Obama to Speak Softly and Thwack Yemen With a Big Stick?
In his statement yesterday, President Obama confirmed what Senator Lieberman hinted at Sunday on FoxNews (via Instapundit) “that Yemen needs to be a focal point” of our response to the attempt to blow up Northwest Flight 253:
President Obama, acting just minutes after a Yemeni group affiliated with Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the airplane bombing attempt over Detroit on Christmas, declared Monday that the United States would continue to press its accelerated offensive against terror cells in Yemen and elsewhere in the world. . . .
“We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle, and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us–whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland.”
Indeed, the Administration has since increased the pressure on the nation on the Southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula with whom our government has worked to root out terrorist operations:
Since the attack, U.S. officials have repeatedly upped their pressure on the Yemen government to help them investigate Abdulmutallab’s ties to Al Qaeda, which he said had provided training and explosives.
Even before the Detroit incident, the United States in conjunction with the government of Yemen–had aggressively stepped up its counter-terrorism operations in the country, seeking to combat a rapidly expanding Al Qaeda network there.
Seems like steps in the right direction. Still, in the war against Islamicist terrorists who seek to murder American civilians in their war on Western civilization, the incumbent president of the United States has not used the bully pulpit as effectively as his predecessor did nor has he used it as aggressively (or as readily) as he has used it himself on issues of lesser import.
His Administration, however, are taking action. And that’s nothing to sneeze at. But, right action is not always enough, we also need rhetoric with greater resolve. Let’s hope the president’s team follows up on their initial steps, not letting up, continuing to pursue the terrorists (and their enablers) aggressively.
The President would serve himself (and the nation) well if he didn’t repeat a mistake his predecessor did in the wake of 9/11: retaining his national security/intelligence team. Obama could start by asking for the resignation of his Homeland Security Secretary.
Let us hope he uses the power of the bully pulpit more readily and more effectively in the coming year than he has in recent days instead use it as he had used it in other endeavors in the past year.
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“Obama could start by asking for the resignation of his Homeland Security Secretary.”
I get the feeling that decisions of that nature in the White House are not made by President Obama.
Comment by Draybee — December 29, 2009 @ 2:17 am - December 29, 2009
“Obama could start by asking for the resignation of his Homeland Security Secretary.”
I get the feeling that those decisions in the White House aren’t made by President Obama.
Comment by Draybee — December 29, 2009 @ 2:21 am - December 29, 2009
Our chief Keystone Kop is going go play whack-a-mole with the terrorists. Or — excuse me — I guess now they’re the “perpetrators of human disaster.”
What crazy times these are.
Comment by Lori Heine — December 29, 2009 @ 3:16 am - December 29, 2009
I shouldn’t attempt to type after midnight. I don’t know what “going go play whack-a-mole” means.
Comment by Lori Heine — December 29, 2009 @ 3:17 am - December 29, 2009
Well, we know he has no interest in victory. He won’t say anything that might hurt their feelings, but will agree with anyone who believes America sucks. He seems to hold on to the absurd notion that poverty breeds terrorism. He can’t bring himself to identify who and what the enemy is.
Given that and his Johnsonian trickle of soldiers to Afghanistan, can we really trust that he has any real intention on defeating the Islamo-fascists? Do we really want to commit more manpower to a guy who has no real interest in doing what it takes to get the job done?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — December 29, 2009 @ 5:00 am - December 29, 2009
We have a president that does not care about us. It is very clear that he could care less. That “speech” yesterday was the second worst he has made. No emotion or compassion, nothing.
What a “leader”
Comment by PatriotMom — December 29, 2009 @ 6:23 am - December 29, 2009
Obama will do absolutely nothing other than bow to muslim”royalty”. Expect hundreds of Americans to die because of Obama’s weakness. The terrorists sense it and will continue to act on it.
Comment by Mike — December 29, 2009 @ 8:23 am - December 29, 2009
This just in:
Obama to send a division of lawyers to Yemen to Mirandize all humans and camels.
Comment by heliotrope — December 29, 2009 @ 8:55 am - December 29, 2009
Dan, this seems like one of your more tortured posts. You even add an extra syllable to “Islamist” (saying “Islamicist”). I think this is the key:
Specifically, “his” Pentagon – our brave military. Obama is a figurehead. We have some great people who know what to do with terrorists and who push things along (in a good way). Meanwhile, the guy at the top of the Administration is playing golf in Hawaii. So, as for this:
Fat chance. Well, not totally. It’s not hopeless. He will read whatever the Teleprompter tells Him to.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — December 29, 2009 @ 10:15 am - December 29, 2009
When I hear Obama say that they will be held “accountable” I can’t help but think …
Accountable like the New Black Panther Party ?
Accountable like his friend “Guilty as Sin, Free as a Bird” Ayers ?
Comment by Jeff — December 29, 2009 @ 10:20 am - December 29, 2009
I thought Obama’s love-fests around the world were suppose to make everyone love us. Oh that’s right. Obama just can’t overcome all the horror of the Bush Administration. I forgot, silly me. Ok, I will go back in my cave. Call me when Obama moves permanently to Hawaii in 2012.
