Obama: US assisted in failed Somalia rescue

[DonViejo]

Source: AP




WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says U.S. forces assisted in a failed attempt to rescue a French citizen in Somalia on Friday.

Obama says the U.S. forces provided limited technical support to French forces leading the operation. The president says the Americans had no direct role in the assault on the compound where a French intelligence agent was believed to be held hostage.

French officials say the hostage is almost certainly dead. A French commando was also killed in the rescue attempt.

Obama disclosed the U.S. role Sunday in a letter alerting Congress about the deployment of U.S. forces.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/01/13/obama_us_assisted_in_failed_somalia_rescue/

[TwilightGardener]

1. Hm. I'd rather we not get involved.

[Arctic Dave]

2. "had no direct role in the assault on the compound"

Soooo...what role are we having in military operations in other countries?

Seems to be more proof of Obama's neo-con tendencies.

What would be our response if other countries carried out military operations in the US?

[Comrade_McKenzie]

3. Neocons wouldn't give a damn about a French hostage.

And no one gives a damn what Somalia's response will be. They're an insignificant country ran by warlords.

[Arctic Dave]

6. I didn't realize you had a soft spot for spooks.

Maybe they don't.

[randome]

17. We tried to save somebody's life, you know.

[Arctic Dave]

18. Seems he was alive before.

Being a spy is a tricky and deadly business.

[raidert05]

4. I would...

Hate to think what would happen if any other countries military that set foot on US soil for the express purpose of battling it out...

[Socal31]

8. There are known spies all over DC in embassies.

This isn't cold-war paranoia, it is a known fact. If one of them were being held hostage here, and either it was our government holding them or our government wouldn't act, then I would expect them to try to free them if they had the capability.

That being said, I am glad that no US boots were on the ground. "Somalia" and "failure" send a chill down by spine. It was a very powerful moment in US history for me due to my age at the time that should have been used as an example of what can happen to our extremely well-trained and skilled Special Forces when over-reaching.

Delta and the SEALs have proven they can rescue/capture/kill when they need to. No need to get involved in others' conflicts.

[ellisonz]

9. Stop.

"Obama's neo-con tendencies."

President Obama is not a Neo-Conservative - I would argue that he is a Liberal Realist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_school_of_international_relations_theory

[Arctic Dave]

11. When you wage war on entire regions

And ethnicities I believe you are categorically fall in the neocon ideology.

[ellisonz]

12. President Obama is waging "war on entire regions and ethnicities"

Please, tell me more.

[ellisonz]

13. I'll be really surprised if I get a detailed explanation of this from you...

[Arctic Dave]

14. Why? Do you believe he is not bombing other countries?

Are all the dead people playing?

Are they not from a majority of one religion, general ethnicity and region?




Oh wait, I forgot, it's Obama so it makes everything ponies and rainbows.

[ellisonz]

15. Which he did by withdrawing our military forces from Iraq?

And accelerating the internationally agreed to plan to withdraw from Afghanistan?

Face it. By the end of his second term he'll have ended both wars AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE NEOCONSERVATIVES

Your statements are wrong and obscene. You clearly make them only for hyperbole's sake. Good luck with that echo chamber.

[Arctic Dave]

16. Bush started the drawdown of Iraq and the only reason we are not

still there is because they would not grant us immunity. Afghanistan on the other hand is still on the table.

So tell me, is Obama bombing more countries or not? Did he not expand the war against the Middle East and the North African continent?

I answered you, do you have the stones to do the same?

[ellisonz]

19. Obama is not "waging war against entire regions and ethnicities."

Your statement is absurd hyperbole and devoid of any factual basis.

We are not at "war against the Middle ast (sic) and the North African continent."

Do you really believe John McCain would have left Iraq?

Do you really believe Mitt Romney would leave Afghanistan?

Do you really pay that little to what we actually do that you believe this nonsense you are making up?

Your insinuation that the President is a war-mongering genocidal maniac is outrageous.

[leftyohiolib]

5. BREAKING NEWS ON FOXX: SOMALI-GATE WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT KNOW

AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT!

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. Pakistan launches a raid on Guantanamo...

...to rescue some of its kidnapped citizens. Nobody gives a damn about the American response because they're just fat and stupid, and watch too much TV.

Yeah, no double-standards at work here.

[obama2terms]

10. This may sound bad

But I wish we would stay out of this.