Watch Thompson's comments Wednesday.
BLUFFTON, South Carolina (CNN) - At a campaign stop in South Carolina Wednesday, Fred Thompson said that the Iraqi insurgency is made up of "a bunch of kids with improvised explosive devices," and suggested that the appearance of losing to such an enemy would harm U.S. national security.
Thompson was confronted about Iraq by a Bluffton resident named Bernhard Steinhouse, who asked Thompson whether he would bring back U.S. forces from the country.
"We will not be a safer country, we will not be a safer America if the whole world watches us being defeated by a bunch of kids with improvised explosive devices," Thompson said.
Roadside bombs are one of the leading causes of U.S. casualties in Iraq.
Thompson's comments drew criticism from Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate and senator from Delaware who has made funding mine-resistant combat vehicles a signature of his Senate efforts over the last year.
"If Sen. Thompson believes that we are fighting 'a bunch of kids,' he is totally divorced from reality," Biden said in a statement Thursday. "He should come back to Iraq with me and talk to our soldiers who are in the middle of a civil war between lethal militias or fighting the Bush-fulfilling prophecy of al Qaeda in Iraq or being blown up by IEDs."
Thompson did not say under what circumstances troops would be able to leave Iraq. He said that as of now, U.S. forces are succeeding in securing the country, a shared sentiment among all of the Republican presidential frontrunners, mainly by Sen. John McCain. He noted that things could change.
"As of right now, and circumstances will be different six months from now, a year from now, but as of right now, we're finally getting good news out of there, we're getting good news," said Thompson, who added that having a U.S.
presence in Iraq is crucial to freezing out the influence of Iran and Iranian-linked Hezbollah.
"They sent General Petraeus down there for a reason," he said. "They shouldn't have sent him down there if it was just a matter of saying, 'OK, you're doing a lot better, but we're going to declare defeat and bring you home.' I don't think that makes us safer."
Thompson told Steinhouse "we didn't know what we were facing" when we went into Iraq.
"Saddam lured everybody into believing he had weapons of mass destruction, which he had had previously, no question about it, he had used them against his own people," Thompson said.
Earlier this month in Iowa, Thompson raised eyebrows by telling a crowd that Saddam "clearly had had WMD" and that "he clearly had had the beginnings of a nuclear program." He later clarified that he was referring to Saddam's use of chemical weapons against the Kurds.
– CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby
From CNN Politics
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Oops, one of the scriptwriters should have thought about this comment before allowing Fred to make it. You would think that Thompson would want to distance himself from killing kids.
CAREFUL. The DEMS don't want to hear any good news coming out of Iraq. News of any success in Iraq could spell the death knoll for the messenger.
What a very naïve statement from a Presidential Candidate. These KIDS are being trained, supplied, financed, and provided logistics from IRAN. Technically, we have kids (as young as 18 years old) that are also highly trained and skilled within our military who are fighting in Iraq.
We need a President that FIRST understands that we are fighting a very clever, very determine, and well supported enemy – before we can provide any strategic solution to the battlefield.
I like what Pete Grasso has to say about this subject. We need to involve our allies within that region to defeat this enemy. We need an exit strategy that WE control the execution as it aligns to our strategy to WIN, without being influenced by our enemies that are both Domestic (including some of our leadership) and Abroad.
We need a President that will take command like Pete Grasso.
Check out “Why are We Negotiating with the Enemy?”
http://www.grassoforpresident.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=11168&mname=Article&rpid=3861
Thanks Thompson! So our troops are engaged in deadly contact with a bunch of "kids" with overpowered firecrackers, and that is why the most powerful army in the world is having so much trouble. Why don't you tell that to a platoon coming back from Baghdad.
So this is just one more security threat that would have never existed if we didn't invade Iraq in the first place.
Why should America vote for a party that is creating threats to America that never existed?
And how does Thompson plan to fight a war that 70% of Americans are opposed to and the other 30% don't have the courage to enlist and fight for their beliefs? Someone needs to ask Thompson that.
Typical Grandpa Thompson, too lazy to come up with any constructive solution to the problem. Too much work! He'd rather sit at home with his trophy wife than campaign.
This guy has no idea what's going on over there...kids? Come on...it's worse than that. How anyone can support this bafoon is real tragedy.
