it means. It’s a code word for racism.
We’ve allowed this ridiculous PC crap to go on for so long that no one should be surprised when the media tells us that Bush thinks Nelson Mandela is dead and that Fred! thinks Hezbollah is based in Afghanistan, and Rush thinks all servicemen opposed to the war are phony suicide bombers.
The Monster on October 4, 2007 at 10:36 PM
Hell, hezb-allah is one of the biggest terrorist groups right here in the good ol’ USA.
It’s reasonable to assume there are a few in Lebanon stirring up trouble with the help of the syrians.
techno_barbarian on October 4, 2007 at 10:39 PM
HuffPo has bigger traffic than Kos and this particular story is already starting to turn up in places on Google News. I’m doing Fred a huge favor here by trying to debunk it. It amazes me that some of you don’t see that.
Allahpundit on October 4, 2007 at 10:40 PM
Not significant enough to say there’s a population there. Hezbullah is Shi’a, Afghanistan is Sunni. They don’t exactly get along.
amerpundit on October 4, 2007 at 10:41 PM
Hezbollah is in Afghanistan to kill Nelson Mandela.
a4g on October 4, 2007 at 10:43 PM
Bush thinks Nelson Mandela is dead and that Fred! thinks Hezbollah is based in Afghanistan, and Rush thinks all servicemen opposed to the war are phony suicide bombers.
The Monster on October 4, 2007 at 10:36 PM
I am a little hard of hearing. Did you just say that Bush thinks that Nelson Mandela is a phony suicide bomber and Rush thinks that Fred is dead and Fred thinks that Rush is a Hezbollah based in Afghanistan.
Spread the news!!!
MB4 on October 4, 2007 at 10:43 PM
BTW, I don’t want to hear anything about Rudy’s stance on gay marriage.
amerpundit on October 4, 2007 at 10:44 PM
Hezbollah is in Afghanistan to kill Nelson Mandela.
a4g on October 4, 2007 at 10:43 PM
all so childrens can learn!
zane on October 4, 2007 at 10:47 PM
Not like it matters.
It’s already “out there.” Expect MoveOn.thug-esque ads within a week.
Somebody backstage in the leftosphere (perhaps the top-down Townhall crew) decided it’s game time.
Good Lt on October 4, 2007 at 10:47 PM
The left’s fear of Fred is obvious as they are now manufacturing negative news about him.
pocomoco on October 4, 2007 at 10:48 PM
Hezbollah is in Afghanistan to kill Nelson Mandela.
a4g on October 4, 2007 at 10:43 PM
How can that be? Isn’t Nelson Mandela Swedish? Wouldn’t that place him in Copenhagen? Is Copenhagen in Afghanistan? I thought Afghanistan was someplace in Finland.
MB4 on October 4, 2007 at 10:53 PM
I’m betting it was taken out of context given the media’s track record for doing such.
Lawrence on October 4, 2007 at 10:54 PM
Don’t know if Thompson said it or not, but he once knew Hezbollah was in Lebanon.
JiangxiDad on October 4, 2007 at 11:03 PM
Remember that Hezbollah was involved in the jewish center bombing in Argentina
I think I recall that I read that there was a shiia organization in Afganistan that was connected to Hezbollah and in fact uses their name
William Amos on October 4, 2007 at 11:05 PM
Let’s see- anonymous sources, no direct quote in context, no link to a reputable source… definite smear.
Hollowpoint on October 4, 2007 at 11:09 PM
The FredHeads should stop whining and simply accept the fact that their man has more speaking problems than Bush did when he ran.
If you can’t deal with it then go cry me a river. Or upon Ron Paul’s sholder.
Darnell Clayton on October 4, 2007 at 11:10 PM
Quite frankly, the secrecy and anonymity isn’t surprising. It’s apparently a secretive meeting that the reporter for the DP needs sources to get a roster list for.
amerpundit on October 4, 2007 at 11:18 PM
Yup. But it made a post on Hot Air. Good thing I get my news here. I’m surprised we didn’t get teh red meat graphic.
Gotta concur with a previous poster…. Fred! will likely be dumping the Hot Air link pretty soon.
Huffpo sez. Hot Air does.
wccawa on October 4, 2007 at 11:18 PM
It’s because people tend to comment without actually reading the post or the linked articals.
(on topic)
This is their next step.
