Fred Thompson: Al Qaeda Smoking Ban Pushed Iraqis to U.S.

And he is supposed to be the savior of the Republicans? Thompson is already starting to sound like Bush with his bizarre comments and theories. What he didn't mention was that al Qaeda's brutality, along with U.S. bribes to Sunni insurgents led to revolt against the "foreign" Bin Laden fighters. This doesn't mean that the Sunni's are on our side, only that they want the U.S. to help them destroy al Qaeda before turning on our troops again. You won't hear that coming from the mouth of Thompson or any Iraq war supporter running for President:

Freshly minted GOP White House hopeful Fred Thompson puzzled Iowans yesterday by insisting an Al Qaeda smoking ban was one reason freedom-loving Iraqis bolted to the U.S. side.

"They said, 'You gotta quit smoking,'" Thompson explained to a questioner asking about progress in Iraq during a town hall-style meeting.

Thompson said the smoking ban and terror tactics Al Qaeda used to oppress women and intimidate local leaders pushed tribes in western Anbar Province to support U.S. troops.