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Posted: 5:06 PM- PROVO - Attorney General Mark Shurtleff lashed out at prominent critics of the Iraq War here Thursday during a support rally for visiting Vice President Dick Cheney.
While lambasting skeptics who say the United States has lost the war in Iraq, Shurtleff referred to Salt Lake City's mayor as "Iraqi Rocky" Anderson and chided the U.S. Senate majority leader, calling him "Hezbollah Harry" Reid.
Utah's attorney general also drew parallels between Anderson and Reid, and Tokyo Rose, Axis Sally and Hanoi Hannah - a trio of radio propagandists who broadcast on behalf of Japan and Germany, and North Vietnam during World War II and the Vietnam War, respectively.
Shurtleff accused the Salt Lake City mayor of using the national stage to further his own personal and political interests, and in the process, is giving aid and comfort to the enemy through lies and distortions.
And though he noted himself as a champion of dialogue, Utah's attorney general said there must be limits.
"Free speech ends where the enemy benefits from your free speech," Shurtleff said. "When 'Hezbollah Harry' says we've lost the war, that's reported to the troops, to insurgents, to Hezbollah and Hamas." And that, he added, contributes to the bombs and IEDs -Improvised Explosive Devices - that kill and injure U.S. troops in Iraq.
"We are at war with an enemy who wants to kill you," Shurtleff told a crowd of near 50 people, mostly composed of Cheney supporters, as they gathered on the lawn outside Provo's Academy Library. "Now I hear an al-Jazeera reporter is here in town looking for every criticism and put that into the hands of the enemy."
Shurtleff praised Cheney, saying the vice president has given 40 years of service to the nation. He added that Americans too quickly forget Sept. 11, 2001.
He topped off his speech quoting LDS Church founder Joseph Smith, encouraging Americans to go forward and take courage.
"Now is the time to try men's souls," Shurtleff said. "You can disagree, but let's stop the accusations and indictments and don't give in to the insurgents."