Obama might respond if he gets several days of rain in a row (and even then, probably not unless they are blacks, communists, or deserters). Otherwise, he's too busy to protect Americans.
Posted on 04/17/2015 9:22:11 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The collapse of Yemen into a failed state has trapped between 3,000 and 4,000 American citizens in the country, caught between al-Qaeda and Houthi Islamists and the military action against both from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Almost until the moment that the Hadi government was put to flight, the White House has insisted that its counterterrorism efforts in Yemen had been a model of success. The final collapse appears to have caught the Obama administration so off-guard that it didn’t have time to organize an evacuation for Americans still left, and McClatchy’s John Zarocostas reports that no rescue plans will come in the immediate future, either (via Twitchy):
The Obama administration so far has declined to organize a rescue mission for the estimated 3,000 to 4,000 U.S. citizens in Yemen. U.S. officials have said they believe it is too dangerous for U.S. military assets to enter Yemeni waters and air space. They’ve also suggested that organizing Americans to meet at a single departure point would put them at risk of attack from al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula or other terrorist groups seeking American hostages.
That, however, has left Americans largely on their own to find a way out of the country. The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa has been closed for months, and the last American troops in the country were evacuated last month, a few days before the Saudi bombing campaign began.
On one hand, the State Department has warned Americans since at least February 11th to either stay out of Yemen or get out if they were already there. They reissued the warning on April 3rd, but by that time it was far too late. It’s unknown how many Americans responded to the alert on February 11th, but one has to imagine that some figured out that it was time to go quickly at that point.
The State Department defended itself with this point earlier in the week, saying that they’d been warning about security in Yemen for twenty years. That’s why, they argue, that they don’t feel the need to send the Navy to collect them:
On the other hand, the Obama administration isn’t exactly doing heavy lifting for those who did get stuck:
In a message posted on its website, the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa advises that an Indian naval vessel will be leaving Hodeidah for Djibouti and that it had been informed that Americans would be welcomed. But the embassy also noted that “unfortunately, we don’t have information on who to contact to board this ship.”
Ahem. Perhaps someone could take the trouble to find out? Zarocostas mentions that other nations seem more engaged in efforts to get Americans out:
A few dozen Americans have made it aboard U.N.-organized evacuation flights from Sanaa to Khartoum, Sudan, and others have made it out aboard Russian ships, according to news accounts.
The State Department could be concerned that publishing the details of the contacts could compromise security. That would be a very good reason to get US military assets in place to protect them.
This sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The collapse of Yemen was completely predictable, even while the Obama administration kept claiming their policy to be a success. When the collapse came, the military assets aren’t in place to protect Americans trapped in the maelstrom. Substitute Libya and Benghazi for Yemen and Sana’a, and it seems we haven’t learned a damned thing in three years.
There seems to be a trend here. Looks like Hillery’s(sp) policy is still in place with Obama’s approval.
Too dangerous?.......................OMG................Please help us!.............
How the heck could there be that many in Yemen of all places, unless there is oil or they are possibly quasi-Americans.
Obama might respond if he gets several days of rain in a row (and even then, probably not unless they are blacks, communists, or deserters). Otherwise, he's too busy to protect Americans.
[[administration “declined to organize a rescue mission” for Americans in Yemen?]]
He’s too busy organizing a rescue mission for muslim terrorists who wish to come to America to be bothered with Americans who are in danger abroad (Yet he claims ‘no one left behind’ when he justified his trade for a traitor Bergdahl)
Obama sees an opportunity to kill more Americans.
Norma behaior for the goa’ Ould in White House
Muslims visiting the home country
Probably a number of them. But there are/were a good number of American businesses operating in Yemen. Haliburton being one.
Probably, but that should make O more willing to help them. Frankly, as a normal white male, what used to be thought of as a typical American citizen, I'm a nervous tourist. I don't think that in most countries my embassy will lift a finger for me under this Administration.
I am not sure whether Americans should be put at risk because you decide to travel to areas of risk for you.
It’s open season on Americans everywhere... Everyone knows this ‘President’ doesn’t think we matter except to kiss his a#@ and provide revenue to the state.
American lives aren’t worth a plug nickel.
I don’t feel like the embassy would do a heck of a lot for me ANYwhere anymore; even less where it might be considered risky. I’m not talking conflict tourism. Maybe... South America... or even civilized Europe.
I think our high officials don’t give a crap about ordinary citizens.
Article also says the American embassy has been closed "for months".
Practically all of those 3,000-4,000 Americans still in Yemen will be recent immigrants to the US visiting their home country and families. When people visit unstable nations in the Middle East or elsewhere, they have to assume responsibility for what might happen to them. We don't know all the details, but there has to be some limit to how far the US is expected to go in rescuing people from such situations.
I wonder if the rebels in control now are treating rescue efforts by various nations any differently? The US is probably not their favorite nation a present.
Bump
Exactly.
I wonder how many out of that 3-4 thousand voted for obama.
But.....but.....but didn’t he say we don’t leave anybody behind?
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