Comment by NebraskaPatriot — December 29, 2009 @ 10:58 am - December 29, 2009
When he starts mentioning radical Islam as the enemy I’ll know he is taking things seriously.
Comment by Leah — December 29, 2009 @ 11:56 am - December 29, 2009
Dan, I must agree with ILC. I think you are falling into the Bill O’Reilly & Peggy Noonan trap of “giving Obama the benefit of the doubt”.
Those days are over. As someone at National Review said, Obama likes being President except those times when we NEED him to BE the President.
I’ve said it before and the past few days have cemented this thought in my head: Obama has the worst traits of Nixon & Carter combined, with the philosophy of Woodrow Wilson.
That is a dangerous combination for a nation of laws that was founded on individual freedom & liberty.
Comment by GayPatriot — December 29, 2009 @ 12:47 pm - December 29, 2009
In the 9/11 Commission’s report the blame game started at the ground on up… are we naive to think the same should not apply now?
Through out history great presidents have always known how, when and what to say in order to calm the people…. However, for 3 days, Obama preferred shooting hoops and dining on mahi mahi while the nation waited.
Nothing has changed with this president… nor will it as long as his policies continue to allow a terrorist to lawyer up instead of declaring the bastard an enemy combatant when captured.
Comment by Spartann — December 29, 2009 @ 12:48 pm - December 29, 2009
So our fearless president determined that this Nigerian (I’m not going to bother learning his name) acted alone. Suicide Bombers NEVER act alone. There are always handlers, in this case the guy that got him on the plane and a whole slew of others who either trained or brainwashed him into not realizing that he would die in the process.
The left has this stupid idea that these people are willing to die for their cause because they are poor. No way, human nature does not go for suicide, they must be cajoled, coerced and often strongly manipulated into this action. There is always a strong element of people working in the background.
Dan, lay off Peggy Noonan for a while, she drank the coolaid and is unwilling to do what many a lefty has already done. Admit she made a mistake about Obama. We were duped, we are paying a terrible price. A president who speaks legalese about an ‘alleged’ action, when it was God and a Dutchman that prevented a Christmas disaster.
Comment by Leah — December 29, 2009 @ 1:56 pm - December 29, 2009
I always say, “Speak softly and carry a bull dyke.”
(No reference to Janet Napolitano intended…)
Comment by Tim — December 29, 2009 @ 2:04 pm - December 29, 2009
Hmm, so…
He says he’s with AQ.
AQ says ‘yup he’s one of ours’
Yemen says, “Sorry, he’s with AQ”
Janet Incompatano says “All of them are wrong, he’s a lone gunman”
Comment by The_Livewire — December 29, 2009 @ 2:17 pm - December 29, 2009
Instead of lawyering-up we ought to have him strung-up in a prominent public-place…just as pirates and outlaws were. The whole point of declaring someone as “outlaw” meant they were now considered outside-of the protection of the law. Generally that meant they could be slain on-sight; no habeas corpus, no trial.
Instead of all this multicultural mushiness and “everyone’s a victim…it’s not their fault”-mentality, we need some backbone shown. A little less “We are the world”, and more “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. No more whack-a-mole, time for some God’s terrible wrath smiting.
Comment by ted b — December 29, 2009 @ 2:31 pm - December 29, 2009
Obama’s words are appreciated. However, the State Department’s permanent bureaucracy cannot be counted on to help. John Bolton’s recent “Surrender is Not an Option” reveals how these folks undermine foreign policy goals of every president. Obama initally displayed his typical weakness in response to this event. It was only after American public outcry against his weak early prounouncement that he strengthened his words. But words and actions aren’t always the same.
Comment by Man — December 29, 2009 @ 6:22 pm - December 29, 2009
Yemen a hotbed of jihadist ideology? How about London, Frankfurt, Denver, Dearborn, NYC, Birmingham, UK?
We’ve let the tumor metastasize and our “immune system” is too weak to do much about it.
Comment by SoCalRobert — December 29, 2009 @ 8:10 pm - December 29, 2009
Don’t count on him taking any kind of decisive, proper action of any kind. Most certainly not military.
Comment by KevinQC — December 29, 2009 @ 8:55 pm - December 29, 2009
Only heard part of his speech today, once again, ‘mistakes were made’, ‘failure in the system’. Never once did he ever speak in first person, it was always third person, someone else is at fault.
And once again, not a word of radical Islam.
I just pray we don’t wake up to some horrible disaster, because our enemies know we are very weak now and they won’t be waiting much longer.
Comment by Leah — December 29, 2009 @ 9:06 pm - December 29, 2009
I hate to gloat, I wasn’t fooled, I didn’t vote for this man with no experience who is over his head. I’m sad for the country. It is embarrasing. He has no idea what to do. DRUDGE today is showing a picture of Obama vacationing in Hawaii with a harry potter book and a bottle of water and a beach towel. Take a break Mr President. Don’t get all wee weeeeed up over the very near loss of 350 people on your watch. We’ll help by sending re enforcements of adults in just 10 short months.
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