What's Obama Doing About These Somalian Pirates??

[SeniorChief]

Not a fucking thing.

Not scripted nor in the teleprompter.

[Cat slave]

I doubt he knows about it. Hes too busy campaigning and trying to keep us
distracted. Too bad we dont have a real man for a prez! A real, American
man!!:disbelief:

[bairdi]

Not a fucking thing.

Not scripted nor in the teleprompter.
He is doing exactly what he should be doing. You, more than most, should realize that actions are delegated through a chain of command. The ships that are now in the area are under orders from above. The best thing is can do is to keep quiet about the situation and do not say or imply anything that will get that ship captain killed.

What's your suggestion genius?

[MintJulep]

You said it in your first sentence.

Not a fucking thing.

[Zackman]

It's interesting that these Muslims choose to attack an American ship for the first time shortly after B.O. bows to a Muslim King known to have funded The Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a union of Sharia law courts that controls most of Somalia.
:banghead:

[The Professor]

absolutely, obama is an international walking KICK ME sign

the parallels to james earl the stretch toothed carter are becoming just too eerie

[Cat slave]

It's interesting that these Muslims choose to attack an American ship for the first time shortly after B.O. bows to a Muslim King known to have funded The Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a union of Sharia law courts that controls most of Somalia.
:banghead:

Quite a coincident isnt it? Its the elephant in the room.

[Smurf-Herder]

Pirates seize U.S.-owned, Italy-flagged tugboat

11 Apr 2009 14:39:44 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds quote, NATO)

By Duncan Miriri

NAIROBI, April 11 (Reuters) - Pirates seized a U.S.-owned and Italian-flagged tugboat with 16 crew on Saturday in the latest hijacking in the busy Gulf of Aden waterway, a regional maritime group said.

Andrew Mwangura, of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, said the crew were believed to be unharmed on the tugboat, which he added was operated from the United Arab Emirates.

He said the tugboat was towing two barges at the time of capture but there were no details on their cargo.

"This incident shows the pirates are becoming more daring and violent," Mwangura told Reuters by phone.

NATO alliance officials on board the Portuguese warship NRB Corte-Real, which is patrolling the Gulf of Aden, said a distress call came from the MV Buccaneer tugboat but communications were lost six minutes later.

They said 10 of the tugboat's crew were Italian citizens.

Somali pirates have stepped up attacks in March after a lull at the start of 2009.

International interest has focused this week on the plight of an American hostage, Richard Phillips, held by four pirates on a lifeboat flanked by U.S. naval warships in a high seas standoff since Wednesday.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LB80287.htm

[Bill Cosby]

He is doing exactly what he should be doing. You, more than most, should realize that actions are delegated through a chain of command. The ships that are now in the area are under orders from above. The best thing is can do is to keep quiet about the situation and do not say or imply anything that will get that ship captain killed.

What's your suggestion genius?

As head chef he thinks his job is to just point the finger not left.... :lmao2: :lmao2:

Chef needs to go dress up in his O' rambO gear & manUp on those keys & make some dumb suggestions on who should be killed first..........

[MintJulep]

It's interesting that these Muslims choose to attack an American ship for the first time shortly after B.O. bows to a Muslim King known to have funded The Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a union of Sharia law courts that controls most of Somalia.
:banghead:No, it's not interesting -- it's expected. And as "brown people" the pirates get a pass for murder and mayhem. If you disagree, you are a waycist.

I believe this would be the same response from Maobama to another major terror attack.

[SeniorChief]

He is doing exactly what he should be doing.

And what's that, Chimp?

Please - share the specifics.

[Zackman]

Please - share the specifics.
President Barack Obama, who is getting regular updates on the standoff, declined to answer questions about it Friday for a second straight day.
I suppose it's getting to be time for the President to firmly state that the pirates have "broken the rules" and make an appeal for international condemnation of parrots and eye patches or something.

Above all, I think we can be sure that Washington will point out that this is Bush's fault for fighting against terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq instead of against pirates on the high seas.

Thank all that's holy that Obama is recinding the right of pilots to carry firearms! ALLAH AKBAR!

Submission is safety!

Kerry calls for pirate hearings (http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/kerry-calls-for-pirate-hearings-as-drama-continues-2009-04-09.html)

[Smurf-Herder]

Intel Brief: Defining the Somali Enemy

The confluence of recent events provides the best opportunity in two decades for an international coalition to effectively address chaos in Somalia in the next 12 months, Diane Chido writes for ISN Security Watch.

By Diane Chido for ISN Security Watch

One of the worst kept secrets in Washington and the Horn of Africa is the low-level war conducted by the US in Somalia since 2006. With new UN-granted rights to cross into Somali territory and with a coalition of partners desiring to eradicate insurgents and pirates, all Washington needed was a clear enemy in order to define a simple mission to its allies and to the American people for an open war in Somalia.

In light of the UN Resolution providing this right to trespass only until December 2009 and recent declarations by the US military that “we will never go to war alone again,” it is entirely possible that an international effort to end the chaos will begin in the next 12 months.

A definable enemy

Only one group has refused to cooperate with the new president of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the former head of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), who has publicly stated his aim to work toward peace with all elements in Somalia. Al-Shabaab, or “The Youth,” illustrated its recalcitrance by taking over police stations and then whole towns as Ethiopian security forces withdrew from Somalia in January this year. The group then captured the TFG stronghold in Baidoa, forcing the government to flee to Djibouti. It now controls much of central and southern Somalia.

Al-Shabaab’s leadership has long had direct links to al-Qaida and has been gaining strength with an influx of mujahideen fighters from Iraq and from Yemen. The latter, just across the Gulf of Aden, is quickly becoming a stronghold for jihadists.

A 19 March audio feed allegedly from Osama bin Laden denounced the new TFG president as having “changed to partner up with the infidel,“ and encouraged al-Shabaab in its insurgency efforts. From the morass of warlords and warring Islamist factions, the international community now has its “Public Enemy Number One.”

Ethiopian departure

In December 2006, Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia with the stated intention of driving out the UIC, a coalition of Islamist groups that had taken over much of Somalia. By December 2008, it was clear that the Ethiopian mission was no closer to bringing stability, although the UIC was no longer a unified force and had lost much territory, leading to a declaration by Ethiopia to withdraw. Fearing a power vacuum with the completion of the pull-out in January 2009, the African Union (AU) has begun moving a planned 3,500 troops into Somalia.

Creating stability in Somalia would go a long way to providing security in the Horn, especially for US allies Ethiopia and Kenya, who have an anti-aggression pact against Somalia, which has designs on portions of both nations’ territory populated by a majority of ethnic Somalis.

Piracy

Economics is motivating a number of disparate nations and multinational institutions toward anti-piracy cooperation. Over the past three years, piracy off the Horn of Africa has caused shipping and insurance costs to rise, has given tens of millions of dollars in ransom to the pirates, and is now spreading along the more stable Kenyan and Tanzanian port regions. The expansion over the past year of the pirates’ operating territory and their increasing audacity in attacking larger ships with more valuable cargo has brought the problem to a head.

Many shipping companies are opting to travel all the way around the Cape of Good Hope to reach southern Europe, rather than risk the much shorter route between the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. This greatly increases travel time, fuel and other costs. Indeed, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported on 12 December that some pirates are operating as far south as the Cape itself.

The increasing threat posed by modern piracy in the Gulf of Aden has led NATO members to escort World Food Progamme (WFP) relief supplies to Somalia. Canada, China, the EU, India, Iran, the UN and the US have begun to participate in a multilateral naval policing effort to thwart ship hijacking.

According to J Peter Pham, a piracy expert and professor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, US, while the various navies have “exchanged standard courtesies,” they have yet to integrate their activities. Dominick Donald of Aegis Defense, a London-based security and risk management company, noted on 24 November that the pirates were clearly adept at finding gaps in current naval methods.

In order to effectively deal with the well-coordinated pirates, these navies will have to develop a plan for working together so as not to trip over each other’s masts or rack up friendly-fire incidents. This includes joint exercises and training, coordinating operational plans, and interoperability of communications systems and methods. Such coordination is likely to lead to an appreciation for the benefits of cooperation; it is also likely to spawn an interest in further collaboration on shared areas of interest.

Expanding the right of pursuit

On 17 December 2008, the United Nations’ Security Council voted unanimously for Resolution 1851 to permit the open pursuit of pirates into Somali territory for one year. This does not only mean pursuit on land, but by air, and “by any means necessary.”

However, with the increasing threat of terrorist activity augmented by materiel and recruits from Yemen, it is likely that the tenets of this Resolution will be stretched to their legal limits as the definition of “pirate” expands.

AFRICOM

The new US Africa Command (AFRICOM), based in Djibouti, began operation on 1 October 2008. Its stated mission is focused on “Partnerships, Security, Stability, Reliability, and Hope,” a new approach to collaboration intended to change how Africans view and interact with the US. AFRICOM’s activities thus far range from providing joint training for African Union and various national troops to building schools and repairing churches and mosques.

These actions thinly disguise the goal of a forward presence in an area of valuable resources and growing insurgent activity.

Change of Transitional Federal Government

Clearly, the issue of piracy in this region will not be resolved by just chasing down individual pirates, but in making their chosen career less attractive and minimizing their support in the coastal towns in which they operate. This can only be accomplished through the creation of a stable, unified, functioning government in Somalia that provides economic opportunities for the huge and growing number of young Somalis. The same holds true for reducing the attraction of Islamist insurgency.

Approval of the sovereign government, which the UN defines as the TFG, is required for engagement on Somali territory. This weak, nominal body is not supported by the Somali people and has been paralyzed internally since it formed in 1994. On 29 December 2008, then-TFG president Abdullahi Yusuf resigned after a power struggle with his prime minister, Nur Hassan Hussein. That very day, the US State Department announced a payment of US$5 million to “support formation of a joint security force in Somalia.”

On 19 February, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, former head of the UIC, was elected by the Somali parliament to replace Yusuf and has pledged to work with all factions in Somalia.

On 10 March, the parliament approved Sheikh Ahmed’s proposal to establish sharia law in Somalia, with his information minister noting: "Islamic sharia is the only option to get solutions for the problems in this country." Western countries barely commented.

