Yemen: As Bad A Decision Yesterday, As Today

In the space of less than 24 hours the White House has completely reversed itself on sending released Guantanamo inmates back to Yemen. But has anything actually changed on the ground in Yemen over that time? No, unfortunately it has not.

The Obama administration said Tuesday that it is suspending the repatriation of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay to Yemen, where a deteriorating security situation driven by a branch of al-Qaeda has stoked fears that detainees could join -- or rejoin -- the terrorist organization if released.

More than once, when taken to task for slow responses on major issues, Obama's chief defense has been he doesn't like talking before he knows what he's talking about. His reversal on Yemen reveals what a charade is his usual poor excuse. His Yemen policy proves that not only is he willing to talk without knowing what he's talking about, he's willing to craft critically important policies, as well.

Obama has had months to formulate policy around closing Guantanamo. As regards those who were due to be released back to Yemen, Obama made a critical national security decision either based on no information, or he did it anyway, knowing the risk. It's hard to know which one would be worse, or more dangerous for America.

This WH is so far in over its head, I doubt even all the Democrats in Washington will be able to save them. But who will save us? The party that first empowered and now enables this incompetent on everything from national health care to national security must be made to pay for this debacle at the ballot box in 2010.

Comments

[xerocky]

"Obama's chief defense has been he doesn't like talking before he knows what he's talking about. "

I don't think that anyone can say that there's any truth to that since he said this...

"Now, I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that," Mr. Obama continued. "But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact."

What does that statement tell you about the "intellectual" Obama? In this statement he clearly displays a penchant for letting things he believes about separate incidents (there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact.") cloud what he says and does about an incident that actually recently happened. This after admitting, in the same exact press conference, that he "didn't have all the facts".

To me, that says a great deal about how he thinks, and his reasoning ability.

[Canada Guy]

Here's some historical context for the conflict in Yemen.

http://www.watchinghistory.com/2010/01/context-in-yemen.html