Today's Dem response to the dull one's radio message(NSR)

Another distinguished military man pissed at the freinds of the Bin Laden family:

To: National Desk

Contact: Mark Kitchens of Kerry-Edwards 2004, 202-464-2800

BOSTON, July 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a fact sheet today's radio address by General Merrill A. McPeak (Ret.), former Air Force chief of Staff, Vietnam vet, Thunderbird.:

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FACT SHEET:

After months of hard work, the 9/11 Commission last week made a series of recommendations with urgent implications for the safety of the American people. The report carries a simple message about the safety and security of America nearly three years after that dark September day: We can do better. We must do better. And it's time to act -- now.

Yet despite this urgency, the Bush administration has yet to act on or embrace the commission's recommendations -- a disturbing lack of action that is not surprising from an administration that has no comprehensive or long-term strategy to make America as safe as it can be.

John Kerry and John Edwards will lead a stronger, more secure America. They have a comprehensive strategy to strengthen America's security by defeating global terrorism, winning the peace in Iraq, and protecting our homeland. GEORGE BUSH: NO COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY

President Bush's efforts against terrorism have fallen far short of what is necessary to meet the new threats we face and make America as safe as it can be. Nearly three years after 9/11, the sheer number of important recommendations the 9/11 Commission made testifies to the administration's failure to reform and refocus our national security policy to win the war on terror.

This administration still has no comprehensive or long-term strategy for victory. After allowing bin Laden to escape from our grasp at Tora Bora, the administration diverted crucial resources from the effort to destroy al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan to fight the war in Iraq. And Bush's go-it-alone approach to foreign policy has cost us the support of other nations -- support that we need to defeat an enemy that is hidden in countries across the world.

JOHN KERRY: SUPPORTS THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE AMERICA SAFE

Full Support for Immediate Action on Commission Recommendations. "A number of the recommendations can be implemented directly by the President, while others will require legislation. I offer my full support for immediate action and will work with you to implement the recommendations. Your Commission has provided an excellent roadmap to make our nation as safe as we can be and now we must work out the details in a bipartisan manner that lets us accomplish our goal of defeating the terrorists and protecting our nation." (Kerry letter to 9/11 Commission Chair and Vice Chair, 7/24/04)

Keep the Commission on the Job. "The commission should stay on the job for at least another 18 months and, beginning this December, the commission should issue a status report every six months to address the following questions with absolute candor: First, are we doing enough, fast enough, to strengthen our homeland security? Second, are we reorganizing our intelligence agencies to meet the terrorist threat? Third, are we building a true global alliance to fight the terrorists and their extremist ideology? Fourth, are we leading and uniting the world, so that we isolate our enemies, not ourselves? Fifth and finally, are we doing everything we can do to make America as safe as it can be?" (Kerry, Norfolk, VA, 7/27/04)

Convene an Emergency Security Summit. John Kerry and John Edwards will bring together leading Democratic and Republican members of Congress, leaders of the agencies that play a vital role in our fight against terrorism and the 9/11 Commissioners. They will assess what we have achieved and what more is to be done. And then they will do it.

JOHN KERRY AND JOHN EDWARDS: A NEW NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY TO WIN THE WAR ON TERROR

A comprehensive new national security strategy aimed at getting the terrorists before they get us. John Kerry and John Edwards will transform our military to meet new threats, restore the strength of our alliances, and use every available resource to destroy terrorists and deny them sanctuary, funds and new recruits. They will also transform our intelligence services -- by strengthening leadership, maximizing coordination among our intelligence agencies, and making sure that we have the personnel at home and abroad to get the job done. They will strengthen our homeland defenses. From better protecting our transportation systems, to safeguarding our ports and infrastructure, to improving our emergency communications systems and integrating our watch lists, to providing our first responders with the resources they need to do their jobs - they will do whatever it takes to make our homeland more safe and more secure.

The Right Plan for our Troops and the Right Plan for our Country. John Kerry and John Edwards have proposed expanding America's active duty forces by 40,000 to relieve the strain on today's military, doubling America's special forces capability and increasing other specialized personnel to improve America's ability to conduct counterterrorism operations, perform reconnaissance missions and gather intelligence. John Kerry and John Edwards will ensure that our troops have everything they need to accomplish their mission.

Keeping Weapons of Mass Destruction Out of Terrorist Hands. John Kerry and John Edwards will launch a new initiative to prevent the world's deadliest weapons from falling into the world's most dangerous hands. They have a plan to secure vulnerable bomb-making materials, prevent the production of new materials for nuclear weapons, and they will work to end nuclear weapons programs in hostile states like North Korea and Iran.

Strengthening America's Intelligence Capabilities. John Kerry and John Edwards will strengthen the credibility of our intelligence community, accountability and leadership by creating a true Director of National Intelligence. They will maximize coordination and integration of resources and information, and transform our intelligence services to deal with today's threats.

Leading Relentless Efforts to Shut Down the Flow of Terrorist Funds. America will crack down on nations or banks that fail to act against money laundering by strengthening our anti-money laundering laws and imposing tough financial sanctions against violators.

Preventing New Terrorist Havens. John Kerry and John Edwards will work with our allies and the international community to stabilize and secure Iraq and Afghanistan to ensure that these newly freed nations and other weak states around the world do not become havens for terrorists.

Preventing Recruitment of New Terrorists. John Kerry and John Edwards will work to win the war of ideas and the future of a young generation with a strategy to break down economic and cultural isolation in Arab and Muslim countries and support local efforts to promote democracy, trade, tolerance, and respect for human rights. The strategy includes a major initiative in public diplomacy and an international effort to improve education.

A New Strategy for Homeland Security. John Kerry and John Edwards will do whatever it takes to make America safe -- coordinate our intelligence agencies, take action on all key fronts, stand up for security whenever special interests stand in the way, and get the needed resources to the first responders who defend America every day. Their strategy will: track and stop terrorists, protect our borders and shores, harden vulnerable targets, improve domestic readiness and always protect our personal liberties as well as our personal security.