As early as 29 November 2008, Sheikh Ahmed had announced that he “supported the presence of international forces to stabilize Somalia, and offered his help to any who would come.” As bin Laden noted in his audio recording, the new TFG president was anointed by the US, as well as the UN, and al-Qaida fears the new approach might work.

Oil: Last but never least

Since oil prices skyrocketed in 2008, there has been greater international interest than ever in finding and controlling untapped reserves. Somalia is clearly no exception.

On 12 March, Canada-based Africa Oil announced “plans to start drilling two wells in Somalia by the end of this year, after picking a suitable partner for the work. [James] Phillips [participant in an oil and gas conference in Mombassa] also said the company was in talks with contractors to carry out seismic work in Ethiopia and Kenya.”

It should also be noted that the failed US-led humanitarian aid effort, Operation Restore Hope, which began in Somalia in December 1992, came on the heels of a 1992 World Bank report on hydrocarbons that “ranked [Somalia] second only to Sudan as the top prospective [oil] producer” in northeast Africa.

There is clearly broad collective interest in protecting international shipping, but once the Canadians begin drilling in Somalia, this collective interest will to expand to include protection of future drilling sites, as well as the stated aim of halting the spread of Islamic terrorism.

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?lng=en&id=98665

[Smurf-Herder]

I caught something on MSNBC this morning and looked it up online. It looks like something may be in the works:

Helicopters fly over Somali pirate lairs

MOGADISHU, April 12 (Reuters) - Helicopters flew over a coastal area used by Somali pirates on Sunday, causing panic among residents who feared an air raid, witnesses said.

Locals said they could see white soldiers on one of two helicopters which flew over for around half an hour in the area of Haradheere port on Somalia's Indian Ocean coast.

They said they believed the helicopters came from nearby U.S. or other foreign warships monitoring a standoff over an American hostage held by pirates on a lifeboat.

"We woke with loud sounds of helicopters flying over Haradheere," resident Hassan Jimale told Reuters. "We could see the legs and faces of soldiers as the helicopter flew low. Maybe they are monitoring the sea or pirates planning to reinforce those on the lifeboat."

Another resident, Ahmed Haji Abdi, said locals were afraid of being bombed. "We thought there would be air raids this morning. Haradheere is full of pirates," he said.

"They might be Americans. They have left now."

Pirates have various bases around Haradheere, and are holding some hijacked vessels in the area.

http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSLC201686


My hope is that everybody is keeping a good lid on planned covert ops. And that this was actually the insertion of special forces teams, to locate and extract hostages presently held on land. And to gather intelligence for surgical air strikes to take out their bases after hostages have been taken to safe locations.

[MintJulep]

I doubt they will do a damn thing. Bammy will want to blame someone else for their actions in typical fashion, i.e., "whitey did it".

[BlackAsCoal]

The "terrorism" is the continued rape of Africa and the dumping of toxic wastes off its coastal waters, expecially off Somalia. The fishing industry, which the local population relies on, is fast disappearing because of the dumping of wastes by most nations of the world.

In the words of Larry Summers, Obama's economic fraud-guru, "We should encourage dumping toxic wastes off Africa and Latin America because those people don't live long anyway."

Many Africans are desperate to replace the income and substistance they got from fishing which is being destroyed by many of the very nations crying foul about "pirates."

Pirates .. the untold story.

'Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy

Somali pirates have accused European firms of dumping toxic waste off the Somali coast and are demanding an $8m ransom for the return of a Ukranian ship they captured, saying the money will go towards cleaning up the waste.

The ransom demand is a means of "reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years", Januna Ali Jama, a spokesman for the pirates, based in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, said.

"The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas."

The pirates are holding the MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and military hardware, off Somalia's northern coast.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, 61 attacks by pirates have been reported since the start of the year.

While money is the primary objective of the hijackings, claims of the continued environmental destruction off Somalia's coast have been largely ignored by the regions's maritime authorities.

Dumping allegations

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy for Somalia confirmed to Al Jazeera the world body has "reliable information" that European and Asian companies are dumping toxic waste, including nuclear waste, off the Somali coastline.

"I must stress however, that no government has endorsed this act, and that private companies and individuals acting alone are responsible," he said

The pirates are holding the MV Faina off Somalia's northern coast [Reuters]

Allegations of the dumping of toxic waste, as well as illegal fishing, have circulated since the early 1990s.

But evidence of such practices literally appeared on the beaches of northern Somalia when the tsunami of 2004 hit the country.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reported the tsunami had washed up rusting containers of toxic waste on the shores of Puntland.

Nick Nuttall, a UNEP spokesman, told Al Jazeera that when the barrels were smashed open by the force of the waves, the containers exposed a "frightening activity" that has been going on for more than decade.

"Somalia has been used as a dumping ground for hazardous waste starting in the early 1990s, and continuing through the civil war there," he said.

"European companies found it to be very cheap to get rid of the waste, costing as little as $2.50 a tonne, where waste disposal costs in Europe are something like $1000 a tonne.

"And the waste is many different kinds. There is uranium radioactive waste. There is lead, and heavy metals like cadmium and mercury. There is also industrial waste, and there are hospital wastes, chemical wastes – you name it."

Nuttall also said that since the containers came ashore, hundreds of residents have fallen ill, suffering from mouth and abdominal bleeding, skin infections and other ailments.

"We [the UNEP] had planned to do a proper, in-depth scientific assessment on the magnitude of the problem. But because of the high levels of insecurity onshore and off the Somali coast, we are unable to carry out an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem," he said.

However, Ould-Abdallah claims the practice still continues.

"What is most alarming here is that nuclear waste is being dumped. Radioactive uranium waste that is potentially killing Somalis and completely destroying the ocean," he said.

--more at link
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/10/2008109174223218644.html

[Smurf-Herder]

I doubt they will do a damn thing. Bammy will want to blame someone else for their actions in typical fashion, i.e., "whitey did it".

I'm hoping a green light has been given; and Barry is just keeping his direct involvement on the QT, in case it goes bad. I just found this researching our base in Djibouti:

U.S. military already prepared with battle plans for Somalia pirates, say intelligence sources

WASHINGTON - U.S. military commanders have already prepared battle plans for ending the scourge of piracy on the high seas off Somalia if President Obama pulls the trigger, sources told the Daily News Wednesday.

The Navy sent a warship to intercept Somali pirates Wednesday who hijacked a U.S.-flagged freighter, as commanders weighed military options for nailing the brigands' bases.

Retired U.S. Ambassador Robert Oakley, who was special envoy to Somalia in the 1990s, said U.S. special operations forces have drawn up detailed plans to attack piracy groups where they live on land, but are awaiting orders from the Obama national security team.

"Our special operations people have been itching to clean them up. So far, no one has let them," Oakley told the Daily News.

The veteran diplomat, who also was ambassador to Pakistan, said teams of Army Delta Force or Navy SEALs "could take care of the pirates in 72 hours" if given the order to strike.

"They have plans on the table but are waiting for the green light," Oakley said.

A Special Operations Command spokesman at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., declined comment.

A U.S. intelligence official, though dismissive of the pirates having any terrorism links, said "there is a more intense focus" now on these criminal gangs.

America's stealthiest warriors have been involved in combat operations in the Horn of Africa for years - operating from secret bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Manda Bay, Kenya.

The Navy launched an antipiracy command in January, Joint Task Force 151, which includes contingents of SEALs and Marines who specialize in boarding and seizing hijacked ships.

But Somalia-based pirates terrorizing shipping lanes on the high seas have expanded their zone of fear in recent weeks beyond the Gulf of Aden into waters off Somalia, a failed state providing them a lawless sanctuary.

That prompted the commander of the Navy's Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, to issue a special maritime advisory this week warning his forces "are unlikely to be close enough to provide support to vessels under attack."

"The closest military ship could be days away," he said.

The Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia and Kenya equal an area roughly four times the size of Texas, the Navy pointed out.

Meanwhile, Navy officials said the guided missile destroyer Bainbridge steamed toward the Maersk Alabama - which is owned by a Danish firm but has a 20-man American crew and flies the Stars and Stripes - which was seized 280 miles southeast of Somalia.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/04/09/2009-04-09_us_military_prepared_for_battle_with__somalia_p irates.html

[Smurf-Herder]

The "terrorism" is the continued rape of Africa and the dumping of toxic wastes off its coastal waters, expecially off Somalia. The fishing industry, which the local population relies on, is fast disappearing because of the dumping of wastes by most nations of the world.

In the words of Larry Summers, Obama's economic fraud-guru, "We should encourage dumping toxic wastes off Africa and Latin America because those people don't live long anyway."

Many Africans are desperate to replace the income and substistance they got from fishing which is being destroyed by many of the very nations crying foul about "pirates."

Pirates .. the untold story.

'Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy

Somali pirates have accused European firms of dumping toxic waste off the Somali coast and are demanding an $8m ransom for the return of a Ukranian ship they captured, saying the money will go towards cleaning up the waste.

The ransom demand is a means of "reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years", Januna Ali Jama, a spokesman for the pirates, based in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, said.

"The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas."

The pirates are holding the MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and military hardware, off Somalia's northern coast.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, 61 attacks by pirates have been reported since the start of the year.

While money is the primary objective of the hijackings, claims of the continued environmental destruction off Somalia's coast have been largely ignored by the regions's maritime authorities.

Dumping allegations

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy for Somalia confirmed to Al Jazeera the world body has "reliable information" that European and Asian companies are dumping toxic waste, including nuclear waste, off the Somali coastline.

"I must stress however, that no government has endorsed this act, and that private companies and individuals acting alone are responsible," he said

The pirates are holding the MV Faina off Somalia's northern coast [Reuters]

Allegations of the dumping of toxic waste, as well as illegal fishing, have circulated since the early 1990s.

But evidence of such practices literally appeared on the beaches of northern Somalia when the tsunami of 2004 hit the country.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reported the tsunami had washed up rusting containers of toxic waste on the shores of Puntland.

Nick Nuttall, a UNEP spokesman, told Al Jazeera that when the barrels were smashed open by the force of the waves, the containers exposed a "frightening activity" that has been going on for more than decade.

"Somalia has been used as a dumping ground for hazardous waste starting in the early 1990s, and continuing through the civil war there," he said.

"European companies found it to be very cheap to get rid of the waste, costing as little as $2.50 a tonne, where waste disposal costs in Europe are something like $1000 a tonne.

