Cindy: Terrorists 'freedom fighters'
Sheehan's comment to CBS, others seems to have evaporated in news coverage
Posted: August 23, 2005
10:30 p.m. Eastern
By Joe Kovacs
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Cindy Sheehan, the so-called Peace Mom seeking a second meeting with President Bush in connection with the Iraq War death of her son, says terrorists killing Americans are "freedom fighters."
She made the remark during her trek earlier this month to Crawford, Texas; but her equating the enemy with freedom fighters has not been highlighted by the mainstream media, despite her telling it directly to a reporter for CBS News.
Sheehan's comments were recorded on video by Veterans for Peace, a group pushing for Bush's impeachment. (Editor's note: The video of Cindy Sheehan is approximately 30 minutes long, and requires several minutes to load, even with a high-speed connection.)
Mark Knoller of CBS
"You know that the president says Iraq is the central front in the war on terrorism, don't you believe that?" asked Mark Knoller of CBS, surrounded by a host of other reporters.
"No, because it's not true," Sheehan replied. "You know Iraq was no threat to the United States of America until we invaded. I mean they're not even a threat to the United States of America. Iraq was not involved in 9-11, Iraq was not a terrorist state. But now that we have decimated the country, the borders are open, freedom fighters from other countries are going in, and they [American troops] have created more terrorism by going to an Islamic country, devastating the country and killing innocent people in that country. The terrorism is growing and people who never thought of being car bombers or suicide bombers are now doing it because they want the United States of America out of their country."
A WorldNetDaily search of CBS News, Google News, and Lexis-Nexis archives found not a single news report mentioning Sheehan's "freedom fighters" remark.
"The question of whether or not we should be in Iraq is not relevant in this discussion," Fred Keller of Clearwater, Fla., told WND. "We're there and have troops in the field under fire and these people are aiding and abetting the enemy."
"What's her problem then?" asked one messageboard poster on FreeRepublic.com. "Her son was killed by a 'freedom fighter.' She should be proud."
Sheehan also called for the immediate withdrawal of all American troops, characterizing the ongoing conflict in Iraq as a "travesty."
"It's a monstrosity," she said. "It was based on lies, and since it was based on lies, why are people still dying every day for lies? That's what they're dying for. And as soon as we get them out of the country, the insurgency will go down. They might have a little bit of trouble at first, but you know every Iraqi tells me, 'We're a civilization that has been around for thousands of years. We can handle our own problems.'"
Sheehan referred to her son, Casey, not as a war hero, but rather a war victim.
Casey Sheehan poses with John Wayne replica in this undated photo
"If I was thinking straight, which I wasn't, I never would have allowed a military funeral, and I wouldn't have buried him in his uniform," Sheehan said. "I just basically stayed sitting on my couch, crying and drinking for a week."
Sheehan left Texas last week to care for her 74-year-old mother who had a stroke. She's expected to return soon to Crawford, where anti-war activists/entertainers such as singer Joan Baez and Margot Kidder, best known for her role as Lois Lane in "Superman," have been making headlines.
Kidder, a Canadian who has lived in Montana for 34 years, became a U.S. citizen last week so she could protest the Iraq War without being deported to Canada.
President Bush kissing Cindy Sheehan in family photo dated June 18, 2004
President Bush, meanwhile, is slated to spend two hours tomorrow with families of other slain soldiers.
"Well, I did meet with Cindy Sheehan," Bush said, referring to his meeting with the entire Sheehan family last June at Fort Lewis, Wash. "I strongly support her right to protest. There's a lot of people protesting. And there's a lot of points of view about the Iraq war."
President Bush, along with Idaho Gov. Dick Kempthorne, addressing media today
"She expressed her opinion. I disagree with it," he added, noting Sheehan's pullout philosophy. "I think immediate withdrawal from Iraq would be a mistake. I think those who advocate immediate withdrawal from not only Iraq but the Middle East would be – are advocating a policy that would weaken the United States. So I appreciate her right to protest. I understand her anguish. I met with a lot of families. She doesn't represent the view of a lot of the families I have met with. And I'll continue to meet with families."
