WASHINGTON -- Diplomatic sources said Barack Obama has engaged several Arab intermediaries to relay messages to and from Al Qaida in the months before his elections as the 44th U.S. president. The sources said Al Qaida has offered what they termed a truce in exchange for a U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"For the last few months, Obama has been receiving and sending feelers to those close to Al Qaida on whether the group would end its terrorist campaign against the United States," a diplomatic source said. "Obama sees this as helpful to his plans to essentially withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq during his first term in office."
I think John McCain might have been able to use this kind of information.
If all this is right Jimmy Carter is going to look like Bill Halsey compared to Obama.The sources said Obama has deemed a U.S. reconciliation with the Muslim world, including Iran, his main foreign policy goal. They said the president has been aided by a coterie of Gulf Arab Muslims with ties to the Al Qaida leadership in Pakistan.
[The Washington Times reported on Jan. 30 that "Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry held a series of previously undisclosed meetings last year with a senior adviser to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to discuss Iran's nuclear program, a person familiar with the back-channel talks said [Jan. 29]. The person, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the topic, said the talks took place with Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, Mr. Ahmadinejad's closest aide, and were "discussions, not negotiations," aimed at clarifying understanding of the two sides' positions.
Again, the only way this can work out positively for the USA is if Obama's real plan is to demonstrate to the American people and the world that there CAN be nothing to discuss with such people. I seriously doubt this. I think these guys really believe their own anti Bush hype, and think kumbaya work works. I really thought Rahm Emanuel was made of harder material than this, and would NEVER allow any such truly destructive behavior or ideas to take root.An article in Geostrategy-Direct on Nov. 19, 2008 noted that "perception, whether solidly based on reality or not, is the basis for geopolitics. And the fact is that many Muslims throughout the world perceive Barack Obama to be one of their own even though he is a professed Christian."
On his first day in office, Obama ordered the shutdown of the U.S. Navy prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which contains 245 suspected Al Qaida members. The president said he would also dismantle unspecified CIA holding centers for Al Qaida detainees.
"Now, my job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect," Obama said in an interview to the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Jan. 26. "I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries."
"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy -- we sometimes make mistakes -- we have not been perfect," Obama said.
The two presidential decisions prompted calls for reconciliation by a range of leading Muslims. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi called on the United States to launch a dialogue with Al Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden while the Al Qaida-aligned Gamiat Islamiya urged an immediate four-month ceasefire.
At this point, the sources said, Al Qaida appears divided over Obama. They said Al Qaida's No. 2 Ayman Zawahiri has regarded Obama, identified as a Muslim in much of the Arab world, as dangerous to the jihad movement, while others believe the new president was intent on ending the so-called global war on terrorism, begun in 2001. The U.S. war was sparked by Al Qaida air strikes in New York and Washington, which killed more than 3,000 Americans.
"Addressing the Islamic world, Obama said we are in need of a new direction," a statement by Gamiat leaders said. "So he is calling for adopting a new approach that differs to the blocked and irrational path that [former U.S. President George] Bush followed."
As a result, Gamiat has opposed a call by Al Qaida leader Abu Yehya Al Libi for renewed attacks on the West, particularly Britain and the United States. The Egyptian-based Islamic network warned that such attacks would force Obama to rescind his decision to close Guantanamo and resume the U.S. offensive against Al Qaida.
"These positions -- Obama announcing a diplomatic approach towards Iran and its nuclear file, his willingness to close Guantanamo Bay, and his request that judges suspend trials for four months in Guantanamo Bay -- show that there is a new opportunity that must be explored and not thrown away before making sure that it is just a mirage," Sheik Essam Derbala, a Gamiat leader, said.
The diplomatic sources said Obama's effort has been endorsed by most of the U.S. intelligence community. They said the community has assessed that Al Qaida, isolated in northwestern Pakistan, would not reemerge in Afghanistan, even under a Taliban regime.
"The United States has imposed attrition on Al Qaida, disrupting its command, control and communications and isolating it," George Friedman, a U.S. strategist and director of Stratfor, said in a report. "To avoid penetration by hostile intelligence services, Al Qaida has not recruited new cadres for its primary unit. This makes it very difficult to develop intelligence on Al Qaida, but it also makes it impossible for Al Qaida to replace its losses."
Still, Saudi Arabia has been concerned over any reconciliation between Al Qaida and the United States. The sources said Saudi King Abdullah fears that Obama's effort would legitimize Al Qaida and bolster its status in the Gulf Arab kingdom.
"Calling for a dialogue with Al Qaida alone is evidence of the extent of our shortsightedness and our failure to understand what is more of a threat to us than to the West," Tariq Al Homayed, editor of the Saudi-owned A-Sharq Al Awsat daily, said. "What we need is to tackle the threat posed by Al Qaida's ideology rather than Al Qaida members."