This guy lives in La-La Land.
Fred needs to call Dick or GW and let them fill him in on what is happening with the war since they invaded a country by telling lies and are responsible for the entire world hating us...Fred sounds like a dud..
This is an outrage of misinformation. I though we already killed all of the Iraqi kids. How could there still be some running around with IEDs. I want my money back!
Go back to real acting, Thompson, because that's what you're doing as a politician. And speaking of "kids," your political analysis of the insurgents is
wildly immature and naive. Idiotic too. We need someone with brains to be President, not your
theatrics.
So true Fred so true.....All the liberals care about is would this be a defeat for GW they dont care about what this would do to the country and inspire the enemy, Liberals only care about SELF and it shines thru thru
more Bush rhetoric..."Stay the course"
what a fool.
You kids get off my lawn.
Oh noes a republican said kids got bombs. Never mind that kids have blown themselves up over there (under 18), and that it would be embarrasing if we lose to them. Never mind that all older people call our solders boys/kids. Heck my grandfather calls me a kid and I'm in my 30's. He was in the Korean war btw and I was in the USAF. Fred is the man.
Those are some bad kids, and all of our efforts to spank them haven't exactly gone through as we would hope.
In all seriousness... Let's not be stupid about this. They are much more than "kids with IEDs" and national security is not going to be helped by us wasting a lot of military equipment and resources that could otherwise be used on real national defense.
What a crock. This guy is totally unfit to be anywhere near a presidential election. The same goes for the other NeoCon loons that now want war with Iran. You've already destroyed Iraq for oil and Israel. You've already killed thousands of US soldiers for oil and Israel. You've already killed even more innocent Iraqis for oil and Israel. Now they're talking about nuking Iran for oil and Israel. Meanwhile the US is going bankrupt and can't secure it's own borders. The really sad thing is that the average American thinks the USA is A-OK! You can thank CNN for that.
He needs to read the Art of War -clearly no one in the Bush administration has ever heard of this book.
ALL the classic mistakes were made. It's almost as if someone read the book and then consciously decided to do all the wrong things, it's hard to imagine that our leaders managed to stumble into every bad situation described.
So Fred, they might be a bunch of kids, but appartently THEY READ THE BOOK!
Fred Thompson is the picture of arrogance and a complete disregard for the well-being of the American People.
He's just another republican who didnt serve. Now he wants to be Commander in Chief? Mybe if he served he would have a better grip on reality.
Aw, Geez, another "Bring 'em on" moment from a GOP crackpot.
And if they're just "kids", why have they got the US up it's neck in quicksand?
Will these fools like Fred and Bush ever learn to just SHUT UP?
You kids get those IEDs off my lawn.
What absolute and utter foolish nonsense. I am a soldier and have been to Iraq, this idiot just lost what tiny modicum of respect I had for him before.
"Fred Thompson Says US Troops Only Fighting 'Kids' in Iraq"
Nice, Fred. That will get you a lot of fans among the US military.
In all fairness, someone in their 60's would probably still be considered a "kid" in Fred's eyes.
And to Kim who said this:
"These KIDS are being trained, supplied, financed, and provided logistics from IRAN."
You care to back that up with evidence instead of talking points? I love how wingers just say the most off the wall BS and adhere to it like gospel because it supports their warmongering agenda. Again, please find PROOF that Iran is supplying Iraqi insurgents...that's a very serious charge and not one you can just pull out of the air like, oh...WMDs or something.
Dear Fred, please go back to lobbying for Libya.
I swear, that young bride must be doin' something to mess up this guy's head.................
I wonder if during this speech, did "good old boy" Fred get a little tired and take a nap, I'm sure he atleast had to yawn. Campaigning seems like its a real hard thing for him to do.
Senator Fred Flintsone – he shoots and scores again!
Thanks Thompson! So our troops are engaged in deadly contact with a bunch of "kids" with overpowered firecrackers, and that is why the most powerful army in the world is having so much trouble.
No, they're having so much trouble because of the bullcrap PC/media/congressional noose that's been placed on our military.
If they'd let the boys actually fight, this would have been over years ago.
"Now they're talking about nuking Iran for oil and Israel."
Where do you people get this crap???
Sanctions DO NOT EQUAL war. They are means to AVOID IT.
