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U.S. has decimated al Qaeda chiefs but must persist in fight: Panetta
Reuters ^ | Nov. 20, 2012 | David Alexander

Posted on 11/20/2012 6:41:23 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY

(Reuters) - U.S. forces have decimated al Qaeda's leadership and made gains against some of its affiliates, but the fight has shifted in new directions that will require persistent U.S. efforts to truly end the threat, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday.

Panetta, in a speech to the Center for a New American Security, said while the United States had achieved progress against al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Somalia, associated groups had made inroads in Mali and Nigeria and were trying to gain a foothold in Libya.

He said the United States had "decimated core al Qaeda," killing leaders like Osama bin Laden, Sheikh Saeed al-Masri and Abu Yahya al-Libi. It also has made strides against affiliated groups like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and al Shabaab in Somalia, he said.

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benghazi; navyseals; threatmatrix
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1 posted on 11/20/2012 6:41:26 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Decimate: reduce by 10%. So AQ still has 90% of its chiefs remaining.

Leon, you’re doing a heckuva job.


2 posted on 11/20/2012 6:44:20 PM PST by rfp1234 (Arguing with a liberal is like playing chess with a pigeon.)
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To: rfp1234; xzins
Decimate: reduce by 10%. So AQ still has 90% of its chiefs remaining.

You beat me to it.

"Decimate" was something the Roman legions did to their own soldiers as a method of group discipline.

It was supposed to make the remaining 90% stronger and more willing to fight and follow orders.

I think it worked.

3 posted on 11/20/2012 6:50:00 PM PST by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

I do not believe you, Mr. Panetta.


4 posted on 11/20/2012 6:50:23 PM PST by chris37 (Heartless.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
Nailing Osama did "0" to reduce alqueda. Nailing Khadaffi did "0" to democratize Libya.

Then there's Egypt...we pay them billions

And we're giving money to those great Asian communist countries. Yeh Friendship...on my dime.

5 posted on 11/20/2012 6:50:23 PM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Uh huh. I fear what this country will look like in 50 years.


6 posted on 11/20/2012 6:54:54 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear (Great vid by ShorelineMike! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOZjJk6nbD4&feature=plcp)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

“U.S. has decimated al Qaeda chiefs but must persist in fight: Panetta”

That would come as a surprise to the four Americans who were slaughtered recently. I hate these glib talking bastards and the press that supports them.


7 posted on 11/20/2012 6:54:54 PM PST by jessduntno ("Socialism only works...in Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they have it." - RR)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Guerrilla wars last a while. Colombia has been fighting communists for almost 50 years, and for most of that none of its neighbors was backing the guerrillas. Bolivia and Venezuela recently started giving Colombia’s guerrillas shelter, but that was after Morales and Chavez came to power.


8 posted on 11/20/2012 6:55:21 PM PST by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Killing al Qaeda guys is wack a mole and more keep popping up. It probably costs $5 million per guy or more, plus puts a lot of our military abroad in dangerous places to do the job. Maybe a new plan is in order.


9 posted on 11/20/2012 6:57:21 PM PST by RicocheT (Eat the rich only if you're certain it's your last meal)
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To: Free ThinkerNY; annieokie; penelopesire; maggief; Protect the Bill of Rights; thouworm; SE Mom; ...
Everyone is a 'chief' in al qaeda. Literally. One goes down, 2 rise up and a new group is formed under one of them. In our DB we have over 3500 different groups. al qaeda, in and of itself, is not a 'group'. It is very simply The Base...just as the head of the UN isn't a citizen of every nation the un represents. The biggedy bigs in al qaeda are paper pushers.

Ping to leon at his most ignorant.

10 posted on 11/20/2012 6:57:29 PM PST by MestaMachine (It's the !!!!TREASON!!!!, stupid!)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
More than likely Israel has done it not us. Besides, Bin Ladan is dead and there is NO threat anymore.
11 posted on 11/20/2012 6:57:57 PM PST by fish hawk
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Al Qaeda; now attacking 10% fewer embassies than it used to.


12 posted on 11/20/2012 7:03:43 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Lets give credit where it is due.

Bush did it.

Since obama? Troop have to fight the muslims, his brethren, with hands tied so as to not offend them.


13 posted on 11/20/2012 7:05:02 PM PST by himno hero (hadnuff)
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To: rfp1234

Lets define decimation in the style of our leading from behind president.
Obama is busy arming them, (and the MB) for the decimation of Israel and America!


14 posted on 11/20/2012 7:08:36 PM PST by himno hero (hadnuff)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
U.S. forces have decimated al Qaeda's leadership and made gains against some of its affiliates, but the fight has shifted in new directions that will require persistent U.S. efforts to truly end the threat, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday.

Notice how the naive Infidels frame the problem as being al Qaeda, a specific small group, when the problem is tens of millions of fundamental Muslims world wide following the religion as written in the Koran. -Tom

15 posted on 11/20/2012 7:09:37 PM PST by Capt. Tom
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To: Free ThinkerNY
When Bin Laden was killed (mostly due to info gathered by the Bush administration and condemned by Obama), the Obama administration was going around like the Munchkins in the Wizard of Oz movie after the wicked with of the east was killed. The idiots at the Messiah's administration forgot about the other wicked witches, but Al Qaeda reminded them that they are still around.
16 posted on 11/20/2012 7:11:15 PM PST by Stepan12
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To: TigersEye

Pannyboy is so FOS he has dingleberries instead of ear wax. Al Qaeda isn’t a snake. It’s a freaking hydra. Cut off a couple of heads and they grow right back.


17 posted on 11/20/2012 7:13:14 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Hope and Change has become Attack and Obfuscate.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Hey Panetta you douche-dick, where were you during the attack in Benghazi ? What a loser.

Apologies for the language.


18 posted on 11/20/2012 7:16:08 PM PST by onona (Don't mean nothin, Molon Labe.)
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To: gov_bean_ counter
Panetta is a lying sack of dog dung alrighty.

On Benghazi, Panetta Says Needed 'Advance Notice' of Surprise Attack for Timely Response

19 posted on 11/20/2012 7:17:36 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
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To: TigersEye

We are just mowing the grass. Without cutting off their financial support in SA and Gulf states..we will face a new crop every week. It is time to put some real terrorists out of business.


20 posted on 11/20/2012 7:35:48 PM PST by Oldexpat
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