Hannity falsely claimed Obama, Reid "attack[ed]" U.S. troops in Iraq
SUMMARY: On Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, co-host Sean Hannity and John O'Neill, co-founder of the discredited Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, attacked Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) for saying that the American military presence in Iraq is helping to fuel the insurgency there, a position held by several U.S. generals conducting the war in Iraq.
On the May 18 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, co-host Sean Hannity and John O'Neill, co-founder of the discredited Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, attacked Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) for saying that the American military presence in Iraq is helping to fuel the insurgency there, a position held by several U.S. generals conducting the war in Iraq.
Hannity also misquoted Obama, who said on the January 22 broadcast of NBC's Meet the Press: "We are an irritant, and we help spur the insurgency even as we're defending a fledgling Iraqi government against that insurgency." Hannity claimed that Obama "said, quote, 'We are helping the insurgency,' unquote."
From the May 18 edition of Hannity & Colmes:
HANNITY: Here's what is bothering me, John. Barack Obama said, quote, "We are helping the insurgency," unquote. John Kerry himself said American soldiers need not be getting -- going into the homes of Iraqis terrorizing women and children. Harry Reid said our presence is a problem, we're an occupying force. This is almost now coming out on a daily basis, these attacks against our brave men and women.
O'NEILL: Sean, it ought to be possible to oppose a war without trying to vilify the people that were sent to fight it.
However, according to an October 1, 2005, article in the Seattle Times, the U.S. generals leading the Iraq war -- including Army Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq -- have acknowledged that the U.S. military presence in Iraq is helping to fuel the insurgency. From the October 1, 2005, article:
The U.S. generals running the war in Iraq presented a new assessment of the military situation in public comments and sworn testimony this week: The 149,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are increasingly part of the problem.
During a trip to Washington, the generals said the presence of U.S. forces was fueling the insurgency, fostering an undesirable dependency on American troops among the nascent Iraqi military, and energizing terrorists across the Middle East.
For all these reasons, they said, a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops is imperative.
U.S. officials months ago dialed back their expectations of what the U.S. military can achieve in Iraq. But the comments this week showed that commanders believe a large U.S. force in Iraq might in fact be creating problems as well as solutions.
[...]
During his congressional testimony, Army Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, also said that troop reductions were required to "take away one of the elements that fuels the insurgency, that of the coalition forces as an occupying force."
A smaller U.S. presence could deflate some of the anger feeding the insurgency, Casey suggested.
Notably, Hannity has not criticized Casey or the other generals for their remarks.
....divert divert divert..
Typical FOX S.O.P
I thought, once it was proven he is a unrepentant liar, he would disappear ... oh yeah, he was on Fox. Heck, he could get a steady gig
With his leadership experiences with the Swiftboat Liars, he know all about 'villifying the people who were sent to fight' a war.
And now the loathsome little toad is lying about those who oppose a war.
How did this guy not get fragged back in Nam?
No all he does is divide and lie.h
several reports concluded that the invasion in Iraq created a platform for islamic insurgents to train war-tactics.
There is no and as been no attack on the TROOPS, but on the decision of this administration to invade Iraq while draining the sources that were/are necessary is the war against terror.
That's right. So, let's get our troops out of there. They don't need our help and there is no "war on terror". All this has been from the beginning is a reason to get oil and to make oil profits higher for the evil oil companies (which Bush is freindly with in Texas). Iraq has their new parliment, let's leave. The terrorists will stop fighting once we're gone and peace will riegn throughout the world.
Those evil conservatives are only trying to prolong this idiotic war (built on lies) by promoting false ideas. They all need to be put in jail and our troops brought home. That way we have trained personal protecting our southern borders. The terrorists will totally forget about the US within weeks of our leaving, so why keep having our young men killed fighting a war built on lies?
You had the forethought to be such a nitt-picky complainer when bushco was saying that we should go to iraq.
It would have been helpful if you'd been saying your "Oh, and that will make the world peaceful" and "Oh, sure, the terrorists will just forget all about us" and all that crap you just said when they were lyiing about iraq.
Where were you then?
"The terrorists will stop fighting once we're gone and peace will riegn throughout the world."
"The terrorists will totally forget about the US within weeks of our leaving..."
Who said that? Maybe the CommiePinkoIslamoFeminist Nazi Babyeating Leftits that only exist in your silly mind. I'm not shocked. Hey, wait, is this Hannity? Are you making up quotes again? Another shocker!
---"Notably, Hannity has not criticized Casey or the other generals for their remarks."---
This schoolyard bully knows the limits of his courage; who he can or can't push around; who will push back, and who won't.
She is about to take blood money from this putrid network. Rupert Murdoch should be tried and hanged along with Hillary. Stay away from FOX. Very Bad.
But there's NO posability of ever getting that lying chickenhawk anywhere near a war zone.
that is constructively critical of current policy, they hate this country and they are traitors. And, of course, Swift Boat Veterans motives are the epitome of unbiased, critical thinking, right?
If this whole topic weren't about our real civil liberties and personal protection, it would be laughable.
Unintentionally mis-quoting someone happens from time to time with real journalists. But these guys do it so often that you have to wonder whether they are either lying due to a loyalty to the Republican party or lying for higher ratings. Both could be true, I suppose.
It's really too bad there isn't a network owned by Democrats. At least then we could have bias on both sides on a national level. I'm not saying I'm necessarily for bias, but if there is going to be bias, it should be bilateral.
What these right wing morons fail to acknowledge is that the mere presence of our soldiers and military in Iraq IS causing unrest, and has since 'Victory' was declared. Not intentionally, mind you, but is IS happening.