Hey! Those kids blew up my stretch limo!
Perhaps Mr Thompson needs to see this film.
http://www.meetingresistance.com
Showing in DC and NY now.
Lawd, Jesus!
This man is actually ludicrous and vapid enough to become the next president of the U. S. !
All they need is a good old fashioned spankin' !
Hey, who invited this doofus?
He makes it sound like it's a bunch of bored teenagers throwing rocks at stray dogs. What does he propose, grounding them for staying out late on a school night?
These "kids" are highly trained, well-organized, highly motivated, well-financed, and extremely dangerous. If it were just a bunch of kids, our "kids" would have been home long ago.
THINK ABOUT IT – anyone under 50 is a "kid" to Fred. Anyhow, of the many ugly aspects of war, one harsh reality from the beginning of time is that children, ok, teenagers and young adults are the primary fighters and casualties. Taken with the civilian children killed and maimed, of course thousands of children are victims of the insane aspirations of guttless psuedo-leaders like our current maniac and pending neo-con wannabe's.
If the US was true fighting kids in Iraq, you got a more serious question to ask yourself then just "we are going to look bad losing to a bunch of kids" more like what the hell are we doing there if even kids are willing to fight us to the death.
This guy is an insult to every intelligent, red pick-up drivin' American. Get off the stage dude, you're embarassing me!
Thompson should know a lot about IEDs. After all, he's a dud.
So are the Republicans going to get up in arms about this comment? Yeah right. Can you imagine the foaming at the mouth if a Democrat said this?
This is not the first time that Thompson has revealed what an oaf he is.
Those "kids" are getting their weapons and money for America's greatest enemy, SAUDI ARABIA. You know the country that almost all of the 9/11 killers were from and best friends of the bush crime family.
And Bob in Seattle, where are you stationed in Iraq? Oh that's right, Republithugs are all show and NO GO. So your opinion means NOTHING. All Republithugs need to report to their Army recuiter's office until then, STFU with "your" good news.
Fred, I didn't think you could be a bigger jerk but then there you go and open your pie hole again.
Your John Wayne attitude is embarassing.
Barely worth commenting on – just wanted to see my signature cuz it's simpleminded, just like Freddie and his Repugnantcan fasci-friends.
"Two peanuts were walking down the street and one was asalted."
Thompson said: "Saddam lured everybody into believing he had weapons of mass destruction." Am I really reading this?? Which chemical weapons, the ones we SOLD him to fight Iran with? What year is it–1984?
Kim, I would submit that the Bush administration HAS read the Art of War, and understands it well. Those in PNAC and our current leaders may be globalist hawks, but they are not stupid. These people were salivating over invading Iraq in order to occupy and divide the country years before 9-11 took place. That's not my opinion, it's documented history. The documents don't lie, though neo-cons do often.
The secondary goal (my opinion this time) was to entice Iran into a confrontation in order to topple their government–round two since we already toppled their elected government once after WW2. Go google it, or go to the CIA website, they brag about it there.
Perhaps when thousands of our children are being drafted to fight the ground war in Iran, good Americans will being to realize how severely we have been duped, and quit defending these liars.
This guy is such a joke.
Note to GOP bigwigs– you really need to go have a heart to heart with Fred and tell him it's time for him to drop out of this race!! He is embarassing the party!
CAREFUL. The DEMS don't want to hear any good news coming out of Iraq. News of any success in Iraq could spell the death knoll for the messenger.
Posted By Bob, Seattle, WA : October 25, 2007 12:35 pm
CAREFUL. Righties will continuously peddle tired, pathetic talking points. The most tired and pathetic of which is that Dems don't want us to succeed in Iraq. It's a stupid talking point peddled by stupid people.
So Thompson knows why we've lost nearly 4,000 troops over in Iraq.
It's those darn kids.
Calling Iraqi insurgents "kids with IEDs" is like saying no harm can be done by a monkey with a loaded gun. Bush screwed us royally; I don't want to be driven further into the ground! We've lost enough soldiers as it is!
Thompson is a grown man and can whip a bunch of kids...Right?
Sign him up and he will have this war over by Christmas.
Didn't Fred play the part of Mr. Cleaver on the Leave it to Beaver show?