"And the waste is many different kinds. There is uranium radioactive waste. There is lead, and heavy metals like cadmium and mercury. There is also industrial waste, and there are hospital wastes, chemical wastes – you name it."

Nuttall also said that since the containers came ashore, hundreds of residents have fallen ill, suffering from mouth and abdominal bleeding, skin infections and other ailments.

"We [the UNEP] had planned to do a proper, in-depth scientific assessment on the magnitude of the problem. But because of the high levels of insecurity onshore and off the Somali coast, we are unable to carry out an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem," he said.

However, Ould-Abdallah claims the practice still continues.

"What is most alarming here is that nuclear waste is being dumped. Radioactive uranium waste that is potentially killing Somalis and completely destroying the ocean," he said.

--more at link
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/10/2008109174223218644.html


Simple question:

If the piracy is to be legitimized (by aljazeera) by the claim that the money is for cleaning up toxic waste, then who do they expect to hire who has expertise enough to do the cleanup - that would be willing to send their people into pirate infested waters and a country filled with jihadist training camps fighting the government for cooperating with western countries?

So, are you saying the pirates are working for the (failed) Somali government? Or you expect companies like Haliburton to sign contracts with pirates?

[Cat slave]

The "terrorism" is the continued rape of Africa and the dumping of toxic wastes off its coastal waters, expecially off Somalia. The fishing industry, which the local population relies on, is fast disappearing because of the dumping of wastes by most nations of the world.

In the words of Larry Summers, Obama's economic fraud-guru, "We should encourage dumping toxic wastes off Africa and Latin America because those people don't live long anyway."

Many Africans are desperate to replace the income and substistance they got from fishing which is being destroyed by many of the very nations crying foul about "pirates."

Pirates .. the untold story.

'Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy

Somali pirates have accused European firms of dumping toxic waste off the Somali coast and are demanding an $8m ransom for the return of a Ukranian ship they captured, saying the money will go towards cleaning up the waste.

The ransom demand is a means of "reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years", Januna Ali Jama, a spokesman for the pirates, based in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, said.

"The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas."

The pirates are holding the MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and military hardware, off Somalia's northern coast.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, 61 attacks by pirates have been reported since the start of the year.

While money is the primary objective of the hijackings, claims of the continued environmental destruction off Somalia's coast have been largely ignored by the regions's maritime authorities.

Dumping allegations

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy for Somalia confirmed to Al Jazeera the world body has "reliable information" that European and Asian companies are dumping toxic waste, including nuclear waste, off the Somali coastline.

"I must stress however, that no government has endorsed this act, and that private companies and individuals acting alone are responsible," he said

The pirates are holding the MV Faina off Somalia's northern coast [Reuters]

Allegations of the dumping of toxic waste, as well as illegal fishing, have circulated since the early 1990s.

But evidence of such practices literally appeared on the beaches of northern Somalia when the tsunami of 2004 hit the country.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reported the tsunami had washed up rusting containers of toxic waste on the shores of Puntland.

Nick Nuttall, a UNEP spokesman, told Al Jazeera that when the barrels were smashed open by the force of the waves, the containers exposed a "frightening activity" that has been going on for more than decade.

"Somalia has been used as a dumping ground for hazardous waste starting in the early 1990s, and continuing through the civil war there," he said.

"European companies found it to be very cheap to get rid of the waste, costing as little as $2.50 a tonne, where waste disposal costs in Europe are something like $1000 a tonne.

"And the waste is many different kinds. There is uranium radioactive waste. There is lead, and heavy metals like cadmium and mercury. There is also industrial waste, and there are hospital wastes, chemical wastes – you name it."

Nuttall also said that since the containers came ashore, hundreds of residents have fallen ill, suffering from mouth and abdominal bleeding, skin infections and other ailments.

"We [the UNEP] had planned to do a proper, in-depth scientific assessment on the magnitude of the problem. But because of the high levels of insecurity onshore and off the Somali coast, we are unable to carry out an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem," he said.

However, Ould-Abdallah claims the practice still continues.

"What is most alarming here is that nuclear waste is being dumped. Radioactive uranium waste that is potentially killing Somalis and completely destroying the ocean," he said.

--more at link
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/10/2008109174223218644.html


Oh yes, the poor babies have been so victimized by everyone who is bigger
than they are, progressing steadily and taking care of business.

They didnt really want to turn to pirating but it was the only choice they
had.

I want to see a few of them blown out of the water and maybe they will
get the message. Dont **** with the big guys. They need to stay in
their country, ask for help ie develop farming, birth control, small business
that can grow into a large business...a legal one. Im sure the rest of the
world would actually help them if they even try to get it together.

Simplistic? Yeah, but those things would work if the Somalians want them
to work.

And the absentee prez? Hes just absent.

[BlackAsCoal]

Simple question:

If the piracy is to be legitimized (by aljazeera) by the claim that the money is for cleaning up toxic waste, then who do they expect to hire who has expertise enough to do the cleanup - that would be willing to send their people into pirate infested waters and a country filled with jihadist training camps fighting the government for cooperating with western countries?

So, are you saying the pirates are working for the (failed) Somali government? Or you expect companies like Haliburton to sign contracts with pirates?

I thought the article was pretty clear.

The Somali people are losing their livelyhood and their coastline, waters, and natural resources are being destroyed by the dumping of toxic wastes off their shores.

Piracy is a reaction to the desperation they face.

Pretty simple.

As is the culture of the right, attack the messenger, ignore the truth.

[Smurf-Herder]

Hey guys, you know what's so ironic about this whole thing?

This ship was headed to Somalia in the first place, loaded with food aid for the very country the pirates are operating from.

Now it might endanger plans for future food aid being sent.

[BlackAsCoal]

Oh yes, the poor babies have been so victimized by everyone who is bigger
than they are, progressing steadily and taking care of business.

They didnt really want to turn to pirating but it was the only choice they
had.

I want to see a few of them blown out of the water and maybe they will
get the message. Dont **** with the big guys. They need to stay in
their country, ask for help ie develop farming, birth control, small business
that can grow into a large business...a legal one. Im sure the rest of the
world would actually help them if they even try to get it together.

Simplistic? Yeah, but those things would work if the Somalians want them
to work.

And the absentee prez? Hes just absent.

What utter dumbness .. and a glaring example of why conservative thought is designed only for dumb spiritless people.

Is there any right-winger here with a brain who can discuss issues above the 8th grade?

[BlackAsCoal]

Hey guys, you know what's so ironic about this whole thing?

This ship was headed to Somalia in the first place, loaded with food aid for the very country the pirates are operating from.

Now it might endanger plans for future food aid being sent.

It was headed for Kenya .. a different country.

.. and the "pirates" weren't interested in the cargo.

[MintJulep]

I'm hoping a green light has been given; and Barry is just keeping his direct involvement on the QT, in case it goes bad. I just found this researching our base in Djibouti:Lip service. I'll believe action when I see it. Otherwise, I will assume the racist piece of shit in the WH is falling back on his standard belief the "pirates" are doing this because they've been oppressed by "whitey" and he will follow it up with a commitment of our tax dollars. :mad:

[Zackman]

It was headed for Kenya .. a different country.

.. and the "pirates" weren't interested in the cargo.
Headed to the very country where Chairman ZerO was born. Food for his family members.
Should't that piss O off?
http://www.change.org/photos/wordpress_copies/obama-grandmother-300x211.jpg
Doesn't look like Granny missed too many meals.

[Smurf-Herder]

It was headed for Kenya .. a different country.

.. and the "pirates" weren't interested in the cargo.

It was to dock at the Kenyan port of Mombasa because it was centrally located and secure. But the food aid was to be trucked into Somalia and refugee camps in surrounding countries.

Of course they weren't interested in the cargo - they're pirates. They don't care if their population starves - as long as the toxic waste gets cleaned up? That was your argument legitimizing their piracy, wasn't it?

Pirates Hold Up Food Aid to Somalia, Uganda, Kenya

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
09 April 2009

The United Nations' World Food Program says the U.S.-flagged container ship anchored off the coast of Somalia is carrying items to feed hundreds of thousands of starving people in Somalia, Uganda and Kenya. The ship's captain is being held hostage by pirates, who seized the vessel and its crew of 20 Americans Wednesday as it sailed toward the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

World Food Program spokesman in Nairobi Peter Smerdon says there is concern that if the container ship, Maersk Alabama, cannot reach Mombasa soon, many people in the region may not get the foodstuffs they need to sustain them in the coming months.

Ship was carrying food for mothers, children

Smerdon says the WFP cargo includes more than 4,000 tons of corn-soya blend for malnourished children and mothers in Somalia and Uganda and nearly 1,000 tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. Smerdon says there are many more containers of food aid belonging to the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies.

"We need to keep a constant pipeline of food coming both to Somalia and to other countries in the region," said Smerdon. "Otherwise, we have to cut rations and people will go hungry. Basically, this amount of food would feed hundreds of thousands of people for a month. It is only a part of the basket of food we give people in the region. But it is an important part."

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-04-09-voa15.cfm

[BlackAsCoal]

Headed to the very country where Chairman ZerO was born. Food for his family members.
Should't that piss O off?
http://www.change.org/photos/wordpress_copies/obama-grandmother-300x211.jpg
Doesn't look like Granny missed too many meals.

Amazing stupidity.

Mindboggling childish ignorance.

Small wonder why conservative thought is so rejected by the world and is shrinking by the moment.

[SeniorChief]

He's too busy today figuring out which church to go to, vs. freeing the captives.

Fucking blithering idiot.

[BlackAsCoal]

It was to dock at the Kenyan port of Mombasa because it was centrally located and secure. But the food aid was to be trucked into Somalia and refugee camps in surrounding countries.

Of course they weren't interested in the cargo - they're pirates. They don't care if their population starves - as long as the toxic waste gets cleaned up? That was your argument legitimizing their piracy, wasn't it?

Pirates Hold Up Food Aid to Somalia, Uganda, Kenya

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
09 April 2009

The United Nations' World Food Program says the U.S.-flagged container ship anchored off the coast of Somalia is carrying items to feed hundreds of thousands of starving people in Somalia, Uganda and Kenya. The ship's captain is being held hostage by pirates, who seized the vessel and its crew of 20 Americans Wednesday as it sailed toward the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

World Food Program spokesman in Nairobi Peter Smerdon says there is concern that if the container ship, Maersk Alabama, cannot reach Mombasa soon, many people in the region may not get the foodstuffs they need to sustain them in the coming months.

