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

Reuters ^ | Nov. 20, 2012 | David Alexander

[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.

[BenLurkin]

Didn’t he get the memo?

His boss has switched sides.

Time to get chummy with the Muslim Brotherhood..

[blueunicorn6]

“Leon, would you like to lead us in saying a prayer this Thanksgiving to remember the One who blesses us?”

“Sure. Dear Obama: thanks for beating the Republicans and holding off the Benghazi investigation until we can cover stuff up. Thanks also for the cranberries.”

[melsec]

They reduced Al Qaeda’s Islamic opposition in places like Egypt, Libya and Algeria and I trying to do so in Syria. You can take a few of their leaders out if you take out their opposition and they still win. This government has destabillised the Middle East to such an extent that it will be a miracle if there is not a Middle Eastern war in which many many thousands will die.

Mel

[peeps36]

Obama took away bin laden but gave them whole countries like Libya and Egypt. He helped the terrorist accomplish something they couldn't do on their own for the last 20 years. The regime's al quada narrative is as full of schit as obama is.

[castlegreyskull]

Decimated?

I am quite certain that the Al Queda “farm” system makes the N.Y. Yankees look like little leaguers.

[TigersEye]

We should.

[freekitty]

He is a liar.

[no-to-illegals]

Thanks Mesta. Thanks kristinn.

[no-to-illegals]

Thanks for this thread. My apology you should have been thanked first.

[no-to-illegals]

A truth. Thanks to the zer0 administration the number of enemy bases has grown. Thanks to the zer0 administration the numbers against the civilized world has grown.