Fred should go back home to Mayberry, put on his house slippers and load his pipe again with whatever it is he's been smoking while his perfect wife prepares the perfect 1955's dinner.
Grandpa Fred, pleeeeze. You're embarrassing yourself.
His comments seem more like a smart aleck trying to be witty. Truth is they are soldiers trained to wage guerilla war. Making light of them degrades the American soldiers being killed every day. Lots of snipers kill and wound American soldiers. It takes alot of skill to pick off a man at 500 yards.
To: Kim, Peabody MA
Can you post the source for your statement, "These KIDS are being trained, supplied, financed, and provided logistics from IRAN."? My reading indicates this is speculation to a large degree unproven with concrete evidence.
I can not understand why this man is doing as well as he is for the GOP nomination. Using phrases like "were getting good news out of there" and they sent General Petraeus DOWN there for a reason". Honestly whats wrong with "we are getting good news out of Iraq" and "General Petraeus was sent OVER there for a reason". It sounds all to familiar. I served in Iraq and I am about to go back, if he thinks that we are fighting a bunch of kids I would be more than happy to let him come on patrol with me. See what he thinks about kicking in doors and being blasted by IEDS. Please America don't pick the same optionfor 08 as 04.
wow! 2,400,000,000,000 on fighting kids????? What would the Republicans want to spend on fighting adults?
2,400,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
LOL!!! GOP sure likes Hollywood when it serves it's purposes.
These "Kids" are kicking our asses on their playground!
All democratic candidates would wish Freddy gets the nomination!
Too naive too simple.
He and his granddaughter need to exit stage left NOW!
This guy is too arrogant, pious and self-enamored to lead a TV show let alone a nation.
Go home dunce!
Thompson is everything that is wrong with politics and especially republican politics in this day and age.
I see Fred Thompson as the political version of the stereotypical old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn. This just confirms it.
Leave poor Fred alone. When your as old as him, comparatively everyone is a "kid".
Mr. Thompson;
A bunch of kids with IED's?
You are an idiot.
Glad you showed it before the election.
Mrs. Carol Jellings
Wife of Sgt. David Jellings
Stationed at BIAP
Kim from Peabody MA has it wrong...These KIDS are being trained, supplied, financed, and provided logistics from Saudi Arabia, NOT Iran. So say the commanders in Iraq. When the idiots that lied and got us into this quagmire (and the idiots who support them) finish beating the bee hive, they'll also have finished alienating the entire world. What ever happened to the "war on terror?" "mission accomplished" is still the most shameful joke from the most embarassing administration in U.S. History.
Thompson said: "Saddam lured everybody into believing he had weapons of mass destruction." Am I really reading this?? Which chemical weapons, the ones we SOLD him to fight Iran with? What year is it–1984?
Kim, I would submit that the Bush administration HAS read the Art of War, and understands it well. Those in PNAC and our current leaders may be chicken-hawks, but they are not stupid.
These people were salivating over invading Iraq in order to occupy and divide the country years before 9-11 took place. That's not my opinion, it's documented history. The documents don't lie, though neo-cons do all the time.
The secondary goal (my opinion this time) was to entice Iran into a confrontation in order to topple their government–round two since we already toppled their elected government once after WW2. Go google it, or go to the CIA website, they brag all about it there.
Perhaps when thousands of our children are being drafted to fight the ground war in Iran, good Americans will being to realize how severely we have been duped, and quit defending these liars.
I'm missing the meaning of his observation. I think in general all soldiers are young.
It seems like he forgot his script.
Is Thompson's Observation indicative being on the dumb side?
->
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=795
.
"Saddam lured everybody into believing he had weapons of mass destruction"? What is this guy talking about? Saddam Hussein gave weapons inspectors the run of the place so they could look for weapons of mass destruction – they didn't find any, remember? That's what the whole fuss is about.
He's right on one thing – they are a bunch of kids with IEDs. Just like the Vietcong were a bunch of kids with booby traps, and our soldiers are a bunch of kids in helicopters and Humvees. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I agree. What an idiot to just throw out a statement like that. What does it really even mean? This is the best they can do? Our poor Irag policy and invasion has been the best recruiting tool for the Islamic radicals. We're creating more enemies at a faster rate than we can kill them. Why don't the studid Repubs and their supporters get that. Because their stubborn and determined to think they are correct. I know the Dems have their own shortcomings but at least we can tell what a failed policy looks like. Billions for was and non for heathlcare...now that sounds like a solution if I ever heard on (snark). Give it up you right wing neocons. Go home and give someone else a chance because you guys ain't doin a very good job by any stretch of the imaginination!
