{"id":11451,"date":"2013-09-05T19:39:58","date_gmt":"2013-09-05T19:39:58","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2013-09-05T19:39:58","modified_gmt":"2013-09-05T19:39:58","slug":"drive_by_media_disputes_kerry_s_claim_that_the_syrian_rebels_are_moderates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rushlimbaugh.com\/daily\/2013\/09\/05\/drive_by_media_disputes_kerry_s_claim_that_the_syrian_rebels_are_moderates\/","title":{"rendered":"Drive-By Media Disputes Kerry\u2019s Claim That the Syrian Rebels are “Moderates”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Listen<\/a><\/p>\n

RUSH: Reuters: “Kerry Portrait of Syria Rebels at Odds With Intelligence Reports.”<\/a> This is a Reuters story, and now, no matter where you look, even in the Drive-By Media, they\u2019re starting to say that what the regime is telling us isn\u2019t necessarily true. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go to the audio sound bites. This is funny. This is yesterday in Washington on Capitol Hill during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the possible use of force against Syria. John Kerry, the haughty John Kerry, who served in Vietnam once, is being questioned by Mike McCaul, congressman, Texas, who said to Kerry, “My greatest concern, when we look at Syria, is who\u2019s gonna fill the vacuum when the Assad regime falls?” Which we know that it will. Who\u2019s gonna fill that vacuum? Are the rebel forces, the extremists gonna take over, not just the government, but are they gonna take over these weapons? ‘Cause they\u2019re the ones most likely to use these weapons against Americans and the United States.<\/p>\n

KERRY: I just don\u2019t agree that a majority are Al-Qaeda and the bad guys. That\u2019s not true. There are about 70 to a hundred thousand oppositionists, about somewhere, maybe, 15 to 25% might be in one group or another who are what we would deem to be bad guys. There is a real moderate opposition that exists. General Idris is running the military arm of that.<\/p>\n

<\/a> RUSH: Folks, I\u2019m beside myself. That\u2019s just not true. To say that the majority of the Syrian rebels are moderates? Do this. Go to Drudge, watch the video<\/a>, if you can stomach the barbarism that these moderates in Kerry\u2019s view are capable of and look at what Kerry calls moderate. This is a guy who compared American troops to Genghis Khan. This is a guy who said that American Marines in Iraq, in Haditha, were murdering, terrorizing women and children, and he has the gall to tell us that the Al-Qaeda rebels in Syria are moderates. Everybody ought to be outraged by this! Moderates? The majority of them are moderates, US military, Genghis Khan, rapists, murderers, terrorists? I don\u2019t know how else to express my anger. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

And right here, here\u2019s Reuters: “Secretary of State John Kerry\u2019s public assertions that moderate Syrian opposition groups are growing in influence appear to be at odds with estimates by US and European intelligence sources and nongovernmental experts, who say Islamic extremists remain by far the fiercest and best-organized rebel elements.” So even the esteemed European intelligence agencies — which, of course, are the best. Europe\u2019s unassailable as far as Kerry\u2019s concerned. He loves pretending to be one. <\/p>\n

So even European intelligence, our own intel and nongovernmental people on the ground are countering what Kerry is saying, and Reuters is reporting it. So why does Obama continue to paint the rebels as the good guys? Why do they want to assist Islamic extremism? Shouldn\u2019t that be its own red line? I\u2019m telling you, folks, what is happening over there is these leaders are dictators but they provide stability for US national interests. <\/p>\n

Obama and Kerry, these guys are trying to take \u2019em out and replace them with Islamic extremists. <\/p>\n

This is just… Well, it\u2019s absurd and it\u2019s appalling, to call these people moderates. McCaul had a great question (summarized): “Okay, suppose we support these guys. There are chemical weapons there. Why do we want Al-Qaeda to have \u2019em, Senator Kerry?” (Kerry impression) “Well, I would disagree with your calculation. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what\u2019s gonna happen.” These people, folks, are irresponsible. Now, this next bite is good. This is Jeff Duncan (R-SC) having a conversation with Kerry, who explodes when Duncan brings up Benghazi.<\/p>\n