Obama declines comment on US hostage crisis off Somalia

[Peter3_1]

In 1968 it took LBJ 10 days to send us the Wash. DC to help put down the riots and that was this nation's CAPITAL.  It takes a while for the bureaucrat mind to make a military decision, then, more often then not, they make the wrong one.

[TheSarge]

Sam Adams...dutch...if you two want to get into a pissing contest...go start one in the FC.

Keep your sword fighting out of Breaking News.

[rich_t]

Really, it's like saying "If the sun rose in the west tomorrow."  I know it's never going to happen because it isn't in Obama's character.

Johnny Matrix is talking about Obama actually going there himself and taking out the bad guys, I think if he actually did that it would be impressive.  But he wont ever so Johnny's point is moot.  It would be as if Johnny Matrix said, "If Obama were a man, you guys still would hate him."  So really it's just an impossible thing and Johnny doesn't have a point.  It's one of those twisty logic things.

I doubt that Obama even knows which end the bullet comes out of.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

right, and if obama actually went there himself and personally shot all the kidnappers, you would say that he didn't do enough.

You're such a fag.

If Obama we're strong about defense, not to mention matters economic and social we'd be more than happy to cheer him on.

Tell us fag-stick, what do you think irks us the most about Obama: A) his policies B) the "D" behind his name C) his skin D) other, be specific

[TheSarge]

I had to look twice to make sure this wasn't a story from 1993.

he White House discussions highlight the challenges facing the Obama team as it attempts to distance itself from the Bush administration, which conducted at least five military strikes in Somalia. The new administration is still defining its rationale for undertaking sensitive operations in countries where the United States is not at war.


Some in the Defense Department have been frustrated by what they see as a failure to act. Many other national security officials say an ill-considered strike would have negative diplomatic and political consequences far beyond the Horn of Africa. Other options under consideration are increased financial pressure and diplomatic activity, including stepped-up efforts to resolve the larger political turmoil in Somalia.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/10/AR2009041003734.html?

[JohnMatrix]

You're such a fag.

If Obama we're strong about defense, not to mention matters economic and social we'd be more than happy to cheer him on.

Tell us fag-stick, what do you think irks us the most about Obama: A) his policies B) the "D" behind his name C) his skin D) other, be specific

Wow, an ad hominem from snuggle bunny.  In other news, the sky is blue. Quit projecting.

and to answer your "question", it would be A,B,and D he's a closet muslim

[JohnnyReb]

Obama will soon move to his top levels of diplomacy in dealing with the muslim pirates. All the way up to, "Purty, please, please, please with whipped cream and a cherry on top."

[thundley4]

It's beginning to look like the pirates will make it to the coast of Somalia, by drifting with the current , no less.  They get their freedom, and still have the hostage, and meanwhile 0Bama has his thumb stuck up his ass.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Wow, an ad hominem from snuggle bunny.  In other news, the sky is blue. Quit projecting.

Unlike you who, without any basis, claimed we'd hate him regardless.

and to answer your "question", it would be A,B,and D he's a closet muslim

I don't think he's a closet muslim because he spent too much time with his Marxist-based liberation theologian Rev Wright and the outright Marxist Bill Ayers for that to be true (I know, I know...me and my whole "guilt by association" thingy. I just can't help but judge a man by the company he keeps...I'm weird like that).

The D behind his name is immaterial because democrats like Zell Miller, Lieberman (on defense) and Sam Nunn have been well-recieved...because of their POLICIES.

Oh yeah, and we railed against Bush plenty over the years...I know I have...based on POLICIES.

So it's pretty much an issue of policy.

You, however, want to pretend that Obama could actually do the right thing to show us up but you know he won't. He's looking weak, indecisive and fumbling, but the fantasy in your mind that if he could do the right thing he could show us up so you prefer your fantasy rather than the demonstrated truth which underpins our disapproval; not to mention the fact we have a solid history of acceptance and disapproval based solely on policy.

So what this boils down to is, paraphrasing:

right, and if CC'ers actually looked there themselves and judged the merits the administration, you would say that they didn't do enough.


And that's why you're a fag. I suppose I could have used the more academic-sounding "hypocrite" or "disingenuous" but despite your conjurations of aires of dispassion you're just such...

...a fag.