Ship was carrying food for mothers, children

Smerdon says the WFP cargo includes more than 4,000 tons of corn-soya blend for malnourished children and mothers in Somalia and Uganda and nearly 1,000 tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. Smerdon says there are many more containers of food aid belonging to the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies.

"We need to keep a constant pipeline of food coming both to Somalia and to other countries in the region," said Smerdon. "Otherwise, we have to cut rations and people will go hungry. Basically, this amount of food would feed hundreds of thousands of people for a month. It is only a part of the basket of food we give people in the region. But it is an important part."

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-04-09-voa15.cfm

In case you forgot what you posted ..

This ship was headed to Somalia in the first place, loaded with food aid for the very country the pirates are operating from.

None of that was true .. and your article doesn't make it true.

[Smurf-Herder]

Headed to the very country where Chairman ZerO was born. Food for his family members.
Should't that piss O off?
http://www.change.org/photos/wordpress_copies/obama-grandmother-300x211.jpg
Doesn't look like Granny missed too many meals.

His extended family is quite a crew:

Obama brother accused of UK sex assault

AMERICAN president Barack Obama's half brother was REFUSED a visa to enter the UK after being accused of an attempted sex attack on a young girl in Berkshire.

The News of the World can reveal that Kenya-based Samson Obama tried to get into Britain on his way to Washington for his family's big day, the historic inauguration in January.

But eagle-eyed immigration officials at East Midlands Airport, using the latest biometric tests, discovered he was linked to an incident here last November. The hi-tech database revealed that Samson - who manages a mobile phone shop just outside Nairobi - was the same man arrested by British police after he approached a group of young girls, including a 13 year-old, and allegedly tried to sexually assault one of them.

He then followed them into a cafe where he became aggressive and was asked to leave by the owner. That's when police were called and Samson was arrested.

He supplied officers with his mother's address in Bracknell but gave them a false ID, claiming to be Henry Aloo, believed to be a genuine asylum seeker.

Mum Kezia, 67, has lived in Bracknell for six years. She married the US president's father Barack Obama Snr in Kenya when she was a teenager.

Following Samson's arrest he was fingerprinted but not charged, then left the country. However, all his details were stored on the Home Office's new database of prints and biometric details. And that's what finally pinpointed Samson's link to the world's most powerful leader - as he tried to slip back into Britain to visit relatives en route to the swearing-in ceremony.

The White House was informed and a Home Office source told the News of the World: "This was obviously an extremely sensitive issue when it was flashed up by the database.

"But the system is designed to flag up people who have come to the attention of the police in the UK and are then trying to return."

It is thought that Samson - one of the President's 11 half brothers and sisters by his father who had four partners - managed to travel on to Washington by boarding a connecting flight to the US from East Midlands.

He was able to do so despite not having a UK visa because he remained in transit and never left the airport. A stewardess from nearby Nottingham told her local newspaper how she met him on his flight to America. Dawn Stewart, of Sherwood, described how Samson told her his nickname was Abo and said he was on his way to the US capital for the presidential swearing-in.

She recalled: "I asked him how he feels being the brother of the next president and he said, 'I can't tell you the depth of excitement we feel.'

"I asked what Barack was like as a teenager and he said he was always charismatic and calm."

The flight attendant said Samson claimed he had never travelled before and proudly showed her a headed letter from his half-brother requesting his three-week visa to the USA.

Last night a Home Office spokesman confirmed Samson Obama was refused a visa after immigration officers noticed one of the documents he supplied with his visa application was false. That led to further inquiries.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "We consider all visa applications based on their merits. We will oppose the entry of individuals to the UK where we believe their presence is not conducive to the public good.

"The UK's border controls are among the toughest in the world. All visa applicants are fingerprinted and checked against watchlists. Using this hi-tech system we have detected more than 5,600 attempts to use false identities since December 2007.

"Our officers in 135 countries are working with law enforcement agencies and airlines to clamp down on forged passports and visas."

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/260464/Barrack-Obama-brother-Samson-Obama-refused-entry-to-UK-over-allegations-of-attempted-sex-attack-on-young-girl.html

[SeniorChief]

Obama = WORST than Jimmy Carter.

WORST U.S. PRESIDENT EVER!

[Smurf-Herder]

In case you forgot what you posted ..



None of that was true .. and your article doesn't make it true.

The cargo was headed there, as well as other countries, with refugees from Somalia.

You're dismissing the entire point on the wording I used.

[BlackAsCoal]

The cargo was headed there, as well as other countries, with refugees from Somalia.

You're dismissing the entire point on the wording I used.

No, you're dismissing your own wording.

Does honest debate have value?

[BlackAsCoal]

His extended family is quite a crew:

Obama brother accused of UK sex assault

AMERICAN president Barack Obama's half brother was REFUSED a visa to enter the UK after being accused of an attempted sex attack on a young girl in Berkshire.

The News of the World can reveal that Kenya-based Samson Obama tried to get into Britain on his way to Washington for his family's big day, the historic inauguration in January.

But eagle-eyed immigration officials at East Midlands Airport, using the latest biometric tests, discovered he was linked to an incident here last November. The hi-tech database revealed that Samson - who manages a mobile phone shop just outside Nairobi - was the same man arrested by British police after he approached a group of young girls, including a 13 year-old, and allegedly tried to sexually assault one of them.

He then followed them into a cafe where he became aggressive and was asked to leave by the owner. That's when police were called and Samson was arrested.

He supplied officers with his mother's address in Bracknell but gave them a false ID, claiming to be Henry Aloo, believed to be a genuine asylum seeker.

Mum Kezia, 67, has lived in Bracknell for six years. She married the US president's father Barack Obama Snr in Kenya when she was a teenager.

Following Samson's arrest he was fingerprinted but not charged, then left the country. However, all his details were stored on the Home Office's new database of prints and biometric details. And that's what finally pinpointed Samson's link to the world's most powerful leader - as he tried to slip back into Britain to visit relatives en route to the swearing-in ceremony.

The White House was informed and a Home Office source told the News of the World: "This was obviously an extremely sensitive issue when it was flashed up by the database.

"But the system is designed to flag up people who have come to the attention of the police in the UK and are then trying to return."

It is thought that Samson - one of the President's 11 half brothers and sisters by his father who had four partners - managed to travel on to Washington by boarding a connecting flight to the US from East Midlands.

He was able to do so despite not having a UK visa because he remained in transit and never left the airport. A stewardess from nearby Nottingham told her local newspaper how she met him on his flight to America. Dawn Stewart, of Sherwood, described how Samson told her his nickname was Abo and said he was on his way to the US capital for the presidential swearing-in.

She recalled: "I asked him how he feels being the brother of the next president and he said, 'I can't tell you the depth of excitement we feel.'

"I asked what Barack was like as a teenager and he said he was always charismatic and calm."

The flight attendant said Samson claimed he had never travelled before and proudly showed her a headed letter from his half-brother requesting his three-week visa to the USA.

Last night a Home Office spokesman confirmed Samson Obama was refused a visa after immigration officers noticed one of the documents he supplied with his visa application was false. That led to further inquiries.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "We consider all visa applications based on their merits. We will oppose the entry of individuals to the UK where we believe their presence is not conducive to the public good.

"The UK's border controls are among the toughest in the world. All visa applicants are fingerprinted and checked against watchlists. Using this hi-tech system we have detected more than 5,600 attempts to use false identities since December 2007.

"Our officers in 135 countries are working with law enforcement agencies and airlines to clamp down on forged passports and visas."

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/260464/Barrack-Obama-brother-Samson-Obama-refused-entry-to-UK-over-allegations-of-attempted-sex-attack-on-young-girl.html

I just read this post .. which answers my prior question of if honest debate has value to you.

You're posting Jerry Springer news about Obama's brother that doesn't have a damn thing to do with an international incident that has serious implications.

Straight Nickolodean politics.

... wow

[Smurf-Herder]

No, you're dismissing your own wording.

Does honest debate have value?

Not when you're missing the whole point - of something I threw in as a side issue.

What about you using this to avoid the question about who the pirates plan on hiring to clean up the toxic waste? ... an issue you brought up in defense of the main debate - the piracy itself.

[Smurf-Herder]

I just read this post .. which answers my prior question of if honest debate has value to you.

You're posting Jerry Springer news about Obama's brother that doesn't have a damn thing to do with an international incident that has serious implications.

Straight Nickolodean politics.

... wow

Somebody brought up Obama's "family" and I saw this in the news today.

How many times do threads wander off from the main topic?

Deal with it.

[BlackAsCoal]

Not when you're missing the whole point - of something I threw in as a side issue.

What about you using this to avoid the question about who the pirates plan on hiring to clean up the toxic waste? ... an issue you brought up in defense of the main debate - the piracy itself.

Amazing.

What you said was wrong, every last word of it .. side issue, back issue, perpendicular issue .. it was WRONG.

The notion that the pirates are going to use the money to hire someone to clean up the waste is a really, really stupid thought. I assumed that was obvious and didn't require a response.

There are about a thousand intelligent questions that could be asked .. such as, what effectiveness if any is piracy having against the plague of the dumping of global toxic waste off Somalian shore having/

That would be an intellignet question .. and my answer would be that there ain't (eb) much dumping happening now off Somalian shores .. nor are there many giant ships pulling up large nets full of fish and depleteing Somalians of their resources in their waters.

By the way, they don't call themselves pirates, they believe they're protecting their own waters and call themselves the Volunteer Somali Coast Guard .. and I just made an argument of how they are.

[BlackAsCoal]

Somebody brought up Obama's "family" and I saw this in the news today.

How many times do threads wander off from the main topic?

Deal with it.

Trust me .. I already understand that on this board staying on topic is an anomaly.

I also understand what "wandering off topic is about."

[Smurf-Herder]

Amazing.

What you said was wrong, every last word of it .. side issue, back issue, perpendicular issue .. it was WRONG.

The notion that the pirates are going to use the money to hire someone to clean up the waste is a really, really stupid thought. I assumed that was obvious and didn't require a response.

