Barack Obama gets an 'F' for protecting Americans

[Boffo]

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"There is no more solemn duty for an American commander-in-chief than the martialling of  “all elements of American power” – the phrase Obama himself used on Monday – to protect the people of the United States. In that key respect, Obama failed on Christmas Day, just as President George W. Bush failed on September 11th (though he succeeded in the seven years after that).

Yes, the buck stops in the Oval Office. Obama may have rather smugly given himself a “B+” for his 2008 performance but he gets an F for the events that led to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab boarding a Detroit-bound plane in Amsterdam with a PETN bomb sewn into his underpants.  He said today that a “systemic failure has occurred”. Well, he’s in charge of that system.

The picture we’re getting is more and more alarming by the hour. Here are some key elements to consider:

1. Abdulmutallab’s father spoke several times to the US Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria and visited a CIA officer there to tell him, apparently, that he feared his son was a jihadist being trained in Yemen. According to CNN, the CIA officer wrote up a report, which then sat in the CIA headquarters at Langley for several weeks without being disseminated to the rest of the intelligence community.  This was not just a casual encounter. Again according to CNN, there were at least two face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and written correspondence with the father. If it’s true that the CIA sat on this then it beggars belief.

2. After 9/11, the huge bureaucracies of the Homeland Security Department and the Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI) were created. Inside the DNI, the National Counter Terrorism Center was created. These organisations were created to “connect the dots”. It may well be that the fault lay with NCTC and not the CIA – CIA spokesman George Little says here that “key biographical information” and information about “possible extremist connections in Yemen” was passed to NCTC. If NCTC knew about it, then did someone at the National Security Council within the White House? There’s a huge blame game beginning so we’ll no doubt know soon enough.

3. It wasn’t just the meeting with the father. According to CBS, “as early as August of 2009 the Central Intelligence Agency was picking up information on a person of interest dubbed ‘The Nigerian’ suspected of meeting with ‘terrorist elements’ in Yemen”. So there were other parts of the jigsaw that were not put together.

4. In his studied desire to be the unBush by responding coolly to events like this, Obama is dangerously close to failing as a leader. Yes, it is good not to shoot from the hip and make broad assertions without the facts. But Obama took three days before speaking to the American people, emerging on Monday in between golf and tennis games in Hawaii to deliver a rather tepid address that significantly underplayed what happened. He described Abdulmutallab as an “isolated extremist” who “allegedly tried to ignite an explosive device on his body” – phrases that indicate a legalistic, downplaying approach that alarms rather than reassures. Today’s words showed a lot more fire and desire to get on top of things – we’ll see whether Obama follows through with action. In the meantime, he went snorkelling.

5. There has been a pattern developing with the Obama administration trying to minimise terrorist attacks. We saw it with Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, a Muslim convert who murdered a US Army recruit in Little Rock, Arkansas in June. We saw it with Major Nidal Malik Hassan, a Muslim with Palestinian roots who slaughtered 13 at Fort Hood, Texas last month.  In both cases, there were Yemen connections. Obama began to take the same approach with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. We’ll see whether this incident shakes him out of that complacency. Whether it’s called the war on terror or not, it’s clear that the US is at war against al-Qaeda and radical Islamists.

6. Guantanamo Bay. It seems that two of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) planners behind this attack were released from Guantanamo Bay during the Bush administration. That calls into question the competence of Bush administration officials but also the wisdom of closing Guantanamo Bay. How many other enemies of America and the West are going to be released back to the battlefield? As Mike Goldfarb asks: “Is the Obama administration seriously still considering sending some 90 Yemeni detainees now being held at Gitmo back to their country of origin, where al Qaeda are apparently running around with impunity?”

7. Janet Napolitano, Obama’s Homeland Security Chief, has been a distaster in this, exhibiting the kind of bureaucratic complacency that makes ordinary citizens want to go postal. On Sunday, she told CNN that “one thing I’d like to point out is that the system worked” and ABC News that “once the incident occurred, the system worked”. A day later, she grumbled that quoted “out of context” before reversing herself, telling NBC: “Our system did not work in this instance. No one is happy or satisfied with that. An extensive review is under way.” The “system worked” comment was a “heckuva job, Brownie” moment. Is she up to the job?

8. Will Obama hold individuals accountable? Briefing the press today behind a cloak of anonymity as a “Senior Administration Official”, Denis McDonough, NSC chief of staff (he gave the game away by saying he was from Minnesota), said that Obama “intends to demand accountability at the highest levels” before adding: ” It remains to be seen what that means exactly.” If heads don’t roll – and soon – then Obama’s words will seem hollow. It’s an opportunity for him to show some real steel.

