Posted on 01/12/2005 11:19:43 PM PST by kattracks
ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN — The aircraft carrier leading the U.S. military's tsunami relief effort steamed out of Indonesian waters yesterday after the country declined to let the ship's fighter pilots use its airspace for training missions — part of a broad effort by Indonesia to reassert control over its territory.
The USS Abraham Lincoln's diversion, which was not expected to affect aid flights, came as the White House asked the Indonesian government to explain why it appears to be demanding that the U.S. military and other foreign troops providing disaster relief leave the country by the end of March.[snip]
The Indonesian government said foreign troops would be out of the country by March 31. "A three-month period is enough, even sooner the better," Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Tuesday.
U.S. Marines have scaled back plans to send hundreds of troops ashore to build roads and clear rubble. The two sides reached a compromise in which the Americans agreed not to set up a base camp on Indonesia or carry weapons.
Instead, the Marines — about 2,000 of whom were diverted to tsunami relief from duty in Iraq — will keep a "minimal footprint" in the country, with most returning to ships at night, said Col. Tom Greenwood, commander of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.[snip]
Under Navy rules, pilots of carrier-based warplanes cannot go longer than 14 days without flying, or their skills are considered to have degraded too far and they have to undergo extensive retraining.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Screw 'em ~ Bump!
Of course they want us to leave. Our presence makes it difficult to murder Christians in their beds with machetes, as is the national pastime among Indonysean Muslims.
Exactly, that makes me angry beyond words. They want our hard earned tax dollars. They want all $, etc funneled through the EVIL UN. That way they can still attack us as stingy. What makes me totally furious is that the Bush Admin will probably go along with the UN handling things. I say play hardball and screw them.
There are enough countries in that region that can use out charity. Screw Indonesia. No doubt, in a weeks time, the MSM and the Eurotrash will somehow blame the US for angering the Muslims on Indonesia. F..k em all. Let God deal with them.
Very well stated, deserves a second reading.....
I don't think this is a Muslim/Christian thing - it's all about maintaining Javanese control over Aceh and preserving their profits.
Anyone who truly believes that it's possible to win over the "hearts and minds" of Islamics is deluded beyond belief.
U.S. taxpayer dollars charity begins abroad, it appears. ......especially if the peoples in the nations in question bow to Mecca 5x/day.
Yep, way too many with thin skin around these parts. .....and (not so) coincidenally these are the same ones whose emotions are effortlessly manipulated by the media.
I don't disagree with you at all! It is a slap in the face. However I believe that giving the indonesian government a big flying FU will not do us very well in the PR war on Islam.
Don't forget... They didn't ask us for help! We volunteered it! If they had asked, then we'd have every right to expect some gratitude. They didn't! So chalk this one up as a selfless act.
When you're the big guy you must be very careful, many out there get their feelings hurt really easy. Anything you say will get a lot read into. You end up being looked at with a microscope.
Red6
I am not a muslim, but I do see the value in volunteering to help those people while respecting the wishes of their governing authority.
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Can we get a good reading on the above comment please, expatguy?
A lot of money will now go to fundamentalist islamic groups who will do the relief work under "islamic conditions" - they expect to get paid.
"Let us have a hand in the relief work and get paid or we cause trouble" is basically what it is about.
Ba'asyir and his friends are involved now as well and to make matters worse we have an ex translator over there discrediting the usa and releasing confidential information including the name of our CIA people.
Talk about ungreatful. I know the people are greatful but the government. Both ungreatful and untrustworthy.
To hell with our getting out by the end of March!
How bout' we infidels get out of that precious lil' landfill of a country of theirs by say, the end of this week, take our billion dollars (and counting) in private and public donations and every other goddamn thing we brought to help them back with us, and let their knuckle-dragging, shit-throwing monkey asses just pile up and rot away in the streets?
Now that sounds like a plan!
Ps.The Indonesian military is gonna escort ours around to keep Ours safe? PMSL!
I'm reserving judgement on this. The Indonesian government is about to deploy thousands of troops into Aceh rebel territory. If this means they are serious about cracking down on separatist rebels, that would be a positive development.
"Anyone who truly believes that it's possible to win over the "hearts and minds" of Islamics is deluded beyond belief"
This is so true. I work at the Pentagon. I work with an AMERICAN black guy who is openly Muslim. We had a conversation this morning. ( I was trying to see where his head was at) It went like this:
Me: Hey man did you hear about how Indonesia wants us out of their country as soon as possible?
Muslim guy at work: Yeah I heard. And 'They' should.
Me: Why...we're helping their asses out. I can't stand it when they insult us but want our help.
Muslim guy at work: Well, You have wonder WHY some of these countries insult us and hate us.
Me: Look man, people are gonna hate you no matter what, if you're black, white, tall, short ya know...
Muslim guy at work: Yeah I guess thats true. But you don't know all the evil stuff America does.
Me: I said YOU don't either. But I think America does way more good than bad.
Muslim guy at work: You don't know that though.
Me: Well I think America should get the benefit of the doubt dont' you?
Muslim guy at work: Why?
I just looked at him and shook my head......
"if no one has done it already, welcome to FR"
thank you very much. and actually a lot of people have. I've even got emails on first day telling me welcome. It's been great. I've been welcomed with open arms. Somebody told me that my time is coming...(young black and republican)
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