Republican presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo's campaign stood by his assertion that bombing holy Muslim sites would serve as a good "deterrent" to prevent Islamic fundamentalists from attacking the United States, his spokeswoman said Friday.
"This shows that we mean business," said Bay Buchanan, a senior Tancredo adviser. "There's no more effective deterrent than that. But he is open-minded and willing to embrace other options. This is just a means to deter them from attacking us."
On Tuesday, Tancredo warned a group of Iowans that another terrorist attack would "cause a worldwide economic collapse." IowaPolitics.com recorded his comments.
"If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and Medina," Tancredo said. "That is the only thing I can think of that might deter somebody from doing what they would otherwise do. If I am wrong, fine, tell me, and I would be happy to do something else. But you had better find a deterrent, or you will find an attack."
Tom Casey, a deputy spokesman for the State Department, told CNN's Elise Labott that the congressman’s comments were "reprehensible" and "absolutely crazy." Tancredo was widely criticized in 2005 for making a similar suggestion.
–CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
From CNN Politics
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i can go along with that. but only if we tell the children we call Palestinians and Jews that Jerusalem is next if they don't stop it.
Why not? An eye for an eye. They thrive on violence so let's give it to them! I think Tancredo has a good idea.
ALTERNATIVE HERE (G.H. this is for you)
You asked for an alternative. Okay, here is one. How about we withdrawal the troops already over there. Then in it's place, we put a real peacekeeping force. This force is designed to protect the humanitarian targets. No door-to-door witch hunts, no gang-bangs of underage girls in the neighboiring village, no midnight assassinations of 58-year-old businessmen out of revenge.
Then we ship all of the people that the Republicans call bleeding hearts over there. Enter Green Peace, enter the Church of Saint Whoever, enter FEMA, whoever wants to go and rebuild teh country like.... get this... like we did in Germany and Japan...
It wasn't too long ago that Germany, Italy and Japan were the Axis of Evil. Yeah, we blew the snot out of them, but we have already blown the snot out of Iraq. Now, let's rebuild it the right way, the tried and true way... the marines only job to protect the humanitarian workers. And see what happens...
maybe the terrorists lose the support of the radical clerics and tribal leaders... maybe the Iranian population will rise up against the regime on their own... maybe people in the Middle East will go hmmm... I want to be an arrogant capitalist, too.
Who knows? It's worth a shot. Operation John Wayne is failing miserably.
Man this guy just hit the nail squarely on the head. This is my guy for President. We are tired of feeling threatened and we need to promise the ultimate payback. Fair game I say.
The Republican Presidential Candidate hit the nail on the head.
His statement on the deterrance issue is the only key to avoiding attacks in the future.
Accept it or not, YOU CAN NOT NEGOCIATE WITH MUSLIMS.
What ever you do to placate them, would fail to do just that.
Complete Global Islamisation is the only thing that can satisfy them,For now they'll front one lame excuse or another as the reasons for the actions(Terror Attacks, etc) they take.
That the US,All of North America and All of Europe is not in the hands of Muslims is enough reason for them to keep attacking.
For sure they'll keep attacking as they feel that Muslims have the sole right to violence in all forms.
I am only sorry that most of us are boldly ignorant of this simple fact of life.- Take a look at the pages of the Koran, then think again.
Yes because attacking their holy sites is going to solve our problems.Don't you think that bombing something so sacred to so many people would going to cause more problems than we currently already have? Congratulations on not thinking before you speak Rep. Tancredo. You'll doom us all.
Great idea....
If we're going to retaliate by nuking Mecca and Medina, why stop there? Why not nuke the entire mid-east and all muslim nations and let Allah sort out the innocent! Tom has a great idea worth considering. Not!!!
FYI-
Saudi Arabia is not MY ally.
America has a few thousand Muslims to worry about these days, if America carries out Mr. Airhead's threat, I'm afraid a sleeping beast will be awaken and the world as we know it will change even more drastically than it has since 9-11
This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. From a politcian ever.
i wonder what all you peaceniks have been smoking? what is our stockpile of nukes for? we should just erase that entire region off the face of the planet!
Well he most certainly has my vote. Shame he stands no chance in hell of winning.
The Islamic extremists goals haven't changed, attack America and kill Americans. While we sit and forget 9-11. I used to be tolerant and have visited many countries, some in the midde east. But I have changed my mind over time just as the world has changed.
While his ideas don't appeal to most at this moment in time, any more attacks on US soil will bring more people to this view. And eventually (hopefully not in my lifetime) it will come down to our survival or theirs. They hate us and everything we and the west stand for. Even the moderates who just don't say so openly or to your face.
I think Lewis Black had a saying that fits this guy perfectly."Absolutely stone F- nuts." is what Tom Tancredo is.
It's really scary that somebody this stupid can get elected to Congress.
What an idiot. I'm not speaking as an Arab-American but just as a person with a brain. Is there anything wrong with this statement "bombing holy Muslim sites would serve as a good “deterrent” to prevent Islamic fundamentalists from attacking the United States, his spokeswoman said Friday"? hint. mecca is also the holly land of the muslim non-fundamentalists. hmm....but something tells me Tancredo doesn't care about anybody who doesn't look, and think exactly like him.
The only things I find more unbelieveable than Tancredo's comments are his ability to get elected to any job, and the fact that there are morons who agree. We ARE NOT at war with the Muslim faith. We are at war with a small segment of that population. There are literally billions of muslims who are against Al Qaeda, no matter what is said by the Buchanan family. Did Tancredo advocate the destruction of Bethlehem after the Oklahoma City bombing? Those guys were Christians, you know, and cited their faith in their actions. Did he want to see Vatican City leveled after after the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta? He cited his Christian faith as his inspiration. Worse, Tancredo probably understands these things, but knows there are plenty of uneducated bigots out there who will vote for him because of statements like this.
I would vote for Tancredo.
The next President will have to deal with nuclear-armed terrorist groups.
He can stick his head in the sand (like most posters here) or he can face reality and consider what few options there are.
Tancredo pushes the envelope where it's needed the most!
Thank God the State Department is at least partially sane. I would have figured that the Bush administration might actually give some thought to Tancredo's uber-crazy idea. Can he be arrested as a threat to national security?
It is a sad thing how ignorance has become a common thing in the United States Government. Didn't his Mother teach him that two wrongs do NOT make a right? Suicide bombers could care less about what you do and threats like these will only make them want to attack us on a much larger scale.... the root of the problem is very deep... I suggest they start with why these terrorists hate us so much and go from there... killing innocent people in return for innocent people being killed is not the ANSWER DUMMY!!!! RESPECT LIFE
After having lived in the Middle East from 1994 to 2000 someone is finally telling the truth and telling it like it should be told...Muslims; we will bomb Mecca and Medina if you don't get your radicals under control.
This is a world war and the radicals will not stop...the West does not understand them and when we do act it will be too late!
Islam will not stop until everyone is Muslim; and radicals will not stop until they are killed.
A great man once said: Nothing is more dangerous than sincere Stupidity!
What I mostly find scary is how did this guy make it to congress?
The air Colorado is getting mighty thin.