9. There’s a continued, unfortunate tendency for everyone in Obamaland to preface every comment about something going wrong with a sideswipe against the Bush administration. On Sunday, Bill Burton, Deputy White House Press Secretary, briefed: “On the Sunday shows, Robert Gibbs and Secretary Napolitano made clear that we are pressing ahead with securing our nation against threats and our aggressive posture in the war with al Qaeda.  We are winding down a war in Iraq that took our eye off of the terrorists that attacked us, and have dramatically increased our resources in Afghanistan and Pakistan where those terrorists are.” Why pat yourself on the back for “winding down a war in Iraq that took our eye off of the terrorists that attacked us” when the issue at hand is why the US government under Obama, er, took its eyes off a terrorist who did try to attack us and nearly killed 300 people? It’s bordering on the juvenile. Obama’s been president for a year now. It’s time for him to accept that things that happen as his responsibility, not Bush’s. It’s time for him to echo Ronald Reagan, who said over Iran-Contra: “I take full responsibility for my own actions and for those of my administration.”

10.  Will there be US air attacks against targets in Yemen? Watch this space. It’s safe to say that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP, described to me by a senior intelligence official today as “officially recognised and in corporate terms a sanctioned franchise of al-Qaeda” that is plainly now seeking to become an international rather than just a regional Islamist player."

http://tinyurl.com/ycmqgvu

I guess it's things like this that compel the unqualified empty suit to hide virtually all of his educational records.

he should quit in the interest of national security, and it goes without saying, fire the bubble head Napolitano as his last official act

[lucy]

There are already air attacks on Yemen/

[Velleity]

And yet he's already 3 months ahead of George W. Bush in terms of not having a major attack on American soil during his tenure.

Or are you utterly ridiculous like Mary Maitlin who apparently believes 9/11 happened on Clinton's watch and was Clinton's fault?

[Boffo]

Vel, do you have a clue at how idiotic your (and your ilk's) Bush tap dance looks?  the world is laughing at it, and I am laughing at you.

I don't need Maitlin to tell me that Clinton gave usama binladen a free pass, essentially a license to kill,  Clinton's done that himself.

funny thing is, Bush has never mentioned "inheriting" anything from Clinton

at any rate, the subject of THIS thread is Obama's ineptitude on national security, 

what grade do YOU give him?

[Velleity]

That's a load of crap Boffo. You keep trying to tell me how many people are laughing at me. I keep telling you that it's only your and your sorry lot of deposed ideologues that's "laughing."

I'm glad you find your exile to the ideological wilderness so amusing. I agree. Your exile to the ideological wilderness is extremely amusing. I am ROTFLMAO right with you buddy.

How would I grade Obama? You know the answer. You keep ignoring the fact that we were losing 700,000 jobs a year ago and the latest number, losing only 11,000 in November. I can see how convenient it is for you to ignore that detail and to scoff at the notion that your ideology leads us to Great Depressions. But it is a fact, and unfortunately as good and as talented as he is Barack Obama doesn't have a magic wand. Considering where we were and how profoundly fucked up the situation was after 30 years of your discredited objectivist nonsense, a year of steady progress toward recovery is absolutely phenomenal.

Moreover neither you nor any of your fellow radicals have anything constructive to offer. Bush wasn't exactly renowned for either his competence in managing crises or his accountability, and yet he's better than anyone you have to put forward today. McCain? Romney? Palin? Are you serious suggesting that any of them would have us in a better position today?

ROTFLMAO. I give Obama the only credible grade that can be given: an A.

You will never accept the fact that we were really on the brink of the Great Republican Depression II. You will never accept the fact that Obama is only responsible at present for a minute portion of our current debt. You will never accept the fact that our stature in the community of nations has risen tremendously. You will never give Obama any credit for having taken over from our worst president ever the absolute worst conditions since Lincoln took over the country on the verge of the Civil War.

Health care isn't what I would have wanted it to be but again, how do you blame Obama? One has to have 60 votes in the Senate and Republicans have irrationally and irresponsibly abdicated their role in any constructive debate. Mark my words, this will bite them in the ass when all is said and done. It's a dumb strategy reminiscent of Khrushchev pounding his shoe at the U.N. I think when the smoke clears Obama will have done the best he could have done and he will emerge even stronger because he will have a huge success to build on, along with a much better economy in the 1st quarter of 2010 and beyond.

So far, Boffo, it's an A. It's actually better than I had any right to expect.

As for your noise, that's all it is.

[SpaceCadet]

I didn't think Bush was to blame for 9/11, and I don't think most of the country did at the time.  Likewise, I don't blame Obama for this.  It's not as if he had dismantled some piece of security apparatus, and had this happen as a result.

I do blame Bush for the mess in Iraq.

I do blame the current head of Homeland Security for saying that "the system worked".

