How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (Full Version)

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rulemylife -> How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 5:51:10 AM)

Donald Rumsfeld's holy war: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible



The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was sold as a fight for freedom against the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction.

But for former U.S. defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his elite Pentagon strategists, it was more like a religious crusade.

The daily briefings about the progress of the war that Mr Rumsfeld gave to President George W Bush were illustrated with victorious quotes from the Bible and gung-ho photographs of U.S. troops, it has emerged.

The news is certain to anger Muslim critics of the invasion, whose claims that a Christian superpower was trying to overthrow an Islamic nation were rebuffed at the time by the White House.

One of the top-secret 'worldwide intelligence updates', which were hand-delivered to Mr Bush by Mr Rumsfeld, includes an image of an F-18 Hornet fighter jet roaring off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. On it were the words of Psalm 139-9-10: 'If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast, O Lord.'

The cover of another featured pictures of U.S. soldiers at prayer with a quote from Isaiah: 'Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Here I am Lord, Send me.'



www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1184546/




breatheasone -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 6:57:49 AM)

Well i guess You could "accuse" every Pres the US has had during a war as well. They ALL would pray for our troops and contry....many even quoted scripture.....GASP oh the horror![;)]




CreativeDominant -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 8:04:07 AM)

[8|][8|][8|]

And let's see...suicide bombers of the Muslim faith do it for reasons OTHER than religious ones, right?  And the terrorist training camps are areas in which the reasons for the terror are allllllllllllllllllllllll non-faith-based, right? 

Anyone with a modicum of sense knows that our invasion of Iraq was based on intelligence...later proven to be faulty...that Saddam had WMD.  Did oil play a factor?  Possibly.  Did other factors come into play?  Probably.  I highly doubt that some belief that we, as a Christian nation, were favored by God played a huge part in it.  That this gives new fuel to many in the Muslim world to hate us...when they need so much convincing to do so anyway, right? [8|]...doesn't concern me too much.

BTW, Bush could not have invaded Iraq without the backing of Congress...both sides of the aisle in Congress.




Musicmystery -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 8:41:03 AM)

Read The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by Jeff Sharlet, coming out in paperback June 2.

This is very much a religious war for many of Washington's power brokers, far beyond simple matters of faith and prayer and support for the troops. This is about conquest.

This interview with the author is chilling.






servantforuse -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 8:44:41 AM)

I think that the OP would be happier if President Obama used quotes from the Koran..




Sanity -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 10:50:34 AM)

 
[sm=rofl.gif]

So how come we haven't installed some kind of a pope as their leader yet?


quote:

ORIGINAL: rulemylife

Donald Rumsfeld's holy war: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible



The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was sold as a fight for freedom against the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction.

But for former U.S. defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his elite Pentagon strategists, it was more like a religious crusade.

The daily briefings about the progress of the war that Mr Rumsfeld gave to President George W Bush were illustrated with victorious quotes from the Bible and gung-ho photographs of U.S. troops, it has emerged.

The news is certain to anger Muslim critics of the invasion, whose claims that a Christian superpower was trying to overthrow an Islamic nation were rebuffed at the time by the White House.

One of the top-secret 'worldwide intelligence updates', which were hand-delivered to Mr Bush by Mr Rumsfeld, includes an image of an F-18 Hornet fighter jet roaring off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. On it were the words of Psalm 139-9-10: 'If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast, O Lord.'

The cover of another featured pictures of U.S. soldiers at prayer with a quote from Isaiah: 'Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Here I am Lord, Send me.'



www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1184546/





rulemylife -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 11:26:44 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: breatheasone

Well i guess You could "accuse" every Pres the US has had during a war as well. They ALL would pray for our troops and contry....many even quoted scripture.....GASP oh the horror![;)]


While I agree, that's not the point. 

The General that put together these briefings used battlefield photos and attached scripture to them to reinforce the illusion that this was some type of divinely inspired war, an illusion that Bush himself referred to on more than one occasion.




