4um: Palin Links Iraq to Sept. 11 In Talk to Troops in Alaska

Gov. Sarah Palin talks with ABC News's
Charlie Gibson in Alaska. "I believe that
America has to exercise all options in order to
stop the terrorists who are hellbent on
destroying America and our allies," she told him.

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Sept. 11 -- Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

The idea that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself. But it is widely agreed that militants allied with al-Qaeda have taken root in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion.

"America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001," she said at the deployment ceremony, which drew hundreds of military families who walked from their homes on the sprawling post to the airstrip where the service was held.

Palin's return to Alaska coincided with her first extensive interview since she became the Republican vice presidential nominee. In the interview, with ABC News correspondent Charles Gibson, she was confronted with questions about the U.S. relationship with Russia and her fitness for office, and she appeared to struggle when asked to define the "Bush doctrine" on foreign policy. Palin drew repeated follow-up questions from Gibson about whether she believed in the right to "anticipatory self-defense" and crossing other nations' borders to take action against threats.

"I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hellbent on destroying America and our allies," she said after several questions on the topic. "We have got to have all options out there on the table." ad_icon

That response put her in line with a view expressed by Sen. Barack Obama, now the Democratic presidential nominee, in August 2007, when he stirred controversy by saying that if he were elected president, he would be willing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the Pakistani government. "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will," Obama said. At the time, McCain called Obama's comments "naive."

Palin continued to take a hard line on national security issues when asked whether war with Russia could be necessary if Georgia were to join NATO and Russia crossed its borders again. Palin replied, "Perhaps so."

"I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help," she said.

In the interview, Palin said "I'm ready" when asked whether she had sufficient experience to serve as vice president. She added that she did not hesitate when McCain offered her the No. 2 spot on the ticket.

"I answered yes because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink, you have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we're on, reform of this country and victory in the war, you can't blink," she told Gibson.

The event Thursday, held on a barren Army post on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, provided a powerful visual backdrop for Palin's first solo appearance after weeks of traveling alongside McCain and reading from a carefully prepared script.

McCain aides were adamant that the ceremony had not been coordinated with the campaign, and officers at the installation said the Alaska governor had agreed to attend months before she was chosen for the GOP ticket. Palin's son Track, 19, will deploy to Iraq with his unit later this month. McCain's son Jimmy is with his Marine Corps unit in Iraq, but the senator from Arizona has taken pains to keep him out of the campaign spotlight.

As she has been since McCain plucked her from relative obscurity two weeks ago, Palin continues to be surrounded by senior McCain advisers even here; the senator's top strategist, Steve Schmidt, and several others accompanied her to Alaska. The group is guiding Palin through a crash course on policy issues and is revising the campaign's original plan to send her on fundraising missions separately from McCain.

Instead, seeking to seize on the outpouring of enthusiasm for Palin, McCain advisers are "seriously considering" having McCain and Palin campaign together on the road. It would be an unusual arrangement -- running mates traditionally split up to cover as much ground as possible -- but aides believe it would help brand McCain and Palin as a single unit. It would also prevent Palin from having to contend with her own dedicated press contingent as she works to become more comfortable with an array of national and international issues. The campaign is also cognizant of the fact that McCain has consistently drawn bigger crowds since adding Palin to the ticket.

"It is under serious consideration that they will spend more time together than not, and more time together than is traditional," said a senior McCain adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "They are a great duo together, from the perspective of delivering a message." The adviser added: "Sometimes these vice presidential selections, the pairings work in a magical way; they click."

Other campaign formalities have also been taken care of in recent days. Aides confirmed that Palin and her husband, Todd, have been assigned Secret Service names: hers is Denali, after the Alaska national park and wildlife preserve that includes Mount McKinley; his is Driller, a nod to his work as an oilman on the state's North Slope.

On the Army post outside Fairbanks early Thursday afternoon, thousands of soldiers stood in formation as a low sun beamed on the chilly tarmac. One officer who said he had come to know Track Palin said that the ceremony would have taken place in the same way had the governor not been tapped to run for higher office, and that her son was determined to remain as anonymous as possible. ad_icon

Pvt. 1st Class Palin is being sent to Iraq with the Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division. Palin, 19, will be deployed to northern Iraq and will be primarily tasked with protecting and helping transport the deputy commander of his unit, Lt. Col. Michael W. Smith. His position is one of dismounted infantryman.

"He wants to pave his own route in life. He wants to do his own thing," Maj. Chris Hyde said. "He doesn't want to just be known as Governor Palin's son."

Hyde said Col. Burt Thompson had arranged the deployment ceremony to coincide with the Sept. 11 anniversary as a symbol of the importance of the military. "That was intentional," Hyde said, describing the effort as a "theatrical" one but adding quickly that it had nothing to do with the Palins. "I talked to Track Palin last week, and he's still just an all-American kid," Hyde said.