1 was catching someone saying something (Imus)
2 twisting what was said (Rush)
3 now it’s time for out right lies about what they said
the last stage is to completely make up an event, have them say something to what is counter to everything they are, and stepping on a puppy on the way out.
- The Cat
MirCat on October 4, 2007 at 11:24 PM
I read it. But when I quote or link, I get rock-solid sources. Huffpo is quicksand. I think it was simply a matter of timing. If it’s true, it’s true. But to be honest, no one knows right now. You or Huffpo.
wccawa on October 4, 2007 at 11:28 PM
Well that’s awfully convenient now isn’t it?
We’re still talking about an anonymous source and no actual quote, just a characterization from a “source” as described by a HuffPo blogger. Excuse me if I’m a bit skeptical- I’m weird like that.
Hollowpoint on October 4, 2007 at 11:30 PM
With so much specificity and verbatim quoting in the Huffpo piece, and with such well-known and unimpeachable sources as the ones they cite for the quotes, I find it hard to argue with the Huffpo take on the event.
DaveS on October 4, 2007 at 11:30 PM
It amazes me that some of you don’t see that.
Allahpundit on October 4, 2007 at 10:40 PM
Bill O’ReillyAllahpundit is looking out for you.MB4 on October 4, 2007 at 11:33 PM
Repeat. If he said it he misspoke. It’s not a case of him not knowing. On June 19th he was quoted about Hezbollah in Lebanon.
JiangxiDad on October 4, 2007 at 11:34 PM
Or you could stop whining and pretending that you know anything at all. Because clearly you dont.
doriangrey on October 4, 2007 at 11:35 PM
I find it sad we are bashing Republican candidates when Obama and Hillary and other dems run around doing far more stupid things
Need to stop playing the dems games for them
William Amos on October 4, 2007 at 11:38 PM
Yeah, riiiiight. When dealing with the Fred groupies you cannot seriously be surprised at any of their kookiness.
csdeven on October 4, 2007 at 11:38 PM
His position has always been a federalist one- that while the federal government shouldn’t impose a ban on the states, but should take action to make sure that gay marriages issued by one state shouldn’t be required to be recognised by other states.
I’m not sure how that would work Constitutionally, but Repubicans are supposed to be for states rights, no?
Hollowpoint on October 4, 2007 at 11:44 PM
There will be plenty of time for bashing Hillary once the nominee has been decided.
Hollowpoint on October 4, 2007 at 11:46 PM
What are parenthesis for? I can find several stories about Heboz’s influence in Afghanistan. Did Fred say they were based there? Or did he say they WERE there?
They are not based there but they ARE there.
Nelsa on October 4, 2007 at 11:47 PM
Pro-Rudy posts all lined up on the Left, Anti-Fred posts (repeating Huffpo and NYT, no less) on the right.
Of course Fred knows Hezbollah is in Lebanon! Fred’s job as president is not to know where terrorists are, thats the CIA, NSA, and DHS’s job. Fred’s job as president is to make sure we have the money, will, and resources to kill as many as we can locate, before they have a chance to reproduce.
I’m still for Fred. I don’t care how many hit pieces there are on him from the MSM and HA. The more you guys dis him, the more I am convinced he’s the right man for the job. Why? Because there is no other candidate out there D or R, that will tell the dissenters and the America Haters, the ACLU, the cose Pinks, the Sheehans, the Terrorists abettors, the commies, to just STFU!
AZCON on October 4, 2007 at 11:50 PM
With so much specificity and verbatim quoting in the Huffpo piece, and with such well-known and unimpeachable sources as the ones they cite for the quotes, I find it hard to argue with the Huffpo take on the event.
DaveS on October 4, 2007 at 11:30 PM
You are joking I sincerely hope.
doriangrey on October 5, 2007 at 12:00 AM
I can’t understand what some of you are bitching about. The post give Thompson every benefit of the doubt and confronts the smear head on.
SouthernDem on October 5, 2007 at 12:05 AM
If it weren’t for bitching just how much traffic and how many comments would blogs be able to generate? It’s the Internet; it’s what we do.