There are about a thousand intelligent questions that could be asked .. such as, what effectiveness if any is piracy having against the plague of the dumping of global toxic waste off Somalian shore having/

That would be an intellignet question .. and my answer would be that there ain't (eb) much dumping happening now off Somalian shores .. nor are there many giant ships pulling up large nets full of fish and depleteing Somalians of their resources in their waters.

By the way, they don't call themselves pirates, they believe they're protecting their own waters and call themselves the Volunteer Somali Coast Guard .. and I just made an argument of how they are.

Yes, truly amazing indeed. I commented on the ironic nature of this particular hijacking - and you're sidetracking the main point, of my commenting on it's ironic nature.

Now you're backtracking on the article you promoted as true:

"The "terrorism" is the continued rape of Africa and the dumping of toxic wastes off its coastal waters, expecially off Somalia. The fishing industry, which the local population relies on, is fast disappearing because of the dumping of wastes by most nations of the world.

In the words of Larry Summers, Obama's economic fraud-guru, "We should encourage dumping toxic wastes off Africa and Latin America because those people don't live long anyway."

Many Africans are desperate to replace the income and substistance they got from fishing which is being destroyed by many of the very nations crying foul about "pirates."

"I thought the article was pretty clear.

The Somali people are losing their livelyhood and their coastline, waters, and natural resources are being destroyed by the dumping of toxic wastes off their shores.

Piracy is a reaction to the desperation they face.

Pretty simple."

You're contradicting your own argument:

"... and my answer would be that there ain't (eb) much dumping happening now off Somalian shores .. nor are there many giant ships pulling up large nets full of fish and depleteing Somalians of their resources in their waters."

So which is it?

[Hog Trash]

Obama has offered the pirates permission to have sex with Michelle if they will sieze their pirating.

Latest reports are, the pirates have not yet stoped laughing long enough to respond to Obama's offering.

Obama is a 'sacrifice all for his nation' president.:thumbsup:Our beloved POTUS has offered to pimp his bitch for America.

[BlackAsCoal]

Yes, truly amazing indeed. I commented on the ironic nature of this particular hijacking - and you're sidetracking the main point, of my commenting on it's ironic nature.

Now you're backtracking on the article you promoted as true:





You're contradicting your own argument:



So which is it?

I'm stunned.

Shock and awe.

There is no contradiction in what I said and the reason dumping isn't happening now is BECAUSE the Somali's are threatening the ships .. which makes the point if my argument. You appear to have difficulty interpreting the simple.

No matter how much you twist in the wind, what you said was incorrect and counter to the facts .. easily proven false.

[BlackAsCoal]

Obama has offered the pirates permission to have sex with Michelle if they will sieze their pirating.

Latest reports are, the pirates have not yet stoped laughing long enough to respond to Obama's offering.

Obama is a 'sacrifice all for his nation' president.:thumbsup:Our beloved POTUS has offered to pimp his bitch for America.

Wow

... truly amazing

[Hog Trash]

Wow

... truly amazingI thank you BAC, and amazing it is!...Hog is always in the mood to brighten the day with humor! :happy:

[Smurf-Herder]

I'm stunned.

Shock and awe.

There is no contradiction in what I said and the reason dumping isn't happening now is BECAUSE the Somali's are threatening the ships .. which makes the point if my argument. You appear to have difficulty interpreting the simple.

No matter how much you twist in the wind, what you said was incorrect and counter to the facts .. easily proven false.

So I guess the pirates have solved the problem then?

But don't you think Somalia becoming a failed state for the past few years because of warlords and jihadists destabilizing the government have anything to do with their economy tanking?


And how was I incorrect? My assertion was that the pirates fucked themselves over because the cargo was food that was meant for their own people (if they actually cared about their own people). And you're off on a tangent because of the specific port the ship was supposed to dock at; not the intended recipient of the cargo itself - which was the irony I was pointing out.

[Bill Cosby]

Obama = WORST than Jimmy Carter.

WORST U.S. PRESIDENT EVER!

That has yet to be proven..... He is just getting started.........

[MintJulep]

It ain't looking good, Cos. Ain't looking good.

[doctordog]

It ain't looking good, Cos. Ain't looking good.

Raise you hand if you think Bush would have already killed the pirates and sent a message:hi:

[SeniorChief]

Raise you hand if you think Bush would have already killed the pirates and sent a message:hi:

They would have been vaporized a week ago.

[Richard Poor]

It is over now... thankfully.

[SeniorChief]

It is over now... thankfully.

No thanks to our Chickenhawk in Chief.

[doctordog]

No thanks to our Chickenhawk in Chief.

How many children's books did he read before making a decision?:lmao2:

[mwillman]

Official: US sea captain freed in swift firefight

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090412/ap_on_re_af/piracy

The president gave the order and the captain was saved.

I guess he was doing something.

[SeniorChief]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090412/ap_on_re_af/piracy

The president gave the order and the captain was saved.

I guess he was doing something.

Funny - can't find the word "OBAMA" anywhere in that link.

The President of Mersk?? Is that who you're referring to?

[Smurf-Herder]

Apparently he was able to jump off the lifeboat a second time - but this time we had a Navy Seal team right there and they opened up on the pirates; killing 3 and wounding one, who is now in custody on the Bainbridge. That's according to the latest on TV.

Pentagon news conference to be held later today.

BTW, according to former Seals being interviewed, Obama had nothing to do with this. It's commanders on the scene who decide how to handle these situations.

[Smurf-Herder]

A very Happy Easter now, for Capt. Phillips' family and his crew.

And hopefully, a prisoner so happy to be alive he'll be providing us enough intel that we can rescue the 250 people still held hostage in Somalia, in a plea-deal to lessen his sentence. Yes, he will apparently be getting a court trial, from what I'm hearing. He's not considered a terrorist.

The captain is now on the amphibious assualt ship USS Boxer, with 2000 marines - flag ship of Task Force 151.

http://sciencedude.freedomblogging.com/files/2009/04/boxer2-copy-300x214.jpg

[mwillman]

Apparently he was able to jump off the lifeboat a second time - but this time we had a Navy Seal team right there and they opened up on the pirates; killing 3 and wounding one, who is now in custody on the Bainbridge. That's according to the latest on TV.

Pentagon news conference to be held later today.

BTW, according to former Seals being interviewed, Obama had nothing to do with this. It's commanders on the scene who decide how to handle these situations.

Its amazing how fast you will give Obama credit for anything that goes wrong since he is the Commander and Chief but how you deny him credit when something goes right. The Commander and Chief doesn't tell a navy seal how to shoot a gun he just tells them to go somewhere and shoot.

[Smurf-Herder]

Its amazing how fast you will give Obama credit for anything that goes wrong since he is the Commander and Chief but how you deny him credit when something goes right. The Commander and Chief doesn't tell a navy seal how to shoot a gun he just tells them to go somewhere and shoot.

No, there's a chain of command.

According to the Seals interviewed on TV, the President doesn't micro-manage everything.

Now if they get the green light to attempt a rescue of those 250 hostages held in Somalia, that's a different story. That would be Obama's call.

[SeniorChief]

Its amazing how fast you will give Obama credit for anything that goes wrong since he is the Commander and Chief but how you deny him credit when something goes right. The Commander and Chief doesn't tell a navy seal how to shoot a gun he just tells them to go somewhere and shoot.

A gun??? :lmao2:

This is your rifle, this is your gun.....
One if for shooting...
One is for fun.

Idiot.

Your ignorance of military matters is noted.

[Smurf-Herder]

Its amazing how fast you will give Obama credit for anything that goes wrong since he is the Commander and Chief but how you deny him credit when something goes right. The Commander and Chief doesn't tell a navy seal how to shoot a gun he just tells them to go somewhere and shoot.

Sorry, mwillman.

Fox News is just now reporting that Obama himself ordered the rescue attempt.

[MintJulep]

Obama approved force to rescue pirate hostagehttp://www.breitbart.com/images/common/dot.gif
Apr 12 03:36 PM US/Eastern

http://www.breitbart.com/images/common/dot.gifWASHINGTON (AP) - Administration officials say President Barack Obama approved the military operation that rescued a U.S. captain held hostage by Somali pirates.

The officials say Obama ordered the Defense Department to use military resources to rescue Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast.
The officials discussed this information on the condition of anonymity because they were not yet authorized to disclose the president's decision-making process.

Obama praised the captain for his bravery and courage. The president also said the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP)—President Barack Obama says the captain who survived capture by Somali pirates has courage that is "a model for all Americans."
Obama says he's pleased that Capt. Richard Phillips has been rescued and is on board a Navy ship. Obama says Phillips' safety was his main concern after being held hostage aboard a lifeboat.

Obama says he is proud of the U.S. military and other agencies that worked to free Phillips. The president says the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable. The president praised Phillips for his bravery, courage and selfless concern for his crew.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.breitbart.com/print.php?id=D97H45GO1&show_article=1

[Smurf-Herder]

Yeah, Barry made the right call this time.

I hope something can be done to save the other hostages held on land from 17 ships they've captured; and finally hit the pirates where it hurts, with the fleet of ships and assault forces we have just off the coast.

[mwillman]

A gun??? :lmao2:

This is your rifle, this is your gun.....
One if for shooting...
One is for fun.

Idiot.

Your ignorance of military matters is noted.

First off Senior nothing, that was the Marines and I was in the Army.
Second that was a movie (Full Metal Jacket) not the real world.
Thirdly I was in Artillery, I was the driver and assistant gunner on a M109A3 Howitzer. Another name for Artillery men is gun bunnies.

I dont put your foot in your mouth I just laugh when I see it. :lmao2:

[Smurf-Herder]

Actually, according to the Admiral in charge I'm hearing in the Pentagon briefing........

Obama did not order an assault, or anything of that sort.

Standing orders were to follow through with negotiations, to their non-violent end. And only to take offensive action if the captain's life was in imminent danger.

The captain of the Bainbridge saw the pirates emerge with an AK-47 pointed at captain Phillips' head and felt he was in imminent danger of being killed, and ordered the sharpshooters to take them out.

So, if this hadn't happened, we'd still be negotiating, per orders of Barry.

[mwillman]

His orders were followed and the Captain was saved.

I give full credit to the personel that saved the captain and their response.
I also think that negotiations were what gave them the time to make the rescue.

[The Professor]

USA!!!

USA!!!

