What’s missing from Obama’s statement
This is the full statement the White House released today in response to the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips:
“I am very pleased that Captain Phillips has been rescued and is safely on board the USS Boxer. His safety has been our principal concern, and I know this is a welcome relief to his family and his crew.
“I am also very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and many other departments and agencies who worked tirelessly to secure Captain Phillips’s safe recovery.
“We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes.
“I share the country’s admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans.”
Nine words missing. Stated clearly by Navy Vice Admiral William Gortney. But not directly, publicly, and loudly by our commander-in-chief:
“The United States government policy is to not negotiate.”
***
Be very glad that our U.S. military is trained, equipped, ready and able to do more than “mull things over.”
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Actions speak louder?
As long as we could keep them “talking”, and by extension, Phillips safe, while waiting for an opportunity, I think that seems a successful strategy.
I believe the negotiating part means — we do not give in to ransom requests, etc.
The military had to ask Obama TWICE to get him to agree to take decisive measures. Let’s just hope when North Korea decides to launch a missile that may be headed for the US, he won’t think TWICE to shoot it down.
The fact that Obama was even asked…let alone TWICE…to use military force is frightening and shows his lack of experience.
I would have preferred it was Obama who TOLD the military to send in the SEALS!
Cite?
“If we wish to be free, if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending, if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained _ we must fight!”
Patrick Henry
A little correction is in order. Our policy is to send hostage negotiators to the scene to play with the heads of the captors until they either surrender or we can take effective physical action but not to capitulate to the pirates’ demands.
LEADERSHIP
So… If Phillips wouldn’t have jumped overboard again Obama would still be twiddling his thumbs?
IMHO, bho and hc had zero to do with what happened tody. Our Navy, our most wonderful in the world, and the ‘true grit’ of Cp. Phillips made this happen. I am so very happy for the family. We American’s have seen numerous hero’s in the last few months, it is what we do. We need to thank God for our country. Do not tread on me! It is sad to think our bho seems not able to handle any issue involving our country, so far he has a ‘F’ for me.
L
On April 12th, 2009 at 5:15 pm, chapoutier said:
Do you call “safe” floating around with 3 desperate terrorists with AK-47′s “safe?”
Can’t wait til the U.N. condemns our use of deadly force….
Go Navy! Beat Pirates!
Despite His Royal Odopeyness
The Admiral also said it was a standard standing order … No White House OK required.
No. But decidedly safer than floating with three desparate pirates with AK-47s that KNEW there was NO hope to get out alive.
I am sure you would agree.
Wonder if you would feel the same if Phillips had ended up dead.
Right, that’s why he already tried to escape once and risk his life. And I would hope that if he did end up not making it we would make whomever responsible pay for it dearly!
Eliminating piracy in that area is the perfect opportunity for President Obama to build a coalition of nations to wipe out the pirates and end the piracy.
The seas in the area should be cleared of all small craft.
If you believe that will ever happen, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn?
Foxnews about 45 minutes ago. Julie Banderas was on.
The US Military and the USA in general will survive “in spite of” and not “because of” the idiot in the White House …
I think that the Navy was caught by surprise the first time the Captain made it into the water not believing the pirates watching him could have gotten that lax in their vigil over the only thing keeping them alive …
As a result I am confident that from that moment on there was a very close watch to see if he could make it into the water again and a definite plan with the right resources readily available and in place to make sure they didn’t fail to take advantage of the opportunity when and if it occurred a second time …
Still looking forward to knowing more about how they actually took out the pirates once the Captain was back in the water again … (snipers, Seals, gunboats, ????) …
I wonder how the Obama admin would have treated these scumbags had they all been captured? I shudder to think.
Obama was holding a very expensive pizza party last night, remember? And today he had his dog story…
Priorities, priorities.
Those pirates sound like they’re terr…turr…tare…bad guys or something.
And probably as children, they were abused, and didn’t get enough self-esteem indoctrination like they do here in the US. Poor pirates, I’m sure some therapy could’ve fixed that. Or perhaps we should’ve “talked” to them, like Obama wants to do with the nuts from Iran and North Korea.