[NHSparky]

Stolen from a post on FR, but just had to repeat it here:

President Bush liberated 50 MILLION people, Nobamessiah can't even rescue ONE American in a dingy that is out of gas and surrounded by the United States Navy!

[thundley4]

Stolen from a post on FR, but just had to repeat it here:

President Bush liberated 50 MILLION people, Nobamessiah can't even rescue ONE American in a dingy that is out of gas and surrounded by the United States Navy!

Hilarious and sad at the same time. 

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Stolen from a post on FR, but just had to repeat it here:

President Bush liberated 50 MILLION people, Nobamessiah can't even rescue ONE American in a dingy that is out of gas and surrounded by the United States Navy!

ow

Damn, I felt that one all the way over here.

[Peter3_1]

Sunday afternoom, Obama's thought to have picked a Dog, just like Teddy Kennedy's, he is thought to have picked a Church, just like Bill Clinton's, he may be negotiating with Iran, just like Jimmuh Carter, and, oh yes, American Still held hostage in the hands of Muslim extremists, and Obama has no comment.....we've got the worst of three worlds, don't we?

[JohnMatrix]

Unlike you who, without any basis, claimed we'd hate him regardless.
I don't think he's a closet muslim because he spent too much time with his Marxist-based liberation theologian Rev Wright and the outright Marxist Bill Ayers for that to be true (I know, I know...me and my whole "guilt by association" thingy. I just can't help but judge a man by the company he keeps...I'm weird like that).

The D behind his name is immaterial because democrats like Zell Miller, Lieberman (on defense) and Sam Nunn have been well-recieved...because of their POLICIES.

Oh yeah, and we railed against Bush plenty over the years...I know I have...based on POLICIES.

So it's pretty much an issue of policy.

You, however, want to pretend that Obama could actually do the right thing to show us up but you know he won't. He's looking weak, indecisive and fumbling, but the fantasy in your mind that if he could do the right thing he could show us up so you prefer your fantasy rather than the demonstrated truth which underpins our disapproval; not to mention the fact we have a solid history of acceptance and disapproval based solely on policy.

So what this boils down to is, paraphrasing:

right, and if CC'ers actually looked there themselves and judged the merits the administration, you would say that they didn't do enough.


And that's why you're a fag. I suppose I could have used the more academic-sounding "hypocrite" or "disingenuous" but despite your conjurations of aires of dispassion you're just such...

...a fag.

LOL.  Well so much for that eh

[Peter3_1]

Cpt freed, three pirate/terrorists dead, one captured. NAVY does it right again. GO NAVY!

[dutch508]

As I stated earlier. The choice to engage the pirates was the president's. If he had given it earlier, the first escape attempt would have been the only one needed.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

As I stated earlier. The choice to engage the pirates was the president's. If he had given it earlier, the first escape attempt would have been the only one needed.

The fact is, no president is daft enough to tell the SEALs to withhold fire if the death of a hostage is imminent; even Carter attempted a rescue in Iran, so I'm not seeing anything overly spectacular.

Obama is also dragging his feet on the demob from Iraq. Does he believe in what we accomplished in Iraq? Absolutely not. The fact is, he is a political creature and he doesn't want Iraq going tits-up on his watch. Does that mean he has the appreciation of the military arts and the moral fortitude to decide what is best in circumstances where force is the best/only option. Absolutely not.

The fact that a no-brainer situation resolved itself successfully does not speak to Obama's credit, only to his good luck; but gawd help US if HIS luck ever runs out.

[JohnMatrix]

The fact is, no president is daft enough to tell the SEALs to withhold fire if the death of a hostage is imminent; even Carter attempted a rescue in Iran, so I'm not seeing anything overly spectacular.

Obama is also dragging his feet on the demob from Iraq. Does he believe in what we accomplished in Iraq? Absolutely not. The fact is, he is a political creature and he doesn't want Iraq going tits-up on his watch. Does that mean he has the appreciation of the military arts and the moral fortitude to decide what is best in circumstances where force is the best/only option. Absolutely not.

The fact that a no-brainer situation resolved itself successfully does not speak to Obama's credit, only to his good luck; but gawd help US if HIS luck ever runs out.

