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Attacking your allies: it’s just not done
Lake Champlain Weekly ^ | 07 August 2007 | Quentin Langley

Posted on 08/11/2007 5:15:26 AM PDT by qlangley

Britain’s new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, recently made his first visit to the US since assuming power. I want you to imagine that a candidate for President said that we all know there are terrorists in London and “If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and Gordon Brown won’t act, we will.”

I think you can guarantee there would be a storm of protest from other politicians and the media. A Presidential candidate threatening to invade Britain, or make some sort of strike into Britain without the co-operation of the British government would be a massive story. All other candidates would disown the statement. Congress would condemn it. If it came from one of the frontrunners, that candidate’s rivals would make booming denunciations in public, and laugh themselves silly in private. One fewer rival to worry about.

Of course, Britain is a key ally in the War on Terror, and even John Edwards, who thinks the War on Terror is a bumper sticker, probably knows that. There are not many alliances as close as that between Britain and America. America depends on no foreign leader as much as on Gordon Brown, except, perhaps, just one.

America’s most critical ally is rather lower profile than Britain, but overall probably more important, and it is Pakistan . . .

. . . go to original source to read how Obama's remarks make nuclear war more likely

(Excerpt) Read more at quentinlangley.net ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: allies; gaffe; gordonbrown; obama; obamarambo; pakistan
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1 posted on 08/11/2007 5:15:27 AM PDT by qlangley
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To: qlangley
Hey, I’m glad Obama said it. Just brings out in the forefront what a fool he is.
2 posted on 08/11/2007 5:28:37 AM PDT by DB
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To: DB

Yes. But when the NY times (read throughout the world for God only knows what reason) carries it as “some politicians” — like it was a considerable number of leading voices — hell, wars have been started over less than that!!!!


3 posted on 08/11/2007 6:28:17 AM PDT by Turret Gunner A20
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To: DB

It’s things like that from Obama and others that will cause Hillary to look rational. We live in twisted times.


4 posted on 08/11/2007 6:37:25 AM PDT by Dutch Boy
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To: DB
Yes, if we had absolute positive proof that Osama BL and the Al Quaida and Taliban leadership teams were in a very specific location and Pakistan refused to take them out and refused to allow us to take them out, we'd be foolish to do anything which would upset our Pakistani "pals".
Where does Obama get these crazy ideas?
5 posted on 08/11/2007 6:50:21 AM PDT by Riodacat (Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge, truth and reality sucks....)
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To: Riodacat
oH, YOU APPROVE OF STARTING ANOTHER WR??

Don't you think the one we have alredy is enough?

6 posted on 08/11/2007 6:53:39 AM PDT by Turret Gunner A20
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To: Turret Gunner A20

Excused the typ[os — the cat was ‘helping’ me.


7 posted on 08/11/2007 6:55:14 AM PDT by Turret Gunner A20
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To: Turret Gunner A20

It’s all the same war. Just different campaigns.


8 posted on 08/11/2007 7:03:11 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: Turret Gunner A20
oH, YOU APPROVE OF STARTING ANOTHER WR??
Don't you think the one we have alredy is enough?

Are you suggesting that if we take out the Osama BL terrorist camp in the tribal region of Pakistan, that Pakistan will declare war on us???????
You can't be serious..

9 posted on 08/11/2007 7:16:33 AM PDT by Riodacat (Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge, truth and reality sucks....)
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To: Riodacat

>>Where does Obama get these crazy ideas?

The question is not ‘where does he get the ideas?’. It is just possible, in a nightmare, that we might have to do something that would endanger a friendly government.

But talking about such plans makes the nightmare all the more likely. Pakistan has nuclear weapons. You really want to destablise the current government and put the Taleban in charge?


10 posted on 08/11/2007 7:26:02 AM PDT by qlangley
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To: Riodacat
There is a fundamental difference between what one would do if the situation pressed and what one would admit to doing. By SAYING it he destabilized our relationship with Pakistan and Musharef’s position. Diplomacy is the subtle art of telling someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip. Bush Derangement Syndrome has unhinged the other party, and intellectual affirmative action for Presidential candidates is beginning to show its ludicrous nature.
11 posted on 08/11/2007 7:34:36 AM PDT by allmendream (A Lyger is pretty much my favorite animal.)
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To: Riodacat
Are you suggesting that if we take out the Osama BL terrorist camp in the tribal region of Pakistan, that Pakistan will declare war on us??????? You can't be serious.

I dead serious. Wars have strted before for the one reason -- one country sent troops into another without permission. THAT IS AN ACT OF WAR!

And would you bet your life that ANY Muslim country would hesitate to shoot back at "the Great Satan" for violating their sovereignty?

12 posted on 08/11/2007 7:43:59 AM PDT by Turret Gunner A20
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To: qlangley

“Attacking your allies”—someone forgot to tell Clinton that when he ordered bombing of Yugoslavia in ‘99.


13 posted on 08/11/2007 8:51:30 AM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: lilylangtree

>>someone forgot to tell Clinton that when he ordered bombing of Yugoslavia in ‘99.

In what war was Yugoslavia an ally of America’s in 1999?


14 posted on 08/11/2007 1:24:37 PM PDT by qlangley
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To: qlangley

Correct me if I’m wrong but Yugoslavia and US were a member of NATO. NATO’s articles states that they don’t attack each other.


15 posted on 08/11/2007 1:33:01 PM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: Riodacat

If we did, we quietly just do it. Not scream it all over the media and upset the locals.


16 posted on 08/11/2007 2:03:43 PM PDT by DB
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To: lilylangtree
Correct me if I’m wrong but Yugoslavia and US were a member of NATO.

You're wrong.

17 posted on 08/11/2007 3:00:38 PM PDT by ReignOfError (`)
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To: DB
What happened to "If you harbor terrorists, you are a terrorist. If you train or arm a terrorist, you are a terrorist. If you feed a terrorist or fund a terrorist, you're a terrorist and you will be held accountable." - Our President make that statement to the world Nov 21/01.

If Pakistan won't take care of the terrorists within its borders and won't allow us to take them out then they are harboring terrorists.
So our current position is what? we were just kidding?
So now, just because a Democrat reaffirms a key principle of the Bush doctrine, we're going to disavow it?

18 posted on 08/11/2007 3:43:52 PM PDT by Riodacat (Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge, truth and reality sucks....)
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To: Riodacat
Ya, lets open a few more fronts while we try to contain Iran...

If we have intelligence on the whereabouts of top al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan then we should quietly just take them out - just like we have been doing.

19 posted on 08/11/2007 3:49:25 PM PDT by DB
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To: DB
Let me see if I understand your point.
We pinpoint where Osama and the boys are. We ask Pakistan's permission & they tell us to go pound sand.
We take out Osama and his boys. And then we keep quite about it. We don't tell our citizens that the guys who did what they did to us have finally been brought to justice? The Pakistanis don't know their territory was violated by infidels? They prefer to be learn that we would do that after the fact rather than be told up front?
20 posted on 08/11/2007 4:34:18 PM PDT by Riodacat (Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge, truth and reality sucks....)
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