President Barack Obama stands with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during the transfer of remains ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sept. 14, 2012, marking the return to the United States of the remains of the four Americans killed in Benghazi, Libya. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Libya And The Obama Administration: To Strike Or Not To Strike? -- Amy Payne, The Foundry/Heritage Foundation
The Associated Press reports that the White House is weighing the wisdom of striking at terrorist targets in Libya in retaliation for the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate. According to the AP, the Administration is balancing “whether the short-term payoff of exacting retribution on al-Qaeda is worth the risk that such strikes could elevate the group’s profile in the region, alienate governments the U.S. needs to fight it in the future and do little to slow the growing terror threat in North Africa.”
Heritage expert Jim Carafano first reported news of an impending strike on October 4. Whatever the government decides, he concluded, a military mission won’t have much of an impact on presidential politics. “The Administration is too smart to think it can use military operations to play duck and cover—that would just fuel Wag the Dog speculation,” Carafano wrote. “Nor is it likely that Governor Romney will go after the President for attacks in Libya. He no doubt learned a lesson to be more cautious and deliberate after the criticism he received in responding to the statement made by the U.S. embassy in Cairo before the anti-American riots broke out.”
Read more ....
Update: White House wrestles with how, where to strike back if Libya consulate attackers can be found -- FOX News/AP
My Comment: A day before the next presidential debate .... coupled with Hillary Clinton's mea culpa that her State Department is responsible for the disaster at Benghazi .... we are now being flooded with leaks of impending US drone strikes against someone (we do not know who yet) in Libya. In the past this type of behavior may have given an administration a pass .... but no more now. This transparent use and manipulation of intel to paint a narrative (that is being deliberately leaked) for the sole purpose of projecting a tough White House image is shameful and .... more to the point .... is not convincing anyone. Unfortunately .... I expect nothing will change, and regardless of who is in the White House (Republican or Democrat) after next month's elections .... it will be business and politics as usual when we are now entering a time when business and politics should not be usual.
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