RED, WHITE AND BLUE!!!

a great DAY for AMERICA!!!

and it's EASTER, too!!!

He RISES today!

a WONDERFUL time for us ALL to be ALIVE!

the real HERO is CAPTAIN richard phillips

the great INDIVIDUAL

america needs one

BEST since amazing captain SULLY SULLENBERG!

PHILLIPS and SULLY!

the SOLUTIONS!

actually, it sounds like capt phillips saw the USN within sniper range and JUMPED

to force the issue

our hero: CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS!

and our brave SAILORS aboard the BAINBRIDGE

and the copter fliers and rescue team

CONGRATS! and THANKS! to them all from all patriotic, freedom loving AMERICANS!!!

cliffy

[Smurf-Herder]

His orders were followed and the Captain was saved.

I give full credit to the personel that saved the captain and their response.
I also think that negotiations were what gave them the time to make the rescue.

But, he wouldn't have been rescued based on standing orders, if negotiations hadn't broken down and the pirates lost their cool.

Aren't you watching this on TV?

It's live on all the cable news networks.

[mwillman]

His orders said that if the captains life was in danger they could use violence.

He was in danger and they used force sounds like following orders to me.

[SeniorChief]

First off Senior nothing, that was the Marines and I was in the Army.:

The Army, is indeed, for dummies.

[Smurf-Herder]

His orders said that if the captains life was in danger they could use violence.

He was in danger and they used force sounds like following orders to me.

But it still isn't an order to attempt a rescue.

It was an order to continue negotiations - unless the captain's life was in immediate danger.

Only a complete idiot would not order taking the shot if they were going to kill the captain.

The Admiral said they had to request permission for the use of deadly force from Obama, twice.

[mwillman]

Yes and look what happened he was saved.

Sounds like it worked.

[Smurf-Herder]

Yes and look what happened he was saved.

Sounds like it worked.

Like I said - only because negotiations broke down and the pirates made themselves visible with a gun to the captains head, ready to kill him.

[mwillman]

I am not interested in what FOX news is saying.
FOX news is not news it is right wing propoganda.
Every story is twisted to fit the right wing agenda.

There was standing authority for them to use force if he was in danger and he was saved with that violence. Its really very simple.

[The Professor]

what appears quite clear is that obama did NOT want USN moving in

it is quite clear bigears ordered USN to stay close and watch close

while continuing to NEGOTIATE

LOLOL!

but NOT to step forward unless they absolutely HAD TO

that is, don't make a move unless our SUPERHERO

CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS, the second coming of SULLY himself

were in IMMEDIATE danger

our HERO, then, seeing the hawkeyed snipers on the BAINBRIDGE all SCOPED in

obviously CALCULATED his distances, timings, all the angles involved, etc

a lot like SULLY did

and it is QUITE CLEAR that superheroic CAPT PHILLIPS is the MAN who PRECIPITATED the EASTER MIRACLE!

bigears obama is just LUCKY he didn't happen to get in the way by taking away USN's sniperguns and replacing them with GREETING CARDS, or something

maybe a BASKET of easter BUNNIES

except, from bigears they'd must be called SPRING BUNDLES

crediting BARAK OBAMA for the split second logistics involved off somalia---

it is to LAUGH OUT LOUD

like this---LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

on EASTER, too!

have a wonderful weekend all

U-S-A!!!

cliff

[The Professor]

was this one of bigears' OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS?

or was it instead the work of one of those dastardly MAN MADE DISASTERS?

LOLOLOL!!!

[Smurf-Herder]

I am not interested in what FOX news is saying.
FOX news is not news it is right wing propoganda.
Every story is twisted to fit the right wing agenda.

There was standing authority for them to use force if he was in danger and he was saved with that violence. Its really very simple.

Fox news didn't say anything. It was a live press briefing from the Pentagon, with the Admiral taking questions on speaker phone.

And the Admiral said he had to request even that use of force. Otherwise, his standing orders were to continue negotiations to their non-violent end.

This was the voice of the Admiral in command of Task Force 151 himself. No commentators or pundits.

[mwillman]

Well personally I am happy to see that the captain is safe and I respect the men and women that accomplished it.

I say they followed orders because otherwise they didn't follow orders. I would rather see that the special ops people are rewarded for doing a good job not have to suffer because you want people to think his orders did not cover this situation.

[Smurf-Herder]

Well personally I am happy to see that the captain is safe and I respect the men and women that accomplished it.

I say they followed orders because otherwise they didn't follow orders. I would rather see that the special ops people are rewarded for doing a good job not have to suffer because you want people to think his orders did not cover this situation.

Like I said, the Admiral had to request the use of force. It wasn't what Obama ordered on his own.

[mwillman]

And he was given permission, what part of that don't you get.

[Smurf-Herder]

And he was given permission, what part of that don't you get.

What part don't you get about it not being Obama's original orders?

The point is, Obama's thinking on how to handle this. And his original thinking was to primarily continue negotiations.

[MintJulep]

Thanks for filling me in, Smurf. I didn't realize all this.

[Smurf-Herder]

Thanks for filling me in, Smurf. I didn't realize all this.

Yeah, usually initial reports are mostly wrong in one way or another.

I'm glad I heard the Pentagon briefing for myself, live.

[mwillman]

Good thing he listens to his military adviser.
Just the kind of thing I want my President to do.

[Bill Cosby]

Raise you hand if you think Bush would have already killed the pirates and sent a message:hi:

He would of killed the hostages & everyone on board given his track record.......

mission Somali freedumb...............

Next he can invade Thailand & get those evil Thai pirates next.......:lmao2: :lmao2:

[doctordog]

He would of killed the hostages & everyone on board given his track record.......

mission Somali freedumb...............

Next he can invade Thailand & get those evil Thai pirates next.......:lmao2: :lmao2:

His track record is attack us and you get no special treatment at Gitmo, compared to the current administration which bows to every Arab leader to show how weak we have become.

[Bill Cosby]

No thanks to our Chickenhawk in Chief.

:dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and LARA JAKES, Associated Press Writers Elizabeth A. Kennedy And Lara Jakes, Associated Press Writers – 44 mins ago

MOMBASA, Kenya – U.S. Navy snipers opened fire and killed three pirates holding an American captain at gunpoint, delivering the skipper unharmed and ending a five-day high-seas hostage drama on Easter Sunday.

The pirates were pointing AK-47s at Capt. Richard Phillips and he was in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.

Phillips' crew, who said they had escaped the pirates after he offered himself as a hostage, erupted in cheers aboard their ship docked in Mombasa, Kenya. Some waved an American flag and fired flares in celebration. A lawn sign in the captain's hometown of Underhill, Vermont that read "Pray for Captain Phillips' release and safe return home" was changed to read, "Capt. Phillips rescued and safe."

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said Phillips, 53, was resting comfortably after a medical exam on the San Diego-based USS Boxer in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia. Gortney said the captain had been "tied up inside the lifeboat" over much of the ordeal.

"I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home," Phillips said by phone to Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart, the company head told reporters. A photo released by the Navy showed Phillips unharmed and shaking hands with the commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge.

U.S. officials said a fourth pirate had surrendered and was in military custody. FBI spokesman John Miller said that would change as the situation became "more of a criminal issue."

The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 sailors from a variety of nations. But it also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.

"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it," said Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told The Associated Press from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl, that, "our friends should have done more to kill the captain before they were killed. This will be a good lesson for us."

"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)," he said. France and India have both taken deadly military action against pirates in recent months and seen no significant retaliation, however.

The Defense Department twice asked President Barack Obama for permission to use military force to rescue Phillips, most recently late Friday evening, U.S. officials said. On Saturday morning, Obama signed off on the Pentagon's request, (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090412/ap_on_re_af/piracy_223) as he had a day earlier, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

"I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Capt. Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew," Obama said in his first comments on the situation. "His courage is a model for all Americans."

He added that the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.

A spokeswoman for the Phillips family, Alison McColl, said Phillips and his wife, Andrea, spoke by phone shortly after he was freed.

"I think you can all imagine their joy and what a happy moment that was for them," McColl said outside of the Phillips home in Underhill. "They're all just so happy and relieved. Andrea wanted me to tell the nation that all of your prayers and good wishes have paid off because Capt. Phillips is safe."

The Navy said Phillips was freed at 7:19 p.m. local time.

When Phillips' crew heard the news aboard their ship in the port of Mombasa, they placed an American flag over the rail of the top of the Maersk Alabama and whistled and pumped their fists in the air. Crew fired two bright red flares into the sky from the ship.

"We made it!" said crewman ATM Reza, pumping his fist in the air.

"He managed to be in a 120-degree oven for days, it's amazing," said another of about a dozen crew members who came out to talk to reporters. He said the crew found out the captain was released because one of the sailors had been talking to his wife on the phone.

Crew members said their ordeal had begun Wednesday with the Somali pirates hauling themselves up from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.

As the pirates shot in the air, Phillips told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members said.

Phillips was then held hostage in an enclosed lifeboat that was closely watched by U.S. warships and a helicopter in an increasingly tense standoff.

Capt. Joseph Murphy, the father of second-in-command Shane Murphy, thanked Phillips for his bravery.

"Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday," Murphy said. "If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping and act of terror could have turned out much worse."

Murphy said both his family and Phillips' "can now celebrate a joyous Easter together."

Talks to free Phillips began Thursday with the captain of the Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer. The pirates had threatened to kill Phillips if attacked.

Phillips jumped out of the lifeboat Friday and tried to swim for his freedom but was recaptured when a pirate fired an automatic weapon at or near him, according to U.S. Defense Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about the unfolding operations.

Elsewhere off the Somali coast Friday, the French navy freed a sailboat seized off Somalia by other pirates, but one of the five hostages was killed.

Three U.S. warships were within easy reach of the lifeboat and early Saturday, the pirates holding Phillips in the lifeboat fired a few shots at a small U.S. Navy vessel that had approached, a U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The official said the U.S. sailors did not return fire, the Navy vessel turned away and no one was hurt. He said the vessel had not been attempting a rescue.

The district commissioner of the central Mudug region said talks on freeing Phillips had gone on all day Saturday, with clan elders from his area talking by satellite telephone and through a translator with Americans, but collapsed Saturday night.

Phillips' crew of 19 American sailors reached safe harbor in Kenya's northeast port of Mombasa about the same time under guard of U.S. Navy Seals.

