President Obama said today that he takes "full responsibility" for a U.S. government counterterrorism operation that killed two innocent hostages held by al Qaeda.
Dr. Warren Weinstein, an American held by the terror group since 2011, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian national who had been an al Qaeda hostage since 2012, were "accidentally" killed in a U.S. operation in January, the president acknowledged.
"I want to express our grief and condolences for the families of two hostages," Obama said from the White House briefing room, noting that at the time, the U.S. believed no civilians were present at the operation site.
"Since 9/11, our counterterrorism efforts have prevented terrorism attacks and saved innocent lives, both here in America and around the world, and that determination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men especially painful for all of us," he added. "It is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally and our fight terrorists specifically, mistakes, sometimes deadly mistakes, can occur. But one of the things that sets America apart from many other nations, one of the things that makes us exceptional is our willingness to confront squarely our imperfections and to learn from our mistakes."
Though the administration asserted in a statement that the operation was “lawful and conducted consistent with our counter-terrorism policies,” President Obama promised a thorough independent review, saying he declassified the mission "because the Weinstein and Lo Porto families deserve to know the truth."
Here is the video of the President's remarks.
I thought the President looked emotionally drained during this press conference, and it seems clear that this news has hit him hard.
I commend the President for taking full responsibility for the deaths and declassifying the mission so that there can be an investigation.
Hardest job on the planet, bar none.
I am sorry, but I call bullsh*t on this story.
ReplyDeleteThose guys were supposedly killed 3 months ago, in January, and only NOW the President acknowledges it and is emotional about it????
Something STINKS - almost as much as Tundra Turd's, well, TURDS!
Something tells me you've never worked in or around governmental or military types. In their speed this is moving as if it happened yesterday.
DeleteStinks? How about maybe your opinion?
DeleteI heard his comments on the radio on my way to work. Either he is a masterful actor or he was a man in pain. The sorrow was palatable.
ReplyDeletePalpable? Or are you the type who drinks tears, like me? ;-)
DeletePresident Obama has the most difficult job in the world! He is fighting terrorists, wars, the U.S. Congress (most disliked on record!) and Republicans.
ReplyDeleteAnd, remember - the U.S. Congress will NOT declare we are in war - they are making our POTUS go it alone. Yet they scream and holler for war!!!
Fucking assholes every one of them! Vote Republicans out of office in 2016 and any that come up for election or reelection within your state or community.
I would suggest that the Republicans within the United States are terrorists. They do zero to help, support or respect President Obama.
ReplyDeleteThese particular elected officials do not respect Americans or represent them! They are an embarrassment to this nation!
Still waiting for the Bush/Cheney apology for the hundreds of thousands of innocents killed on their watch.
ReplyDeleteI feel so sorry for Pres. Obama. He must have just recently heard about this happening?
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's what I heard.
DeleteHe was not briefed until they had all of the facts, so this is brand new for him.
OK. This is the first I have heard about this (I am the first commentor above).
DeleteMy question NOW is: What took them so long to inform our Commander-in-Chief??? He should have been informed within a couple of hours of these deaths!
WTH is wrong with the people surrounding our President? Has he simply kept on the ones from gwb, and thus is surrounded by nincompoops who are only interested in CYAs?!?
Why don't you feel sorry for the innocent victims of his drone attacks?
DeleteThere's a living ex president and living former vice president, has anyone heard either take responsibility for the uncounted innocents now dead? Apologize for starting these wars without an exit strategy? I'll take anything that even sounds close to one, but I'm proud of my President for doing the right thing. He could have swept this under a rug or painted himself in a bathtub painting his now deceased pet.
ReplyDeleteThe GOP has a new flavor of gum to chew and chew and chew on. These victims knew the dangers and were brave enough to try to help those in "the fog of war". Can't wait for tweedle dumb's facebook screed and attacks on our President.
I wish I could vote for Barack Obama at least 2 more times. (He thinks, oh God, no, little did I imagine what I was getting into...)
ReplyDeleteThis jerk is doing a bad job.
Delete
ReplyDeletehttp://justsecurity.org/22357/quick-thoughts-drone-strike-pakistan-killed-innocent-civilians/
Three Quick Thoughts on the Drone Strike in Pakistan That Killed Two Innocent Civilians
Below are my initial thoughts on today’s tragic news that a January 2015 US “targeted killing” drone strike in Pakistan killed two innocent civilians held as hostages by al-Qaeda:
(1) Why the sudden transparency about the American and Italian civilian victims but not the many non-Western civilians killed in US operations? There are dozens of credible reports that the US has killed hundreds of Pakistani and Yemeni civilians. Investigations by the UN, the Open Society Justice Initiative, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, and others, as well as detailed journalist accounts (e.g., see work by Iona Craig, Adam Baron, Saeed Al Batati) provide extensive evidence of civilian deaths and injuries. For years, rights-holders and international civil society have called for the release of information about civilian casualties. At a minimum, those cases should be subject to the same kind of transparency that occurred today. All of those victims and their families should be publicly acknowledged by the US government, provided compensation, and any of their legal attempts to secure accountability should be heard on the merits.
(2) Today’s news also highlights the deficiency of public debate in the US about drones and targeted killings. US officials have long stressed the great precision of drones as a weapon, thoroughness of their (still secret) targeting procedures, and of their “targeted” killings programs in Pakistan and Yemen. The news today is further cause to doubt such statements. It is well past time for a major government review of the entire program.
(3) What precautions were taken, or not taken, before this strike that resulted in civilian deaths? On what kinds of intelligence is the US relying before conducting strikes, and what standards must be met? International humanitarian law requires states to take “all feasible precautions” to prevent civilian casualties when conducting attacks. The news accounts mention that the US will be investigating what led to the deaths revealed today. The results of these investigations should be publicly released, with minimal redactions.
When I listened to this story today the first thing I thought was the PC police are at it again only they are coming at it from a different angle. Yes it is a tragedy these 2 hostages were killed. If the use of only drone & satellite imagery for your intell you will get these kinds of results. The reason we have to use this method is the people over there do not like us so they will not cooperate with us. Perhaps we should just get out of this region and let them settle their problems without our help.
ReplyDeleteGee, it only took him 3 months to take full responsibility. What a guy.
ReplyDeleteYou don't suppose it was going to come out anyway so he figured this would show him in the best light, do you
He didn't do the same when innocent civilians were being bombed by his drones.
ReplyDeleteWow. The U.S. starts two unnecessary wars that open the door to hostage-taking and ISIS and the spread of terrorism. Yet at home black people, men in particular, are being gunned down by agents of the government, otherwise, known as the police. And America stays silent. What a strange country. President Obama always has to cater to mainstream America.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard any police chief taking full responsibility of the killings of Americans by the hands of his/her officers.
ReplyDeleteWhen is he going to apologize for the hundreds and hundreds of dead mothers and children and tiny babies that he slaughtered in his attempts to get at the cell phones of terrorists?
ReplyDeleteNever, that's when. Where did he get the idea that it's his fucking right to go into any country in the world and kill innocent people by the hundreds? Does he believe that foreign drones won't be blowing up entire American towns one day? He's doing everything he can to make that a reality.