Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Calling it ‘war’, Obama pegs Christmas Day attack to Al Qaeda ( calls for national unity )
Christian Science Monitor ^ | January 2, 2010 | Patrik Jonsson Staff writer

Posted on 01/02/2010 10:15:21 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach

Responding to critics of what is seen as his measured approach, Obama says the “nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred." He calls for national unity.

Atlanta

In his first Saturday morning address of the New Year, President Obama acknowledged an international terror syndicate – Al Qaeda – has struck the US on his watch.

Coming after days of political acrimony that stood in sharp contrast to the national solidarity shown after 9/11, Mr. Obama said Saturday that a Yemeni affiliate of Al Qaeda trained the suspect and “equipped him with … explosives and directed him to attack [the plane] headed for America.” He added that he thinks of the security of the US “every moment of every day.”

The move does two things. Obama reframes the attack, in essence taking responsibility for the ability of Al Qaeda to maneuver past US airline security defenses. The President has ordered at least two investigations that are expected to report back within days. But the tougher language also addresses growing political unease with the President’s careful approach to the conflict formerly known as the war on terror.

'This moment demands unity'

In his Saturday address, Obama asked politicians and the American people to forego not debate, but partisanship, saying that unity as a nation is what “this moment demands.”

Former CIA agent Kent Clizbe, an outspoken Obama critic, said in an interview last week that the attack means the President will be forced to acknowledge the “reality” of international terror versus the “fantasy” version: Obama's strategy, as Clizbe sees it, of humbling America before the world to ease recruitment and activity among Islamic extremists.


(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhochristmas; bhogwot; bhoradioaddress; flight253; nationalsecurityfail; obama; obamawar; underpantsgate; yemen
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

If the Great Appeaser really believes that we are at war, then he should admit that the civilian trial of KSM was a mistake and refer him to a military tribunal.

Anything else is just the churning of the White House press room.


41 posted on 01/02/2010 10:55:35 AM PST by mojito
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
in essence taking responsibility...

In a deniable sort of way.

42 posted on 01/02/2010 10:56:24 AM PST by glorgau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Keep running, 0bama. The end of that parade will soon be in sight. Maybe, some day, you will be leading


43 posted on 01/02/2010 10:56:30 AM PST by Steven Tyler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
He calls for national unity

He can shove his unity where the sun doesn't shine!

Maybe he can call off his Chicago thugs if he wants unity. He could also shut up and get to work! I remember Pres. Bush caught hell for taking a few days to chop down brush and this a-hole has done nothing but golf, travel and make speeches.

44 posted on 01/02/2010 11:00:10 AM PST by kcvl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kcvl

War? How can this be “war” when they said it wasn’t war? What’s next??? Terrorists? nobama is WAY above pay grade.


45 posted on 01/02/2010 11:09:01 AM PST by hal ogen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Steven Tyler

ROFL!!


46 posted on 01/02/2010 11:13:27 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
A young Algerian MUSLIM man......

This is all about jihad...to leave out the Muslim part is not doing justice to the History of the World which should make special note of it....

47 posted on 01/02/2010 11:14:58 AM PST by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

this is so easy to understand.

When terrorists attack us and Republicans are in charge it is a criminal matter.

When terrorists attack us and Democrats are in charge it is war.

What is so hard to understand people? /s


48 posted on 01/02/2010 11:15:36 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied, the economy died)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All; Saije
Related thread:

Barack Obama is vulnerable on terror – and he knows it

**********************EXCERPT INTRO*****************************

In his weekly radio address yesterday, President Barack Obama patted himself on the back for having "refocused the fight - bringing to a responsible end the war in Iraq, which had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks".

He then told people to remember that "our adversaries are those who would attack our country, not our fellow Americans", before decrying "fear and cynicism" and "partisanship and division" - the code phrases for horrid Republicans used during his 2008 election campaign.

Complacency, faux moralising and partisan shots at Republicans. It was a neat summary of where Obama is going wrong after the Christmas Day debacle when the Nigerian knicker bomber managed to waltz onto a Detroit-bound flight.

49 posted on 01/02/2010 11:27:25 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Obama is coming kinda late to the “unity” camp. What about the last 8 years? Seems like if this demands unity, those years also demanded unity.


50 posted on 01/02/2010 11:42:10 AM PST by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Did he say this after he went to the movies, before he went out for shaved ice or during his round of golf.

What a loser.


51 posted on 01/02/2010 11:51:54 AM PST by nhwingut (Palin/Bachmann '12)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Why don’t I believe him?

Why do I think this is just “rope-a-dope” and we are the dopes?

Maybe it’s because whenever he makes a speech he sounds almost rational... but when it comes to his actions it’s just the opposite.

Also, with the start of 2010 and the election cycle, he may finally be reading the polls, or his chicago consiglieri are, and they’re telling him to move to the right or face the biggest ass whipping come november.


52 posted on 01/02/2010 11:52:50 AM PST by aquila48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aquila48

Be sure and see the link at #49.


53 posted on 01/02/2010 11:58:39 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: nhwingut

Recall if you will that the computer Deep Thought required a hundred thousand years to answer the ultimate question. By the time the answer was delivered, the question had been forgotten.

The Teleprompter computer in a Messanic manner, takes three days to develop and display the answer for the One to read


54 posted on 01/02/2010 12:01:16 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . What ever I do is what shall be)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: keepitreal; Tax Government; YankeeReb; Voter62vb; mojito; Sacajaweau

“If we are at war, this man wouldn’t have beem mirandized, been given an expensive public defender and clammed up to protect his 5th Amendment “right” against self-incrimination. Just because Obama claims war, doesn’t mean he is acting like it is so.”

Exactly! These are just words. I’ll believe him when he takes some actions to show he means it... starting with:

1. Canceling the closure of Gitmo
2. Sending this latest terrorist there
3. Giving a call to Holder and telling him to cancel the civilian trials he’s scheduling for the Gitmo terrorists
4. Changing the rules of engagement in Afghanistan, etc. so that soldier are allowed to fight a war and not be cops.
5. Start profiling a la Israelis

This would be a good start. If the republicans pols are smart (doubtful) they will hold his feet to the fire with these points. Words aren’t sufficient - we want action that backs them up!!


55 posted on 01/02/2010 12:09:42 PM PST by aquila48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
He calls for national unity.

He needs the bump in the polls.
56 posted on 01/02/2010 12:52:45 PM PST by Beckwith (A "natural born citizen" -- two American citizen parents and born in the USA.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
If this is “war”, why did Pres_ent Pantywaist allow the bomber to lawyer up and stop talking istead of sweating him for every piece of intell he has?

At first, the sucker was blabbing his head off. Now, he's sitting with his feet up, planning his lawsuit for violations of his civil rights.

57 posted on 01/02/2010 1:15:51 PM PST by Gritty (Fighting the jihad in the courtroom means youÂ’ll lose - Mark Steyn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Bump. Thanks for the ping.


58 posted on 01/02/2010 1:38:45 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Responding to critics of what is seen as his measured approach, Obama says the “nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred."

But 0 said it wasn't a war, but rather an "overseas contingency operation." Which is it, 0? Make up your mind.

59 posted on 01/02/2010 2:29:06 PM PST by matt1234
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gritty
Looking thru the keyword list on articles finding stuff I didn't know about...like this thread:

US terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was University of Wollongong student (Australia)

60 posted on 01/02/2010 2:30:26 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson