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 ...
As John Kerry would say, 'it's complicated'. Yes, it's foreign territory, and the country is overwhelmingly Muslim. They're in desperate straits, and we should leave and take our men, materiel, and money with us when we go. Clinton and company wanted to make the U.S. military a worldwide meal on wheels org.. Remember Somalia? We were there to deliver rice and provide protection for aid workers because the UN couldn't operate safely with warlords running amok. Clinton and Les Aspin, defense secretary at the time, sent our men in without proper protection and a bloodbath resulted. Remember Aspin's comment? 'Uh, we couldn't send in backup tanks...we're saving them for Kosovo.' At that point the American public didn't have a clue that Clinton was planning to send the American military into Bosnia.
Let Indonesia fix their own problems. They're a sovereign nation, and the Indonesian govt. is walking a fine line between cooperation/friendship with the US and control of their Muslim brainwashed masses.
"even sooner the better,"
Sounds like an offical request by the Indonesian Gov.
Time to go.
Glad to see someone with sense to understand what FR is all about.
Yup, we'll be told that the US has a moral duty to fix the world and then sit down and shut up as the UN goes back to business as usual. This is exactly what Kerry and the democrats want.
So...you would rather have unwelcomed military folks being shot at and attacked by Muslim extremists...when they have clearly indicated that our presence (in a humanitarian mission...not military) is not welcomed.
I think a more appropriate scripture to use to "chide" us all should have been "They shook the dust off their feet and moved on to the next town."
Goodnight sweetheart...It's time to go.....
I believe Kulla's pronouncements are just the typical response fundamentalist Muslims have been giving us for a long time.
Kulla knows that we will not cease our humanitarian efforts, and he's taking advantage of that to berate and challenge and embarass the US. He knows we can't stop the effort without looking like fools and Muslim-haters.
And those poor folks are in terrible shape, and will need lots more aid to get rebuilt, etc.
So Kulla pushes our military around BECAUSE HE CAN. He fulfills his Muslim duties by demeaning the US, and still receives every bit as much aid as he would if he acted grateful.
Without a doubt, it's an a$$hole stunt, but all we can do is call him an a$$hole. It's actually no big thing, but it sure as hell is aggravating.
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.
I strongly agree.
There may be times when a parent or loved one would risk such to save a beloved.
But at this stage--country to country--enough is enough.
Let us dust our feet off against them.
How did what I wrote get so misconstrued?
Was I such a poor writer this time?
I AGREE WITH YOU! I did when I wrote whatever I wrote that you're replying to! Guess I'll hae to read what I wrote. Was I that tired? LOL.
I mentioned
RETURNING EVIL FOR GOOD agreeing with your point.
GIVEN OUR EXTENDING GREAT GOOD AT GREAT COST TO THE EXTREMELY DESPERATE MUSLIMS ET AL IN THAT TSUNAMI/QUAKE RAVAGED AREA
FOR THE ARROGANT, HAUGHTY, PERVERSE, DEFENSIVE, PAROCHIAL ETC. EVIL LEADERS TO THEN TREAT US IN AN EVIL WAY
WILL ONLY BRING MORE AND HARSHER JUDGMENT DOWN ON TOP OF THEM.
*THEY* HAVE RETURNED EVIL FOR OUR GOOD. THEY *WILL* PAY THE PRICE FOR THAT personally and collectively.
God is not amused.
We cannot expect Muslims to act as Christians would.
TOOOOOO TRUE!
toooo fitting. sadly.
LOL--that was my thought. Personally, I'm for pulling not only the military out, but the unused portions of the aid too. I'm sure it can be used somewhere else.
Ah, drop off a pile of simple hand tools, (shovels, saws, axes) and leave them to fend for themselves.
Yes and no.
We are well to do it--all who authentically can--AS UNTO GOD and not per se as unto the Indonesians.
And, to some degree, we can go on doing good regardless of the response in some contexts; some disasters etc.
However, imho, this situation is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY OVER THE LINE.
They have bitten the hand pulling them out of their own sewer--if they could--they would have cut that hand OFF. They have thrown sand in the eyes of those searching far and wide with every high tech means available for their countrymen to pull out of their own cesspools.
They HATE the hand saving them.
Fine. let them have their evil and their destruction.
Let them rot in their arrogance, idiocy and evil.
Let the blood of their own countrymen be on their heads.
We have done our part and more and were willing to do still more.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
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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.
I rather agree with you.
I am beginning to believe that this was a setup by God.
He was testing their good vs their evil.
Guess they flunked.
I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. I only wonder how long before the other shoe falls out of Heaven on their heads.
God was fiercely wrathful in the Old Testament for far less of an affront against good than this.
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