Home > Everyone’s favorite Old Bat Helen Thomas took a switch to rich kid Scotty (…)

Everyone’s favorite Old Bat Helen Thomas took a switch to rich kid Scotty McClellan today.

by Open-Publishing - Wednesday 19 October 2005
7 comments

Wars and conflicts International

Turns out we killed 18 kids in a airstrike today and Helen was trying to get some answers from our "err on the side of life" administration. Especially take a good look at Scotty’s response at the end... the lines between "us" and "them" are blurring.

Q Dispatches from Iraq said that yesterday we killed 70 people in Iraq, near Ramadi, including 18 children. I want to know what the President thinks of that.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, I think you need to talk to the military, because the military —

Q No, I’m talking here.

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, and as I’m responding to you, the military has said otherwise at this point. Now, the military has review mechanisms in place and when there are questions raised, they look into those matters, and so that’s something that, obviously, they will look into. But, beyond that, you’d have to talk to the military about where that stands. Now —

Q Eighteen children —

MR. McCLELLAN: — in terms of our United States military, our military goes out of the way not to target —

Q Why were 18 children killed?

MR. McCLELLAN: Our military goes out of the way not to target innocent civilians.

Q I’m not saying they were targeted —

MR. McCLELLAN: Our military goes out of the way to target the enemy, and to —

Q Why did they say 18 children?

MR. McCLELLAN: — bring to justice the terrorists and those who are seeking to prevent democracy from taking hold, through violent means, to justice. And that’s what our military does. And they do —

Q Seventy people were killed by an air strike.

MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, please let me respond, because I think it’s important to point this out when you’re bringing up a question like this. We fully support our men and women in uniform. They’re doing an outstanding job to defend our freedoms and to help the Iraqi people move forward on a free —

Q I’m not saying — I’m saying why did they kill 70 people?

MR. McCLELLAN: — to move forward on a free and peaceful future. I think everybody in this room would like me to have the opportunity to be able to talk to you about this question. And you’re assuming things that people have different recollections about right now, or have characterized very differently. And that’s why I said the military has review mechanisms in place, when situations like this arise, and they look into those matters. That’s why you need to talk to the military, to see where that stands.

Q Are the figures wrong in all the newspapers?

MR. McCLELLAN: The military is looking into the matter, Helen. I don’t have any more information at this point.

Q If I could follow on Helen’s question, though. Whatever the facts of this particular situation are, war is an inexact business, and children do get killed. And what I think she’s asking is for a response from the President about children who may have been killed as a result of American action.

MR. McCLELLAN: Look, I don’t want to assume, because this is an incident that’s being looked into.

Q I’m not assuming. I’m not assuming.

MR. McCLELLAN: And I want to also make the point — and I think you can go back and look at this — yes, war is always the last resort. It’s not something that’s pleasant. But it is a decision that sometimes the Commander-in-Chief has to make in order to protect the American people. And he made the decision that we were going to go on the offensive in this global war on terrorism that we’re engaged in, and that’s exactly what we’re doing, and that we’re going to work to spread freedom and democracy in a part of the world that is in need of hope. And you have to recognize the struggle that we’re engaged in.
And there are people in Iraq, terrorists, who recognized how high the stakes are, and they’re seeking to do everything they can to stop the democratic process from advancing. And there are attacks carried out on some of our troops. And when those attacks are carried out on our troops, you have others that respond to that. And we appreciate all that our men and women in uniform are doing when it comes to defending our freedoms abroad.

Now, in terms of any innocent people being killed, we mourn the loss of any innocent life that is lost. We have seen that the terrorists have no regard for innocent human life. That’s the difference between the enemy and between those in the civilized world who are committed to spreading freedom and peace. We target the enemy; they target innocent civilians. And there’s a stark contrast in how we go about waging this war on terrorism. They carry out cowardly acts against innocent civilians. We go after those who seek to do harm to those innocent civilians.

http://crackpotpress.blogspot.com/

Forum posts

  • "We have seen the terrorists have no regard for innocent human lives" That’s his answer to why 18 children were killed? Get them out of Iraq NOW, and put those assholes that are in control (Bush,Cheney,Blair ETC...) in Gitmo!!!!

    • Actually, I think he has just admitted that the American forces are terrorists!

      I do agree that Gitmo (or even Abu Graib) would be a good final destination for those criminals.

  • And keep Helen Thomas in your prayers as she will probably be "suicided" soon if she keeps questioning their propaganda machine. They will not stand for that.

  • Scotty is doing his job. It is to defend the President, come Hell or HIgh Water. His job is to obfuscate, obliterate, denigrate, mangle, spin, and otherwise never ever admit that the imperial president ever did anything wrong in his entire life. He is spotless, untouchable, above any law, chosen by the Supreme Creator himself above all other humans on this planet. By his own definition he cannot do any wrong because he is NEVER wrong. What other people think might be lies, misdirection, misinformation, deceit or stealth, is simply George Bush carrying out God’s commands like a good loyal white supremacist Christian. Like all the other Press attaches before him, Scotty will lie like a good trooper, even though he may be agonizing inside. I wonder why journalists even attend the White House briefings as they are all collections of Newspeak lies and distortions, manglings of reality in favor of the fantasy of Bush neocons. We must all recognize that Bush lies continually, habitually, constantly, and that every word is carefully thought out by Karl Rove and other spin masters for maximum deniability. When Bush used the words "Freedom and Democracy" it is the utmost arrogance for someone who is bullying his way through his legacy, invading other countries by lies, and seeking to conquer still other countries, while ruining our environment by pretending to bring us Clean Air and Clean Water and letting corporations pollute at will. The truth is not in Bush, so don’t expect to find it emanating from his loyal highly-paid propaganda minister. He is like Baghdad Bob for Saddam.

    • You go Helen Thomas! McClellan has got to have the crappiest job in the world! At some point, hopefully not in the too distant future, Scott will just walk off the stage, give it up, throw in the towel. No amount of pay would be enough to defend these treasonous evil people running this White House! They need to all be sent to Gitmo where they will, no doubt, be treated with the most gracious care and respect.....

    • Arrogant asshole spreading lies, McClellan: "Terrorists kill innocent women and children, and we bring peace and freedom".......and in the same sentence defending the military for doing the same thing as if there is a difference when we do it. I vote for Gitmo for the whole bunch...they make Saddam Hussein look like a kindergarten kid, I hope Saddam’s lawyers scream this to the heavens, along with the fact that the U.S. put him up to gassing the Kurds and the Iranians, and it appreas on every newspaper in the world, even if the propaganda machine in this country won’t touch it, the rest of the world needs to force Bu$hco into the Hague for his war crimes and crimes against innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan too. The murdering bastards and the disgusting troops are all going to hell, won’t they be surprised to find the gate to heaven locked when its their turn. When the bastards come back from Iraq, I will spit on them.

    • I read that the judge is a Kurd. Why aren’t the charges of "gassing the Kurds" on the list of charges against Saddam? Seems this would be the perfect time to address this issue. Oops, silly me, the US would be a co-conspirator in the gassing of the Kurds. Never mind. lol