The governor did not address her son by name in her remarks but spoke broadly on behalf of the troops' families. "Don't mind us -- your parents, your friends, your family -- if we allow for a few tears or if we hold you just a little closer once more before you're gone," she said. "We're going to miss you. We can't help it, we're going to miss you."

She continued: "You may not need our protection anymore. In fact, you're the ones who will now be protecting us, protecting America."

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Unless this broad has a "vision" (or a seeing eye dog) she'll back Mad-man McCains 100 year war, and become a true crusader. There won't be any earmarks because every cent will be spent chasing ghosts like Bin Laden, and murdering other peoples babies.

It's obvious that she doesn't have the worldliness necessary to "see" the evil that she appears all too willing to saddle up with. Her soccer mom intuition just isn't enough to award her the accolades being poured out by RNC media trolls or the objections forwarded by the DNC drecks.

It's like this folks ... the country is to be dumped after the election and regardless of who sits in the Anal-Office incompetence will be where the blame game is played and the shit eating spin doctors can waste your time pondering the "WHAT IF" Obama, "What If" Palin non-question.

Obama or Palin will be the fall-guy/gal, and Amerika will be racked with convulsions.

"Every effort has been made by the Federal Reserve Board to conceal its power but the truth is the Federal Reserve Board has usurped the Government of the United States." "Mr. Chairman, the people of the United States did not perceive that a world system was being set up here that the United States was to be lowered to the position of a coolie country. . and was to supply financial power to an international superstate -- a superstate controlled by international bankers and international industrialists acting together to enslave the World for their own pleasure."

Like if one of the U.S. Inc.'s puppets derails and attacks another country we should be sure to honor our obligations to NATO ...

I seldom agree with the so-called left but ... BIMBO does an admirable job of describing this woman. Please recall that I defended her in the beginning ... that is until she opened her mouth.

I'm with you. A non-vote at this point would probably have more influence than actually casting one.

Sarah Palin was at the centre of a new controversy last night after she warned that America may have to go to war with Russia if it launches another invasion of Georgia.The Republican vice presidential hopeful defended her hard line stance on national security in her first US television interview last night.Speaking on the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in American history, the Alaska Governor warned of threats from Islamic terrorists and a nuclear Iran.

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) – The U.S. cannot allow Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government to obtain nuclear weapons and should not “second guess” Israel if it decided to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, said Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in an interview with ABC News on Thursday. “I believe that under the leadership of Ahmadinejad, nuclear weapons in the hands of his government, are extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe,” Republican Sen. John McCain’s running mate said

At least she is sending her 1st born into the teeth of battle (what a schmuck). Now if only the Obamaphiles would just nudge their draft age boys off the family sofa and into Obama's war of choice, Afghanistan.

He got a fairly safe gig guarding the Generals I hope the draft returns then maybe Americas love affair with the military will die a slow death

I agree about the draft. Lets see how the folks who vote for Obama/McCain feel when their precious ones get their asses drafted.

I completely agree JT. Ya know it's easy enough to get pissed off at each other when you think the other side is wrong in their choice ... but it's impossible not to get pissed off when you know both sides are wrong.

At some point I hope the people will recognize that we have to join hands and minds to overthrow the prison guards.

Actually that statement is true, but not in the way she mean't it. With a criminally corrupt rogue government willing to murder its own people to create the right "psychological climate" for war thinking that they are looking out for the nation's best interests is indeed a false sense of security.

"The difference between an honorable man and a moral man is that an honorable man regrets a discreditable act even when it has worked and he is in no danger of being caught." ~ H. L. Mencken

Dead on noone. I'm frankly still shaking my head at how this (s)election has converted former clear thinkers back into the D v R mindset. I can't for the life of me see a difference in foreign policy bet. the two. On social issues they talk a somewhat different game, but in the end, regardless of which set of clods wins, abortion will still be legal, our guns will still be in out homes and the congress will spend more than it confiscates, thus requiring more confiscation. I'm a fatalist when it comes to us pulling out of this national nosedive, as America has been steadily inching toward toward the abyss each and every day of my life.

I have never felt more inclined to pay whatever the price is, not for anyone elses sake, but to at least get one stab at these sons of bitches before it's too late.

In other words, Palin is even dumber, or even more of a liar, than George W. Bush.

The supposed Iraq-9/11 link is an article of faith for the True Believers, for which no evidence is asked. So McCain can rest assured that the True Believers are sewn up.

Likewise, the prospect of another war--maybe Iran, maybe Russia, maybe both, maybe more--seems to delight them. I'm not sure why. Perhaps the Doonesbury jibe about "hedgerow envy" is on the mark.

Another interesting point to me is that she is willing to send her own son into this nonsense. I think this is a good counter to the argument I hear from the Left that a draft would prevent wars because the Party won't want their kids to go. I think we can see that the decoder-ring wearing members of the Wargasm Party are perfectly willing to sacrifice their children. We shouldn't be surprised, as these people have time and again displayed an utter lack of scruple.

even though bush himself rejected the supposition...how idiotic of palin to adopt that position.