Al Homayed, said to be close to the Saudi leadership, envisioned a contest among Arab states to sponsor an Al Qaida-U.S. reconciliation conference. He urged the Saudi leadership to clearly oppose such an effort.
"Interaction with Washington and Obama is important, especially with regards to what concerns us," Al Homayed wrote in an editorial. "But if our reactions are going to resemble those that are mentioned above, then this will be frustrating, not for Washington, but for us, the people of the region who are hoping for a better future."
This is unbelievable.
LITERALLY
Why didn't we just work out a truce after Bataan?
16 comments:
Un-effing-believable. Is Obama even on our side? If this is accurate it is hard to grasp.
The most charitable thing that can be said about this is that Obama has been taken in by men much older and much more experienced. Shows what happens when an inexperienced beginner is given a grown up job.
And what about the legalities. Is Obama guilty of sedition? Too bad most of the House of Representatives is as easily taken in as Obama.
If this is true that was treason negotiating on behalf of the united states without the authority of the president or congress. This Muslim is a traitor and should be tried and executed.
RAY- The Gertz article is on his own publication ..GEOSTRATEGY-DIRECT.COM
Which site is blocked, IBA, or Villagers with Torches
It's interesting to me that Saudi Arabia is against Obama's plan. I know Al Qaeda opposes the Saudi regime, but why is it that Saudi is alone in the Muslim world in opposing this plan? Or, is it that the Sunni world in general is opposed to this plan, being that it will help Iran?
I have no way of reading this, other than to say I agree with Chicago Ray that this is treasonous behavior. However, we have no hope of seeing this type of behavior end. Jimmy Carter does this shit all the fucking time and gets away with it.
"Jimmy Carter does this shit all the fucking time and gets away with it.
" Aint that the truth, damn Muslim hugger he is, Obama's Muslim tendencies have shown themselves far quicker than even I anticipated. Traitor
Nah, Carter's prob is with the west.
We are evil to him. Thus the USA must apologize, grovel and is wrong in all ways.
Towards Israel he has made remarks several times that only when the jews are dispossessed, and oppressed are they fulfilling the mission god has in mind for them.
He's is just a guilt ridden, messed up dude, who can best serve the world by BUILDING MORE HOMES for those who cannot do it for themselves.
Quote: "I think John McCain might have been able to use this kind of information."
McCain's campaign provided ample proof that there isn't a 'viagra' powerful enough to erect this impotent candidate.
Thats a witty one Anonymous, still chuckling and crying too, that this is the best we could do to lead this country? Our founders weep
Anon, I have to admit,..he ran one the dumbest, most inept campaigns of all time.
Had he been elected over this issue, who knows what he'd really have in mind for the economy.
But no foreign policy like the one Obama APPEARS to be heading along will end up being of much economic benefit outside the range of one or two years of FEELING better.
We have to remember just how mny elections were won by Stanley Baldwin, Ramsay McDonald and Neville..that policy was incredibly popular, until it wasn't.
We all know that Zerobama is already compromised. Remember all his statements where he pointedly touted his FOREIGN, ISLAMIC relatives? The "we are so inclusive and one big happy multi-religious family" line means squat in Islam. According to Islamic theology, Big Mo's own father died a kafir and went to hell. The reality is that Islam tears apart families and makes family members turn on each other, as seen in the Islamic invasion of Hindustan.
We were the first to notice this this morning, now it's Drudge's headline 10 hours later
Yeah. Thanks, CR.
Too bad Drudge didn't give us any brownie points, huh?
;-)
I've traveled to many Islamic countries...Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, etc. Last summer, before the election, I asked many people I ran into if Obama was Muslim. 100 pct. said "if you father is Muslim, you are Muslim". They all know he is a Muslim. End of story.
I checked Drudge throughout the day and never saw this story. And it's not there presently.
It's bothersome since there's no chance of getting the truth from Team Obama. Unless, of course, they think the truth will get them what they want.
Anonymous,
According to Islamic law, Obama is a Muslim, just as according to Jewish law, a person is Jewish if their mother is a Jew.
That's religious law.
In the United States, a person is of the religion he declares himself to be. We allow people to redefine themselves according to their own wills here in the United States. That's called Freedom.
Therefore, in the United States, we accept Obama as a Christian, because that's what he says he is.
That being said, the fact that he is a Muslim, according to Muslim law, IS A FACT, and he is, in my opinion, duty-bound to testify to that fact. It would be a great opportunity to talk about the problem that under Sharia law, apostasy is punishable by stoning to death.
Obama does not talk about that ugly truth though. And, that to me is sickening, because I believe it is amoral to not address an issue like that, especially when it applies specificially to him.
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