Michelle, I could have sworn the nine words were
And since all crimes committed by
criminalsterroristspiratesthe poor and the desperate are the fault of American prosperity, we cannot possibly hold them accountable.This is going to happen again, and I hope that Americans don’t die while hostage negotiators flap their gums. Thank God for Captain Phillips’ guts and for the U.S. Navy.
The fact that Obama did not mention those nine words is significant for two reasons. First, he and his staff have not done their homework on anything. The reason they have not, the second reason, is they feel no obligation to have any continuity with any U.S. policy foreign or domestic.
We have had U.S. Presidents maintain selected policies that go back to Truman. Obama does not know what they are, because he does not care what they are.
Why? He’s that arrogant. An attitude that is very dangerous for us.
Obama, unfit to lead.
And a “God Bless America” would also have fit well.
Bush may have not been perfect, but he is looking good about now!
Happy Easter and God Bless George Bush.
We didn’t realize how good we had it!!!
And our partners would be…? Don’t leave us hanging, or else some may assume things they ought not assume.
Interdict (v.): to prohibit, or in military terms, to impede via steady bombardment. So, we’ll be ready to tell them they can’t do that, or we’ll be ready to drop bombs on them when they’re in the water.
And release them after criminal trial in the U.S. due to lack of irrefutable evidence, whereas they turn around and sue us for improper treatment. Ach, there I go, assuming n’ stuff.
Other words that are missing: “punish,” “penalize,” and “not allow.” Instead, we get “halt,” “held accountable,” and “work with.” That’ll scare ‘em.
Regarding the “keywords”:
Note another one that was included. The pronoun I … (3X)
I was kind of wondering, when you now salute the current President, should salute with him with your fingers bent at the knuckles like your hand is bowing?
So, what did this crisis have to do with community organizing…?
Aw, c’mon…he’s training on the job. Can’t expect him to know *all* the policies.
That WAS the policy when we had a President with a backbone.
But with the jellyfish in the Office now, well….
To paraphrase Breaker Morant:
Hope is not a plan; not all change is good. WE are the civilian national security agency. Hats off to the US Navy SEAL snipers. The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST!!!
ECS
Yes, I heard it a few times as well. The US Navy had to ask twice for permission to use deadly force. TWICE. Kinda reminds me of that lecherous pig, Komrade Klinton, and Black Hawk down. Back then our Special Operators requested a tank and an AC-130 gunship to support Operation Gothic Serpent. Liberal democraps response, permission denied. The result is remembered as the Battle of Mogadishu.
Vice Admiral Gortney can kiss off that CNO job now.
Also of note is that duh1 thinks threatening pirates with legal action is necessary.
The next lifeboat the pirates hijack will be checked for fuel. These guys make a living doing this. They won’t repeat the mistake.
Will duh1 be willing to lose American lives to uphold principle?
Obama was trying to understand why pirates hate us and how not to hurt their feelings and earn their goodwill. Now he is probably busy finding a libtard lawyer for the captured pirate and finding ways to give him full leagal protections.
How long before Obama apologizes to pireates’ families and Somalia for the american atrocities ?
There is a very simple reason he didn’t issue any statements. He didn’t want to make the wrong political statement. It’s all about image for Obama (pretty much because that’s all he’s got). He can’t be seen as being the America that he just tore down during his recent trip abroad and frankly, I don’t think he could come up with anything to say that wouldn’t get him in hot water with one group or another — groups that he has pandered to his entire political life. He was backed into a corner, plain and simple. He did it to himself and we will most likely see more of this very same behavior in the future.
Hey, I am not going to nit-pick words today. This is the first thing that Obama managed to get done right.
Happy Easter to Captain Phillips and everyone else here!
2 things:
Any reference to thanking God, and especially on Easter.
-and-
I had nothing to do with it.
Focusing on what Pres Obama did not say? I suppose so.
He, also, did not say what will happen to the surviving Pirate, what Capt Phillips said to him, what Capt Phillips’ family said to him, what his orders were to the Capt of the Bainbridge, when he gave those orders, that his intentions were to buy time, or that he accepts the ODS that questioned his mettle.
Nine or nineteen words, I prefer to focus on exactly what was said. Up and down the line, all those who had a hand in the successful rescue of Capt Phillips, good on them.
I agree with most of what has been ‘said” here, so I’ll just state that I’m relieved that things worked out as well as they did, I’m glad that B. O. did NOT replace key people in our militatry with democrat cronies, and I hope Obama will continue to use experienced people in areas where national security is the key concern.