The U.S. Navy had assumed the pirates would try to get their hostage to shore, where they could have hidden him on Somalia's lawless soil and been in a stronger position to negotiate a ransom.

"The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but any one who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means," Abdulkhadir Walayo, the prime minister's spokesman, told the AP. "Any way, we see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or any one else involved in this dirty business."

Residents of Harardhere, another port and pirate stronghold, were gathering in the streets after news of the captain's release, saying they fear pirates may now retaliate against some of the 200 hostages they still hold.

"We fear more that any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages," Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothes store in Harardhere, told the AP by telephone.

Pirates are holding about a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members, according to the Malaysia-based piracy watchdog International Maritime Bureau. Hostages are from Bulgaria, China, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Tuvalu and Ukraine, among other countries.

A spokesman for the German anti-piracy operation told the AP that the U.S. did not give any clue as to its plans in regard to the ship captain.

He had no details on the fate of the German freighter Hansa Stavanger, which was captured earlier this month or on the fate of its 24 crew of five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians, two Filipinos and 12 Tuvalu residents.

___

Jakes reported from Washington. Associated Press writers who contributed to this report include Mohamed Olad Hassan and Mohamed Sheikh Nor in Mogadishu, Somalia; Michelle Faul and Tom Maliti in Nairobi, Kenya; Matt Apuzzo in Washington, John Curran in Underhill, Vermont, Matt Moore in Berlin and Dena Potter in Norfolk, Virginia.

[doctordog]

What part don't you get about it not being Obama's original orders?

The point is, Obama's thinking on how to handle this. And his original thinking was to primarily continue negotiations.

And they make fun of Bush for sitting for a few minutes on 9/11, how many days did Obama sit by and do nothing, OH wait he did order a chef and pizza from St. Louis so his appetite was ok.:mad:

[MintJulep]

And they make fun of Bush for sitting for a few minutes on 9/11, how many days did Obama sit by and do nothing, OH wait he did order a chef and pizza from St. Louis so his appetite was ok.:mad:That's waycist.

[doctordog]

That's waycist.

I didn't know you did Barney Frank impressions:lmao2:

[Hog Trash]

Originally Posted by LadyLiberty7
That's waycist.I didn't know you did Barney Frank impressions:lmao2:The poor unfortunate Barney Frank is a victim of the dreaded Elmer Fudd Syndrome.

Other that the obvious speech impairment, symptoms also include scabby knees and anal rash.

[Smurf-Herder]

The poor unfortunate Barney Frank is a victim of the dreaded Elmer Fudd Syndrome.

Other that the obvious speech impairment, symptoms also include scabby knees and anal rash.

Okay, HT. :talktothehand:

It's gross enough just thinking about somebody trying to pick him up in a bar.

[Richard Poor]

Its amazing how fast you will give Obama credit for anything that goes wrong since he is the Commander and Chief but how you deny him credit when something goes right. The Commander and Chief doesn't tell a navy seal how to shoot a gun he just tells them to go somewhere and shoot.
In a situation like this, it is best for the President to allow others to do their job - thus, Obama could only hurt the situation by getting involved. If you want to give Obama credit for not doing anything, then that is on you.

Moreover, if Obama's credit plan to pursue negotiations worked, then there would be even more hijackings/kidnappings of Americans abroad. One should be thankful, that Obama's plan failed.

[Richard Poor]

He would of killed the hostages & everyone on board given his track record.......

mission Somali freedumb...............

Next he can invade Thailand & get those evil Thai pirates next.......:lmao2: :lmao2:
Well, by your extreme line of thinking, then that would have been preferable to bowing down and surrendering America to Thailand as Obama seemed ready to do. :lmao2:

[Richard Poor]

:dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

... By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and LARA JAKES, Associated Press Writers Elizabeth A. Kennedy And Lara Jakes, Associated Press Writers – 44 mins ago

MOMBASA, Kenya – U.S. Navy snipers opened fire and killed three pirates holding an American captain at gunpoint, delivering the skipper unharmed and ending a five-day high-seas hostage drama on Easter Sunday.

The pirates were pointing AK-47s at Capt. Richard Phillips and he was in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.

Phillips' crew, who said they had escaped the pirates after he offered himself as a hostage, erupted in cheers aboard their ship docked in Mombasa, Kenya. Some waved an American flag and fired flares in celebration. A lawn sign in the captain's hometown of Underhill, Vermont that read "Pray for Captain Phillips' release and safe return home" was changed to read, "Capt. Phillips rescued and safe."
...

...On Saturday morning, Obama signed off on the Pentagon's request ....Umm, you want to give Obama credit for voting "present" yet again?

By the way, did you note the source cited by the AP article? A US official - so, the administration told the AP that they signed off, and then the AP reports that Obama signed off... so you believe it, because it was written by the AP. Lol.

Do you honestly believe the current administration would be honest if they did not act? Of course not - they cannot even admit that Obama bowed. Sadly, too many liberals seem prepared to trust Gibbs/Obama over their own lying eyes.

[Bill Cosby]

And they make fun of Bush for sitting for a few minutes on 9/11, how many days did Obama sit by and do nothing, OH wait he did order a chef and pizza from St. Louis so his appetite was

I guess you are disappointed he didn't invade some place...... Maybe just carpet bombed the beaches of Somalia or some other bad place………. http://www.myspaceprodesigns.com/Carrielynne/1180076243-lyrics17.gif



administration which bows to every Arab leader to show how weak we have become.

Yea that is terrible how some of these leaders act around them bad ppl http://dohiyimir.typepad.com/bush-abdulah.jpg:lmao2: :lmao2:

[Richard Poor]

And they make fun of Bush for sitting for a few minutes on 9/11, how many days did Obama sit by and do nothing, OH wait he did order a chef and pizza from St. Louis so his appetite was ok.:mad:
Lol, so true... I remember the criticism.

[MintJulep]

Yea that is terrible how some of these leaders act around them bad ppl :lmao2: :lmao2:
http://www.thepeoplescube.com/images/Obama_Bow_Saudi_Animated_20.gif

[Richard Poor]

...Yea that is terrible how some of these leaders act around them bad ppl http://dohiyimir.typepad.com/bush-abdulah.jpg:lmao2: :lmao2:



Either you do not want to see it, or you are mentally incapable of seeing it. There is a difference between bowing as a servant to someone and embracing them as an equal.

Moreover, by your own line of thinking, if Bush was wrong to act "friendly" with a bad person, how much worse was it to bow in fealty to a bad person?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LD_Ah5tLKV8/SdV0ezvpbwI/AAAAAAAABrI/e76f2aJuLfg/s400/Obama_Bows_to_Saudia_Arabia_25.jpg

[Bill Cosby]

Well, by your extreme line of thinking, then that would have been preferable to bowing down and surrendering America to Thailand as Obama seemed ready to do. :lmao2:

Surrender america to thailand as Obama was ready to do............

You don't even make sense cowboy.........

You wanna start a thread on the Thai pirate probem & what we should do about it pls do so I will be happy to check it................

The deal is done & the good buys won. Now go find something else to cry about for the rest of the day..............

[Richard Poor]

Surrender america to thailand as Obama was ready to do............

You don't even make sense cowboy.........Niether did your statement asserting that Bush would have killed everyone and then invaded Thailand... the point of my statement was to expose your fallacy - you took a situation to an extreme and I returned the favor.

You wanna start a thread on the Thai pirate probem & what we should do about it pls do so I will be happy to check it................

The deal is done & the good buys won. Now go find something else to cry about for the rest of the day..............No one is crying about the fact that the US won - well, except for maybe the pirates and terrorists, oh I mean, men who cause man-made disasters, or overseas contingency..ists... or something like that... since the new administration seemingly no longer recognizes terrorists - rather, people are irritated with those that would give credit where credit is not due.

[Smurf-Herder]

We need to make a plan. There are 40 naval vessels from over a dozen countries trying to protect vessels in hundreds of square miles of ocean. With thousands of troops and dozens of aircraft.

We have to get intelligence on where the 250 hostages are; and send in special ops units to get them out. Then take out the pirates where they live; and end this once and for all. Then do everything we can with other countries and build up a stable Somali government.

Or this is never going to end; and will only get worse. With a more direct Al-Qaeda involvement.

[Bill Cosby]

Either you do not want to see it, or you are mentally incapable of seeing it. There is a difference between bowing as a servant to someone and embracing them as an equal.

Moreover, by your own line of thinking, if Bush was wrong to act "friendly" with a bad person, how much worse was it to bow in fealty to a bad person?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LD_Ah5tLKV8/SdV0ezvpbwI/AAAAAAAABrI/e76f2aJuLfg/s400/Obama_Bows_to_Saudia_Arabia_25.jpg


& where does holding hands come into play here???? :lmao2: :lmao2: :lmao2:

I never said he was wrong.... Put words in your own mouth not mine..........

Ya'll got one set of rules for bush & another for Obama...........

[The Professor]

In a situation like this, it is best for the President to allow others to do their job - thus, Obama could only hurt the situation by getting involved. If you want to give Obama credit for not doing anything, then that is on you.

Moreover, if Obama's credit plan to pursue negotiations worked, then there would be even more hijackings/kidnappings of Americans abroad. One should be thankful, that Obama's plan failed.

wow, that second paragraph is very powerful

thanks, richard poor, cliff

[The Professor]

Umm, you want to give Obama credit for voting "present" yet again?

By the way, did you note the source cited by the AP article? A US official - so, the administration told the AP that they signed off, and then the AP reports that Obama signed off... so you believe it, because it was written by the AP. Lol.

Do you honestly believe the current administration would be honest if they did not act? Of course not - they cannot even admit that Obama bowed. Sadly, too many liberals seem prepared to trust Gibbs/Obama over their own lying eyes.

wow, THAT 2nd paragraph is very powerful

thanks again, cliff

you do great 2nd paragraphs

LOL!

[Bill Cosby]

Moreover, if Obama's credit plan to pursue negotiations worked, then there would be even more hijackings/kidnappings of Americans abroad. One should be thankful, that Obama's plan failed.

Even more...... That is an opinion- yours---- It can not be proved or disproved........