Hollowpoint on October 5, 2007 at 1:04 AM
Heh heh heh even if it does get under AP’s skin now and then, it keeps him on his toes and it keeps him honest… :p
doriangrey on October 5, 2007 at 1:35 AM
Oh and I almost forgot, and it keeps him off the streets at night… :p
doriangrey on October 5, 2007 at 1:36 AM
Who cares if he had a slip of the tongue about some jerk terrorists. You guys would rather have Hillary and ‘white trash Willy’ back in office? Give the guy some slack. Let’s see how he does in a debate with the other ‘candidates’.
countywolf on October 5, 2007 at 1:37 AM
Love is blind, dear csdeven, and it’s a good thing.
Entelechy on October 5, 2007 at 1:48 AM
From the original post:
and
Honestly, I don’t get how anyone could have thought that AP was doing anything but bringing attention to more HuffPo post-sewage, rather than trying to slam him. He also said in the post that he could not find a quote upon which the HuffPo mess was based.
I’d say that AP was trying to prevent a smear, and the posters who misunderstood that haven’t yet got their heads around AP’s occasional quirky way of putting things.
/sheesh
Wanderlust on October 5, 2007 at 3:01 AM
Amen brother!
omnipotent on October 5, 2007 at 3:07 AM
Which Forstmann mentioned in the HuffersPOS hit piece headed up this “Forstmann Conference”?
Teddy Forstmann or Forstmann Little?
Something here smells fishy……
omnipotent on October 5, 2007 at 3:13 AM
Touche.
Texas Nick 77 on October 5, 2007 at 3:20 AM
Hey AP, I do appreciate the effort. If the lefties want to smear ANY conservative (republican or democrat) and by any means, we all need to jump on their accusations immediately and debunk them. I say, please keep up the good work.
Texas Nick 77 on October 5, 2007 at 3:29 AM
Love is deaf, as well as blind, in some cases.
Bill & Shillery. Q.E.D.
Texas Nick 77 on October 5, 2007 at 3:38 AM
Fred Thompson, the Only Man who can Save America!
LOL!
BKennedy on October 5, 2007 at 4:30 AM
I have listened to a couple of these so-called gaffes and found that the gaffes`results from a less than intelligent listener. Anything leass than a clear cut sentence is lost on some people (Except of course unless the speaker is a Democrat).
davod on October 5, 2007 at 4:48 AM
Hey Allah. Change your handle to Stretch. Why do you give Huffingb**ch the time of day?
saved on October 5, 2007 at 6:52 AM
Lincoln might disagree.
Big S on October 5, 2007 at 7:03 AM
So now if we say we find a terrorist in Oregon, Huffpo thinks we believe that all terrorists come from Oregon?
Strange people these lefties.
right2bright on October 5, 2007 at 7:11 AM
Just remember Huffin N Puffin is linked on the Yahoo News which automatically gives her more clout across the web.
Why is everybody jumping on Allahpundit? He seemed to defend Fred. C’mon people enough of the knee jerk reactions already. The post at HuffPo is second hand information presented through the filter of somebody who heard what he wanted to hear or at the very least is going for his 15 minutes of fame by being the latest to start a gotcha storm.
I am waiting for Fred to appear at one of the debates and then I will be ready to make a decision on whether or not I want to throw my full support behind him.
I am not into the “who can beat Hillary” game but rather who best represents me. It is up to the person who wins the Republican nomination to beat Hillary and if that person doesn’t necessary reflect conservative values what does that say about the Republican voters in this country?
LakeRuins on October 5, 2007 at 7:13 AM
They fear the Fred.
Mojave Mark on October 5, 2007 at 7:29 AM
Yeah, just ask him and he’ll tell you.
Bwahahahahaha!!!
csdeven on October 5, 2007 at 8:50 AM
The one and only comment from “NorthernCross” under that HuffPo piece totally disproves the article. Too bad, but not surprising, that they haven’t corrected it.
Brat on October 5, 2007 at 9:22 AM
Absolutely. It’s another PuffPo from HuffPo. Consider the source. Good Grief.
El Cazador on October 5, 2007 at 9:39 AM
I didn’t think AP was saying anything against Fred!, but was trying to point out how deluded HufferPot is.
But then, I support a President who cannot pronounce the word ‘Nuclear,’ too. Even if he’s doing some things I disagree with.
jedijson on October 5, 2007 at 1:06 PM
Maybe Fred wasn’t reading directly from the script and flubbed his line…
tommylotto on October 5, 2007 at 1:25 PM
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