Battle of the Big Sticks

(NOTE: If you chose to interpret "Big Sticks" as a metaphor for parts of the male anatomy, that's your perogative. Just note it's something that never crossed my mind in transcribing this. )

* Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's top deputy and Al Qaeda's No. 2 man said yesterday, "What you have seen in New York and Washington and the casualties you are suffering in Afghanistan and Iraq, are only the initial losses, and if you (in the United States) continue the same hostile policies against Muslims you will see what will make you forget the horrors of Vietnam."

President Bush, whom British Member of Parliament George Galloway calls "the world's biggest terrorist," responded during an appearance before reporters with visiting Colombian President Uribe.

* President Bush,"The comments by the number two man of al Qaeda make it clear that Iraq is a part of this war on terror." (NOTE: Iraq wasn't til the president made it an incubator for terrorists.)

"And we're at war. In other words, he's saying, you know, 'Leave.' As I have told the American people, one, people like Zawahiri have an ideology that is dark, dim, backwards. They don't trust, they don't appreciate women. If you don't agree to their narrow view of a religion, you'll be whipped in the public square. That's their view. And they have tactics to help spread that view. In other words, they've got goals.

"They want to spread that point of view throughout the world, starting in the broader Middle East. And part of their goal is to drive us out of the broader Middle East: precisely what this Zawahiri said. He's threatening."

(NOTE: The president speaks from a position of authority when describing Al Qaeda's goal is to "spread their point of view throughout the world, starting in the broader Middle East." That's because Bush has the same policy goal.)

Thanks to Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now" for the above quotes!