There will be other hijackings............. You can bet on it......... & you can find some reason to blame it on Obama........... :hi:

[Hog Trash]

& where does holding hands come into play here???? :lmao2: :lmao2: :lmao2:

I never said he was wrong.... Put words in your own mouth not mine..........

Ya'll got one set of rules for bush & another for Obama...........Even more...... That is an opinion- yours---- It can not be proved or disproved........

There will be other hijackings............. You can bet on it......... & you can find some reason to blame it on Obama........... :hi:Even though Cowboy Bush is back in Texas and Bitchboy Obama is now in the White House,

the little libbies continue to defend their beloved messiah by bashing the bad ole Bush-man.

How sweet....Liberals are such girly men....Hey Arnold, I stole your line!....Sue me!

[Bill Cosby]

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/bush_riding10.jpg

[MintJulep]

& where does holding hands come into play here???? :lmao2: :lmao2: :lmao2:

I never said he was wrong.... Put words in your own mouth not mine..........

Ya'll got one set of rules for bush & another for Obama...........Holding hands does not indicate subservience.

Bowing does.

[Hog Trash]

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/bush_riding10.jpgCan anybody tell me what this has to do with anything in this or any other thread for that matter, since January 20, 2009?

Could this possibly be the desperation of the foolish followers of a president who is an obvious failure and embarrassment?

[Life_Long_Dem!]

The captain is safe and home the pirates are dead or captured yet I know some of you are still gonna bitch and whine about what Obama did or didnt do. Armchair quarterbacking is easy for anyone to do but to be in his shoes is totally different, twice he wanted to use force to go in and get the captain but the pentagon said no wait until the right time, they did...got the captain safely so end of story.

[Binky]

[QUOTE=Smurf-Herder]Hey guys, you know what's so ironic about this whole thing?

This ship was headed to Somalia in the first place, loaded with food aid for the very country the pirates are operating from.

Now it might endanger plans for future food aid being sent.[/QUOTE


Apparently they felt the need to chew off the hands that were feeding them.

[The Professor]

gosh, you kinda said it yourself, sir friend

obama wants to go in, USN says no

obama wants to negotiate, USN snipers scope terrorist HEADS

USN!

the Bainbridge!

CAPT RICHARD PHILLIPS!

america's second SULLY!

USA!

RED, WHITE and BLUE!!!

cliff

[GetAClue]

The captain is safe and home the pirates are dead or captured yet I know some of you are still gonna bitch and whine about what Obama did or didnt do. Armchair quarterbacking is easy for anyone to do but to be in his shoes is totally different, twice he wanted to use force to go in and get the captain but the pentagon said no wait until the right time, they did...got the captain safely so end of story.

Please site your source that states that twice Obama wanted to use force and the pentegon said no.

[Life_Long_Dem!]

multiple news reports...abc news, believe they said it on cbs as well.....told ya that you guys would still bitch and whine about this even though the captain is safe and on his way home

[Binky]

It was to dock at the Kenyan port of Mombasa because it was centrally located and secure. But the food aid was to be trucked into Somalia and refugee camps in surrounding countries.

Of course they weren't interested in the cargo - they're pirates. They don't care if their population starves - as long as the toxic waste gets cleaned up? That was your argument legitimizing their piracy, wasn't it?

Pirates Hold Up Food Aid to Somalia, Uganda, Kenya

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
09 April 2009

The United Nations' World Food Program says the U.S.-flagged container ship anchored off the coast of Somalia is carrying items to feed hundreds of thousands of starving people in Somalia, Uganda and Kenya. The ship's captain is being held hostage by pirates, who seized the vessel and its crew of 20 Americans Wednesday as it sailed toward the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

World Food Program spokesman in Nairobi Peter Smerdon says there is concern that if the container ship, Maersk Alabama, cannot reach Mombasa soon, many people in the region may not get the foodstuffs they need to sustain them in the coming months.

Ship was carrying food for mothers, children

Smerdon says the WFP cargo includes more than 4,000 tons of corn-soya blend for malnourished children and mothers in Somalia and Uganda and nearly 1,000 tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. Smerdon says there are many more containers of food aid belonging to the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies.

"We need to keep a constant pipeline of food coming both to Somalia and to other countries in the region," said Smerdon. "Otherwise, we have to cut rations and people will go hungry. Basically, this amount of food would feed hundreds of thousands of people for a month. It is only a part of the basket of food we give people in the region. But it is an important part."

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-04-09-voa15.cfm


Well, that pretty much clears up the question of where it was or was not going. :thumbsup:

[Life_Long_Dem!]

why the fuck does it matter really anyways who said what...the military did its job and the man is home safe and Obama congratulated the military for a job well done.

[The Professor]

yeah, friend, but it's politics

anyone even RUNNING for president shoulda known this before he tossed a hat

yeah?

obama really looks like a guy who thought that if you get ELECTED, why, EVERYONE is sposed to just love everything you do

his supporters on dcj almost all reveal this outlook

like they've never been in leadership before

you better get used to it

cuz criticism and president is like diapers and baby

one of those SAT metaphors

LOL!

i mean, so long as you got one, you're kinda stuck with the other

and it's only gonna get worse, the criticism, i mean

it will be CONSTANT

cliff

[Life_Long_Dem!]

so all you armchair quarterbacks will keep on second guessing everything he does for the full term of his presidency....like to see you all in his shoes in situations like the pirates and see how it turns out then.

[Binky]

Amazing stupidity.

Mindboggling childish ignorance.

Small wonder why conservative thought is so rejected by the world and is shrinking by the moment.



And totally no wonder as to why the world has gone whacky with all the liberal thinking and behaviors going on. Duh! A world where there are no morals or accountability and where anything goes. Double Duh!:(

[Binky]

Somebody brought up Obama's "family" and I saw this in the news today.

How many times do threads wander off from the main topic?

Deal with it.


Speaking for myself, I never give a thought to his family. We all know by now that there are some living in a third world country. We can't help who our relatives are or where they reside. It isn't important in the scheme of things.

And it's always so easy to derail a topic and take a different track, so to speak. Sometimes it ends up being far more interesting than the initial trail. :lmao2:

[Hog Trash]

His extended family is quite a crew:

Obama brother accused of UK sex assault

AMERICAN president Barack Obama's half brother was REFUSED a visa to enter the UK after being accused of an attempted sex attack on a young girl in Berkshire.

The News of the World can reveal that Kenya-based Samson Obama tried to get into Britain on his way to Washington for his family's big day, the historic inauguration in January.

But eagle-eyed immigration officials at East Midlands Airport, using the latest biometric tests, discovered he was linked to an incident here last November. The hi-tech database revealed that Samson - who manages a mobile phone shop just outside Nairobi - was the same man arrested by British police after he approached a group of young girls, including a 13 year-old, and allegedly tried to sexually assault one of them.

He then followed them into a cafe where he became aggressive and was asked to leave by the owner. That's when police were called and Samson was arrested.

He supplied officers with his mother's address in Bracknell but gave them a false ID, claiming to be Henry Aloo, believed to be a genuine asylum seeker.

Mum Kezia, 67, has lived in Bracknell for six years. She married the US president's father Barack Obama Snr in Kenya when she was a teenager.

Following Samson's arrest he was fingerprinted but not charged, then left the country. However, all his details were stored on the Home Office's new database of prints and biometric details. And that's what finally pinpointed Samson's link to the world's most powerful leader - as he tried to slip back into Britain to visit relatives en route to the swearing-in ceremony.

The White House was informed and a Home Office source told the News of the World: "This was obviously an extremely sensitive issue when it was flashed up by the database.

"But the system is designed to flag up people who have come to the attention of the police in the UK and are then trying to return."

It is thought that Samson - one of the President's 11 half brothers and sisters by his father who had four partners - managed to travel on to Washington by boarding a connecting flight to the US from East Midlands.

He was able to do so despite not having a UK visa because he remained in transit and never left the airport. A stewardess from nearby Nottingham told her local newspaper how she met him on his flight to America. Dawn Stewart, of Sherwood, described how Samson told her his nickname was Abo and said he was on his way to the US capital for the presidential swearing-in.

She recalled: "I asked him how he feels being the brother of the next president and he said, 'I can't tell you the depth of excitement we feel.'

"I asked what Barack was like as a teenager and he said he was always charismatic and calm."

The flight attendant said Samson claimed he had never travelled before and proudly showed her a headed letter from his half-brother requesting his three-week visa to the USA.

Last night a Home Office spokesman confirmed Samson Obama was refused a visa after immigration officers noticed one of the documents he supplied with his visa application was false. That led to further inquiries.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "We consider all visa applications based on their merits. We will oppose the entry of individuals to the UK where we believe their presence is not conducive to the public good.

"The UK's border controls are among the toughest in the world. All visa applicants are fingerprinted and checked against watchlists. Using this hi-tech system we have detected more than 5,600 attempts to use false identities since December 2007.

"Our officers in 135 countries are working with law enforcement agencies and airlines to clamp down on forged passports and visas."

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/260464/Barrack-Obama-brother-Samson-Obama-refused-entry-to-UK-over-allegations-of-attempted-sex-attack-on-young-girl.htmlThis deserves it's own thread Smurf....Wasn't it discovered that physical and sexual abuse of children can be passed on generationaly?

[The Professor]

so all you armchair quarterbacks will keep on second guessing everything he does for the full term of his presidency....like to see you all in his shoes in situations like the pirates and see how it turns out then.

yes, until he governs like a conservative i will criticize every leftist move he makes

that's how it works

cliff

[Life_Long_Dem!]

so conservatism is the only road that this nation should be on, fuck diversity and differing opinions, I got it, thanks for the info....I feel sooooooooooo bad I been on the wrong path this whole time, I feel better now.:thumbsup:

[mwillman]

This is why the republicans have been washed from the shores of power.

They have lost the ability to compromise.

[The Professor]

obama is the most EXTREMIST politician at the national level in 233 years of united states history

compromise

LOLOLOL!

[Smurf-Herder]

This deserves it's own thread Smurf....Wasn't it discovered that physical and sexual abuse of children can be passed on generationaly?

It wasn't important in the big scheme of things.

He doesn't really care about his family - beyond how he can use them. So why should we?

[Smurf-Herder]

multiple news reports...abc news, believe they said it on cbs as well.....told ya that you guys would still bitch and whine about this even though the captain is safe and on his way home

You're making it up.