Arpig -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 11:32:39 AM)

I wonder why, after electing a born-again christian, people are surprised that he phrased things in a scriptural context. Seems a no-brainer to me.




CreativeDominant -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 11:34:49 AM)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, Bush stated that this war was divinely inspired?  I'd love to see the quotes on that...direct quotes of him stating that, not something propped up by the media as showing the influence of religion on Bush.




Cagey18 -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 11:41:29 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: CreativeDominant

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, Bush stated that this war was divinely inspired?  I'd love to see the quotes on that...direct quotes of him stating that, not something propped up by the media as showing the influence of religion on Bush.

Damn, that was easy...I thought most everyone had heard of this:

Bush: God Told Me to Invade Iraq
President 'revealed reasons for war in private meeting'
by Rupert Cornwell
  President George Bush has claimed he was told by God to invade Iraq and attack Osama bin Laden's stronghold of Afghanistan as part of a divine mission to bring peace to the Middle East, security for Israel, and a state for the Palestinians.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1007-03.htm





rulemylife -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 11:41:43 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


[sm=rofl.gif]

So how come we haven't installed some kind of a pope as their leader yet?



Whose leader?  Ours?




CreativeDominant -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 11:46:33 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Read The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by Jeff Sharlet, coming out in paperback June 2.

This is very much a religious war for many of Washington's power brokers, far beyond simple matters of faith and prayer and support for the troops. This is about conquest.

This interview with the author is chilling.

A holy war as perceived by a progressive journalist who grew up in a family that was against war.  His uncle was one of the founders of Vietnam Veterans Against the War.  Do you suppose that might influence his beliefs about any ideas of war and religion being tied together?
I'm not saying that he isn't a credible author but just giving another reminder that people should know where someone sits before they know where he stands.




rulemylife -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 11:49:12 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

I think that the OP would be happier if President Obama used quotes from the Koran..


So, you think it is acceptable for the Iraq invasion to be portrayed as a "holy war" by members of the military and DOD?




Kirata -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 12:36:59 PM)


Well actually, that is a claim about something Bush is alleged to have said in private. The claim was made by the Palestinian Information Minister, Nabil Shaath, on both CBS and the BBC. It is hearsay. What Bush did say, as a matter of record, is, "America is called to lead the cause of freedom in the new century.... Freedom is not America's gift to the world. It is the Almighty God's gift."  Whether Bush felt that America was being called by circumstances, or by God, is not clear. But I'm willing to allow that a believer might see little difference between the two.

K.







CreativeDominant -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 12:38:46 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cagey18

quote:

ORIGINAL: CreativeDominant

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, Bush stated that this war was divinely inspired?  I'd love to see the quotes on that...direct quotes of him stating that, not something propped up by the media as showing the influence of religion on Bush.

Damn, that was easy...I thought most everyone had heard of this:

Bush: God Told Me to Invade Iraq
President 'revealed reasons for war in private meeting'
by Rupert Cornwell
  President George Bush has claimed he was told by God to invade Iraq and attack Osama bin Laden's stronghold of Afghanistan as part of a divine mission to bring peace to the Middle East, security for Israel, and a state for the Palestinians.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1007-03.htm


Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...wrong!!!!!  I asked for DIRECT quotes from Bush...not an article that cites two Palestinian sources.  Nabil Shaath and Mahmoud Abbas are those sources and what the article states is that Bush is "quoted" as having said that by these two "gentlemen".  Abbas is head of the P.L.O.---a terrorist organization.  And Shaath...well, let me just post the following.  Please take special note of what Abbas has to say about Shaath.
Shaath served as the Palestinian Authority's first ever foreign minister from April 2003 to February 2005. Shaath made news on 2005-10-07 by commenting for a BBC documentary that in a 2003 meeting with United States President George W. Bush, Bush told him and other Palestinian officials that Bush was "driven with a mission from God."
According to Shaath, the quotation was this:
"God would tell me, George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan. And I did, and then God would tell me, George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq... And I did.
"And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East. And by God I'm gonna do it."
Shaath later qualified his comments, saying that he and other world leaders at a Jordan summit two years ago "understood that he was illustrating [in his comments] his strong faith and his belief that this is what God wanted." Both the White House and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who was also present at the meeting, denies that Bush ever made such a statement.[1][2][3]




Kirata -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 12:48:33 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: CreativeDominant

According to Shaath, the quotation was this:

"God would tell me, George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan. And I did, and then God would tell me, George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq... And I did.