The fact is, if obama had ordered them to use force within minutes of the pirate attack, you would have still said it was a "no brainer"

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

The fact is, if obama had ordered them to use force within minutes of the pirate attack, you would have still said it was a "no brainer"

SO what you're saying is: Obama's political history gives you confidence to trust his guiding philosophies and vision for the employment of American military power.

Where should I give credit: a multi-decades career of repeated rhetoric or a single event that was precipitated by the hostage seeking to escape successfully concluded by the skills of people ordinarily held in contempt by the Leftists?

[TheSarge]

The fact is, if obama had ordered them to use force within minutes of the pirate attack, you would have still said it was a "no brainer"

Actually moron...if he'd ordered the use of force within minutes...this thread wouldn't have gone this many pages of people wondering why he's swallowed his tongue on the whole thing.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Actually moron...if he'd ordered the use of force within minutes...this thread wouldn't have gone this many pages of people wondering why he's swallowed his tongue on the whole thing.

Actually, reports seem to be indicating the DoD asked...twice. So it seems Obama is not as pro-active as some would have us believe. There's a big difference between, "May I, sir"..."Yes." versus "I want you to take them down."

Even still I stand by my earlier assertion that Obama is no one to look to on matters military; he's simply following the political no-brainer.

To further my point: if/when the economy recovers only a fool would give credit to Obama and his policies; and I draw my declaration from Obama's long history of commenting on matters economic, political and military.

[Peter3_1]

What was his message/order exactly? Was there room to weasel  with the words even at that last minuite? Did he say "Your mission is to take the Craft, the Captian back, and use whatever force you feel is required" Or was it, "using all necessary force" , then you can weasel, Well, I don't think getting everyone KILLED was nesessary, but as President, I bear responsibility! tHE CROWD GOES WILD, rock star status maintained.

We'll be hearing about it as soon as the teleprompter decides how to play it to the adoring MSN.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

What was his message/order exactly? Was there room to weasel  with the words even at that last minuite? Did he say "Your mission is to take the Craft, the Captian back, and use whatever force you feel is required" Or was it, "using all necessary force" , then you can weasel, Well, I don't think getting everyone KILLED was nesessary, but as President, I bear responsibility! tHE CROWD GOES WILD, rock star status maintained.

We'll be hearing about it as soon as the teleprompter decides how to play it to the adoring MSN.

I'll hazard a guess that the standard format of proposing assets to be employed, RoE along with best-worst-and-probable scenario outcomes were presented. Of the several plans offered Obama authorized the one that he felt best balanced probability of success against reasonable allowance for failure.

The real proof in the pudding will be whether we grab what is ours and beat-feet hoping to evade future incidences of this sort or whether we take the fight to the pirates now that they are REALLY pissed-off. I don't see Obama--or any president for that matter--leaping into yet another asymetetrical war with 2 others still raging but the threat is significantly increased. The pirates seem to feel the need to retaliate. Perhaps a middlin' path of arming the ships.

The other big--indeed, bigger--test wil be the trial of the captured pirate. We will get the first very public glimpse of Obama's legal theories concerning unlawful combatants. The fact that he even refuses o call them such does not portend well. Perhaps the idiocy of his ideals will be made manifest and prove sufficient embarrasment to Obama to get him to reverse his reversals. Then again maybe he's enough of an ideologue to humiliate himself out of a second term. Obama may be the dog who chased the car and caught it.

[thundley4]

I heard some talking heads earlier saying that if found guilty, the pirate will face up to life in prison, no death penalty.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I heard some talking heads earlier saying that if found guilty, the pirate will face up to life in prison, no death penalty.

There's a lot of legal wrangling. Every two-bit Ramsey Clarke is going to come pouring out of the woodwork and crawling out from under their rocks to defend this guy. They will simultaneously--and in full consciousness of their own inconsistency--claim A) the US has no legal authority to try him and B) his rights under the US Constitution were violated when _________ occurred. Look forward to allegations of torture and coerced confession as well. Worse still, they only need 1 sympathetic judge to skate.

Trial?

 

Brother, we got YEARS of court proceedings before we get to any trial and that in and of itself will be seen as grounds for dismissal due to the fair and speedy clause. You can thank Obama and the libs for setting the legal framework for that in their near-treasonous efforts to knock down Bush all those years.