We agreed not to overthrow Saddam Hussein, but in return, we imposed a long list of requirements on Iraq. For twelve years he has tried every trick in the book to fool the world, but there is no doubt that he failed to live up to these demands.
When America is not at war, the men and women of our military risk there lives every day in places where comforts are few and dangers are many. When America is not at war, the men and women of our military risk there lives every day in places where comforts are few and dangers are many. Men and women of every race, creed and color is in our military risking his or her lives for peace. Sailors aboard the USS Cole were doing their duty, standing guard for peace.
The USS Cole was pumping in 2200 gallons a minute of high-test fuel when a bomb went off in the port of Aden, Yemen, where American fighting vessels had been using a port on the south coast Yemen as a refueling base every month for the past Two years. .
"The blast claimed seventeen lives and wounded forty-two sailors of the vessels crew of 293 men and women, and crippled an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer." (Desperate Hours.) .
The attack almost cut the Cole in half, spraying fuel oil all over the deck. After long exhausting almost 2 weeks of trying to keep the Cole afloat, the crew ship was prepared to sail out of Aden under tow. (Desperate Hours.
The USS Cole was a 500 foot, 8300 ton high- tech warship bound for patrol duty in the gulf, they were making a routine 6 hour "gas-and-go" stop in Aden, when two men in a small white boat, who looked friendly and waved, allowed the crew to mistake the suicide bombers for trash men. (Desperate Hours.) A secret report on an FBI investigation closely linked the bombing to suspected terrorist mastermind, Osama Bin Laden.
Among the patriots of America, our President, Mr. Bush mournfully addressed:.
"The image of unity amidst diversity must confound the minds of the hate-filled cowards who killed our sailors.