Yeah really, and while he was at it he might have mentioned that God also told the President, "George, your fly is open." Bush wasn't the sharpest tack on the block, but only an even duller one could take nonsense like that seriously.

K.







rulemylife -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 1:30:58 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Kirata

Yeah really, and while he was at it he might have mentioned that God also told the President, "George, your fly is open." Bush wasn't the sharpest tack on the block, but only an even duller one could take nonsense like that seriously.



These allegations from that meeting have been debated here before, and I never meant to restart that discussion.

Regardless of the exact quotes, it seems pretty clear that Bush felt he was on some pre-destined path of God's will.

Remember his comments in 2000 on how he felt God wanted him to run for President?

And his top advisers reinforced his sense of pre-destination and moral righteousness of the war by giving him briefings using pictures of our troops with Bible verses as captions. 

This article, written a little under two weeks prior to the Iraq invasion, I thought was really interesting:

washingtonpost.com: For Bush, War Defines Presidency 






Musicmystery -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 1:33:44 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: CreativeDominant

quote:

ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Read The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by Jeff Sharlet, coming out in paperback June 2.

This is very much a religious war for many of Washington's power brokers, far beyond simple matters of faith and prayer and support for the troops. This is about conquest.

This interview with the author is chilling.

A holy war as perceived by a progressive journalist who grew up in a family that was against war.  His uncle was one of the founders of Vietnam Veterans Against the War.  Do you suppose that might influence his beliefs about any ideas of war and religion being tied together?

I'm not saying that he isn't a credible author but just giving another reminder that people should know where someone sits before they know where he stands.


So what's your point?

First you ignore the content of the work by jumping on circumstantial ad hominem, then back off by admitting this has nothing to do necessarily with his credibility, and finally poison the well with an obvious point about source--which, incidentally, applies to you as well.

By your "argument," no one with an opinion would be qualified to write anything. He's an investigative journalist. He spent significant time investigating from the inside and reports the experience. When you're done dismissing it, perhaps you'll read the book, or even listen to the interview so that you have some clue what you're "refuting."

Then you could even discuss specific points.






Cagey18 -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 1:58:33 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: CreativeDominant

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cagey18

quote:

ORIGINAL: CreativeDominant

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, Bush stated that this war was divinely inspired?  I'd love to see the quotes on that...direct quotes of him stating that, not something propped up by the media as showing the influence of religion on Bush.

Damn, that was easy...I thought most everyone had heard of this:

Bush: God Told Me to Invade Iraq
President 'revealed reasons for war in private meeting'
by Rupert Cornwell
  President George Bush has claimed he was told by God to invade Iraq and attack Osama bin Laden's stronghold of Afghanistan as part of a divine mission to bring peace to the Middle East, security for Israel, and a state for the Palestinians.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1007-03.htm


Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...wrong!!!!! 

Ooh, sorry, our judges have ruled against you on this one.  See, a quote by its nature is words attributed to another in a legitimate news source.  Now if you had wanted, I dunno, tape transcript or video or something, sorry, nope, I'm not about to listen to dozens of YouTube or ABC News videos for you.

quote:

Both the White House and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who was also present at the meeting, denies that Bush ever made such a statement.[1][2][3]
Yeah, like denials of Bush's words never occurred during the past eight years... [8|]





Vendaval -> RE: How President Bush's Iraq briefings came with quotes from the Bible (5/22/2009 3:14:49 PM)

Do you mean a Puppet King such as Herod Antipas?  [sm=marionette.gif]

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=384266&rel_no=1

quote:

ORIGINAL: rulemylife

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


[sm=rofl.gif]

So how come we haven't installed some kind of a pope as their leader yet?



Whose leader?  Ours?





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