Posted on 07/13/2009 8:18:41 AM PDT by xzins
ACCRA, Ghana, July 12 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama said he has ordered a probe of the U.S. response to mass killings of Taliban prisoners of war by forces of an American-backed warlord.
In an interview with CNN, Obama said the investigation would focus on reports the Bush administration resisted calls for a probe into the deaths of as many as 2,000 Taliban POWs in 2001, during the early days of the war in Afghanistan.
"The indications that this had not been properly investigated just recently was brought to my attention," Obama said during his visit to Ghana. "So what I've asked my national security team to do is to collect the facts for me that are known, and we'll probably make a decision in terms of how to approach it once we have all of the facts gathered up."
The Taliban prisoners had surrendered to the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in late 2001, CNN said on its Web site Sunday night.
The New York Times, citing government officials and human-rights organizations, reported Saturday that Bush administration officials repeatedly discouraged efforts to investigate the mass killings.
The Times said officials from the FBI, the State Department, the Red Cross and human rights organizations had sought an investigation into the deaths but Bush administration officials were reluctant to investigate because the warlord, Abdul Rashid Dostum, was on the payroll of the CIA and his militia had worked closely with U.S. Special Forces in 2001.
Sources told the Times U.S. officials also expressed concern about undermining the government of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, for whom Dostum served as a defense official.
Huge Haditha Ping.
Gotta keep our eyes on this one!
Barack Hussein Obama, Enemy of the State.
Let ‘em investigate all they want then maybe his other initiatives, like healthcare and a second stimulus, and cap and tax in the Senate will go down the tube.
I don’t think we should jump to conclusions on this. As much as I mistrust Obama, I don’t think he has much choice but to at least gather information on this. I’ll save my criticism for any improper decisions resulting from such “information gathering”.
Ubama is being played like a fiddle. The America-hating appeasers and losers finally have an ear.
Hey Obama - "Peaceful" talks (Negotiating) with irrational religiously-motivated zealots (terrorists) will not accomplish anything other than a weak, wussy U.S.(Your goal?)
Yep. Time for Hussein to change the subject, divert attention back to the “evil Bush” and allow his wholly owned media operation to scam the public once again. Unemployment? What unemployment!
Sure. I can understand the FBI wanting to be involved in an investigation of Taliban deaths in Afghanistan.
Not.
I'd much rather think the FBI would want to investigate CNN's involvement in Iraqi torture deaths during the reign of Saddam Hussein.
In my view, Obama travels back and forth between sinister and stupid. Well, he's always sinister, but the stupid stuff always seems so, well ............stupid.
These people are abysmally stupid. They're going to screw up their little Afghanistan adventure and fall on their faces just like they have with the "stimulus" joke. Some things are better just left alone.
Nothing like a show trial to razzle dazzle the Comrades as to why Socialism isn’t arriving on time.
Can you imagine fighting WWII or any other American war under this so-called administration? The Kenyan should be careful how he trods here. I would not want to tick off the military, especially if I was elected under false pretenses.
All enemies of the United States. Why doesn't the NYT name the 'human-rights organizations'? They have no problem naming CIA agents and other classified information.
Watch the Obama poll numbers. The more they slip the greater the effort by Rahm and Company to put the focus back on Bush-Cheney. You can see it happening right before your eyes. But, IMHO, it’s a fool’s errand. This is Obama’s mess and he is going to get blamed for the bad economy and the bad results in the WOT whether he likes it or not. Bush Bashing is not going to work.
Here comes another smoke screen to cover Nancy’s ass. He is slowly destroying the CIA so he can create the O I A, Obama Intellegence Organization, the officers will wear brown shirts and jack boots.
I think he is just STUPID! When the state run media have to keep telling everyone how 'smart' he is that's a clue.
The more Obama talks, the better Bush looks.
I like the fact that he stood up for those who stood with US.
These warlord’s helping America are very important, If we were to let one go down, who else would ever work with us.
"I will uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic"
It's just that he so often does stupid things that could be easily avoided. Investigating the deaths of Taliban? In a war against the Taliban?? In a war where he's advocated a surge against the Taliban?? Just dumb.
And you know it's to try to distract from his failures and sinking poll numbers. How exactly does anyone in his administration thing that this will increase his popularity? Incredibly dense.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.