Being in my 50s now and of the Vietnam era, I see the list of our fallen US soldiers that have died in the line of duty in Iraq on PBS regularly. Many are 18-19 years old. "Just a bunch of kids" who died young for our senseless politicians of both parties who started this war with misinformation and now unaccountability.
I served in Iraq for 15 months......I would rather serve another 15 months than have another idiot like him in the whitehouse
Maybe Thompson has a point when saying this if we can still remember Rush Limbaugh's comment concerning the conduct of some of our troops at the Abu Ghraib prison classifying that as "nothing more than is done with fraternity hazing in our colleges." I guess such comments mean this is the Iraqi version of playing "cowboy and indians."
I suppose he thinks that they are all a bunch of Dennis the Menaces. That man is a fool and has no idea how to run the American government. Even Law&Order probably won't take him back.
This guy is so out of touch. How can anybody take him seriously? Scary that some will ....
Hmmm... this article is a lesson on what to do with truth you don't like. Actually, children are among the conscripts to islamofascism who are recruited for homicide bombing. Happens in Iraq, happens in Israel, and would happen here in the US given the chance. So what about Fred's comments was newsworthy? This is old news.
Geez, Freddie, go back to you wooden acting career. You're a complete moron, and not qualified to be a president.
Of course, neither is George W. Useless.
In my opinion , if a soldier can't
decide to kill an enemy who is staging
to fire a weapon or otherwise , that
soldier should not be assigned to carry
any rank or weapon that would involve
killing. They are a risk to the
entire unit and personify a possible
weakness that can be exploited.
Sympathetic soldiers have absolutely no
place on the battlefield and are the
cause of confusion about whether to take down an opponent who may be waving
a white flag or appear to be too young
to shoot.
I will never forget the early invasion
newsclip of the American soldiers who
were ambushed by some white flag waving
Iraqi's who immediately shot them at
point blank range when they knew that
their gaurd had been let down just a
little bit at the moment it occurred.
So , kids with any intent to fight US
Troops should be dealt with as adults ,
before they too kill us because of a
misconception. These kids , have eyes
that can see armed US Troops and they
have lived amongst these conditions.
I am , and always have been the type of
man who would board a helicopter or
whatever means of transport and never
look back on what my purpose is. If
a babysitter is your purpose , you will
die a victim of abuse , now an easy
tactic laid out for your perception.
In other words , around me , you would
be extremely lucky to live as any sort
of prisoner , when my life is at stake
in a war.
Training one's self to use the tactics
of survival is your best weapon. In a
war , use it or die. Seeing as there
has to be a debate over the matter ,
our enemies have found a place to begin
targeting. Intent is the key to making
choices , if I even see wrong intent ,
I would kill. And live to say why.
You can't have a democracy if you die.
So a bunch of kids killed almost 4000 soldiers?Whay a disrespect for our troops. Romi.C
It is amazing to contemplate that these are the people in the highest reaches of American political system – the ignorance of Americans about the rest of the world is just collossal. It would be funny if it were not for the fact that these hicks have so much power to destroy.
"Saddam lured everybody into believing he had weapons of mass destruction..."
Huh! Sounds like Thompson thinks Saddam invited us in. Like an evil neighbor to the innocent kid on Halloween night. Kreikies!
CNN doesn't even report the daily violence in Iraq, not with words, pictures or videos. I suppose if they did the entire US Government would be swinging from streetlights. regards
Friday: 2 GIs, 48 Iraqis Killed; 29 Iraqis Wounded
http://www.antiwar.com/updates/?articleid=11818
Who cares, right?
We know the Iranian and Saude insurgents use children on a regular basis to fight our troops. Fred may very well have made a political mistake by using the words he used, but it's nice to hear a cadidiate not speaking on behalf on 10 different advisors.....at least not all of the time
Ray VerWys
Grand Rapids, MI
He reminded me of some old man who hated kids and was always yelling at them. He always wondered what the heck is that white stuff on his windshield.