[Boffo]

wow, Vel, that was downright blustery

maybe you should dial down the turbocharger on you blue koolaid iv  machine a tad though, the subject of the thread is Obama's score on national security

so in light of his stupendous blunder and the fact that hundreds of innocent passengers and crew are only alive due to a malfunctioning detonator, how do you rate this inept crackhead on protecting Americans?

so far the count is 2 f's and zero anything else

jump in trooper

maybe you should start a dedicated thread to Obama's economy saving plan, aka the Bush plan and we could discuss the 10+ unemployment, GDP, bank failures, foreclosures and unsustainable national debt

[Velleity]

Boffo, I'm ecstatic that we avoided the Great Republican Depression II. The real question here is why aren't you, and why aren't you grateful?

[Velleity]

I didn't think Bush was to blame for 9/11, and I don't think most of the country did at the time.  Likewise, I don't blame Obama for this.  It's not as if he had dismantled some piece of security apparatus, and had this happen as a result.

I do blame Bush for the mess in Iraq.

I do blame the current head of Homeland Security for saying that "the system worked".

Whom and what do you blame for hollowing out the middle class and precipitating the financial collapse? Do you buy the ridiculous "it was the CRA" meme?"

[SpaceCadet]

Whom and what do you blame for hollowing out the middle class and precipitating the financial collapse? Do you buy the ridiculous "it was the CRA" meme?"

I don't know much about the CRA.  I primarily blame a lack of regulation, and I think it showed that there needs to be more regulation in that regard.

I blame the Democrats for using the financial disaster as a justification for passing their pork-laden "stimulus".

[Observer]

I don't know much about the CRA.  I primarily blame a lack of regulation, and I think it showed that there needs to be more regulation in that regard.

More regulation?

How about more self restraint and personal responsibility on the part of potential borrowers?

I blame the Democrats for using the financial disaster as a justification for passing their pork-laden "stimulus".

Can't disagree with that.

[Boffo]

Vel, you seem to be in tasmanian devil mode, spinning, popping and spouting off topic

are you afraid to start a thread devoted to Obama's cloning of Bush economic policy, patting hisself on the back for laughable little "green sprouts" and whining like a little bitch that it's Bush's fault.....all in the same breath LOL!

anyhow, back to the topic, the Obama Department of National Insecurity

any thoughts?  is it working?

stop hp'ing around with silly diversions and pipe dreams

[IM2]

A man gets on a plane in Amsterdam and Obama gets an F for national security. And the person givng this F probably gave Bush an A. At last check Amsterdam was in The Netherlands. Obama had no jurisdiction over this guy. To what end will the right go to in order to blame Obama for things he had no control over?

It's simple. Obama gets an A. No attacks on American soil during his watch. This is the conservative critera used to proclaim the greatness of Bush/Cheney, and double standards ARE NOT ACCEPTED.

More regulation?

How about more self restraint and personal responsibility on the part of potential borrowers?

Wrong. More regulation is the key. Less regulation leads to irresponsility on thepart of teh ledners, and investors. We have seen this on several occasions, and we saw this in the time since Gramm-Leech -Blillley did away with Glass-Steagall.

Glass Steagall was implemented to stop the runaway frieght train of the very same things we saw in the early 2000's happening during the 1920's that caused the great depression. If we do not create similar standards again, we are going to see the same results again. It's so easy for the right to blame those on the bottom. What is not easy for them to do, and thats because they are basically cowards, is to challege their richie rich friends to take the same responsibility this person demands of potential borrowers.

I blame the Democrats for using the financial disaster as a justification for passing their pork-laden "stimulus".

Just exactly how much of this stimulus bill was pork? I want real dollars not made up crap.

Because the overall amount of this package was 787 billion.

260 billion is discretionary spending going to states and various federal agencies. So then 33 percent of this money is going to be spent in this manner, and one persons pork is another persons employment.

So we know already that 2 out of every 3 dollars spent in this stimulus is not pork.

[lucy]

Acts against civilians in other countries are not part of an effort to protect us, These acts done supposedly in OUR NAME, but not sanctioned by many of us, can easily make us hated in the world even more.

This has got to stop.

http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/western-troops-accused-of-executing-10-afghan-civilians-including-children/

[Velleity]

Vel, you seem to be in tasmanian devil mode, spinning, popping and spouting off topic

are you afraid to start a thread devoted to Obama's cloning of Bush economic policy, patting hisself on the back for laughable little "green sprouts" and whining like a little bitch that it's Bush's fault.....all in the same breath LOL!

anyhow, back to the topic, the Obama Department of National Insecurity

any thoughts?  is it working?

stop hp'ing around with silly diversions and pipe dreams

I have no idea what you're babbling about here Boffo. You asked a question and I answered it.