B-O’s response- Reminded me of the Clinton days – where he stumbled into a good outcome and took immediate credit for it.
Why would I expect a guy who has only given lip-service to loving his country, who has never taken up arms in defense of it, who has never sacrificed anything for it, to understand such a concept?
Bravery? Courage? Selflessness? Again, what would he know of such things?
Then I take it He Whose Middle Name is Hussein did not impress?
If he were to order the Navy to clean out those pirate dens I guess his muslim homies in Constantinople, Tehran, Kenya and Minneapolis would be upset.
Quoting the White House statement regarding the rescue of Captain Phillips:
Like we can really depend on our “partners” to work with us “to prevent future attacks.”
Isn’t it clear by now that the rest of the world is pretty much populated with sissies who will do nothing but appease tyranny, bullies, terrorists, fascists, communists, Islamic (Muslim) militant Jihadis, and pirates, but they will be quick to condemn the United States, George W. Bush, Christians, Jews, and people with traditional values.
Who are your “partners” that we will work with? They don’t seem to interested in helping us in other areas where it counts, but they sure do shoot their mouths off easily enough, unless it is to condemn or reprimand tyrants and terrorists.
I won’t hold my breath waiting for our so-called “partners,” whoever they are, to help prevent piracy, or any other form of bad behavior.
That is a good one, anzatree!
William
That WaPo headline made me laugh. I’m going back to bed to “mull” the outcome of waterboarding the surviving Somali pirate.
Hey, don’t blame me for dreaming.
Good grief, no one called to tell me she was on?!
So when is Obama going to send several million, as a stimulus package, to the pirate havens? I wouldn’t surprise me if he announced something along those lines, this week. Perhaps call it another “bail-out”?
I guess VADM Gortney didn’t get the memo that this is no longer the governments policy, because the Obama Administration sent an FBI negotiator out there to do exactly that. It was only after the pirates fired on this negotiator boat that the Administration finally gave approval for military action.
That will happen through the back door on Tuesday – around the same time the MSM is
reporting ondistracting the sheeple with emergency coverage at the “official new puppy” press conference.A “stimulus” package for the pirates? Oh Lord-they can buy bigger pirate boats!
Amen rplatt, thanking God, especially on Easter, would have been appropriate.
You think the White House was saving the puppy story for Obama’s first terrorist crisis?
Right. Unless we are cowardly providing weapons to a sworn enemy in exchange for hostages to “secretly” fund aid to rebels in Central America.
Errah, perhaps it wouldn’t fit on the teleprompter.
I too am glad the captain was rescued and is safe, homeward bound.
One thing puzzling. I know the two do not relate in terms of importance but to use as a correlation, when Bush finished reading the book to the kids on 9/11 and didn’t jump up and run through the halls when informed of the first building being hit, he was thoroughly criticized and demonized for inaction. Now, Obama was made aware of the ship being highjacked by pirates and what did he do in turn? What was his reaction to this minor situation? Choose a puppy? Throw a pizza party? Hold a seder in the White House? You tell me so I can find something to reassure myself he will be capable of handling a real situation.
Apparently this “minor” issue didn’t meet the criteria of demanding his full and immediate attention.
Hey, somebody had to prime the pump for the CIA to smuggle all of that cocaine into the ghettos to create the crack epidemic so we could send all of the black men to prison causing a generation of new welfare babies that would ensure Obama would become president.
Liberals should simply thank Reagan and not question his methods.
Robert Gates calling BS on the claim that Obama was asked twice…this is why you don’t trust Fox “News”:
“It’s unfortunate that some had portrayed this as the Pentagon having to ask twice for authority, which is not the case,” Gates said. “In both instances, because different units were involved, we had to ask separately. And, the approval was given virtually immediately in both cases.”
Link
I prefer to deal with facts as opposed to your conspiracy theories.
It’s going to be fascinating to watch conservatives turn on Gates in the coming months and years. I’m sure your link caused a lot of winces and moans.
But its not a conspiracy. And neither is the fact that George Bush sent Katrina to wipe out New Orleans.
Just because you’re not paranoid, doesnt mean I didnt rat you out to the cops anyway….