Bolton Calls Invading Somalia With A ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ ‘The Prudential Response’ To Piracy

[laststeamtrain]

Bolton Calls Invading Somalia With A ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ ‘The Prudential Response’ To Piracy

Yesterday, the Navy Seals launched a daring and successful effort to free the American cargo ship captain who had been held hostage by Somali pirates for five days, killing three pirates. Throughout last week, some conservatives used the hostage situation to lobby for military action and massive defense spending on irrelevant weapons.

At the forefront of the calls for war was, unsurprisingly, former U.N. Ambassador and perpetual war-monger John Bolton. Even after the successful rescue of the American hostage, Bolton endorsed a ground invasion of Somalia this morning on Fox News:

FOX HOST: Ambassador, if you were serving in this administration, would it be your recommendation that they go in to, militarily with air strikes and/or boots on the ground, into these so-called feral cities, where these pirates are taking hold? Should we go in and take those people out, and take their installations out, now, militarily? Is that what you’re suggesting?

BOLTON: Yes. … Unless we go in and really end this problem once and for all, we will simply see it grow over time.

On Friday, Bolton called for a “coalition of the willing” to attack Somalia, saying the use of force was “the prudential response” to piracy problems. He kept up his calls for war over the weekend. Watch it: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/13/bolton-somalia-war/

*

I can hear Tweety proclaim: We're all neocons now. Or we're all neolibs now. Or GE needs to sell some weapons systems now. Or some such nonsense wrapped in patriotic BS.

[bdamomma]

1. this is the neo cons answer for everything

illegal invasion and death.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. "Ambassador" (GUFFAW!!!!!!!!!)

Let me try to remember, "AMBASSADOR" Bolton, what was the final count in your confirmation hearing?

WHAT?

I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

[jaxx]

9. I just checked to see if he was on the new PNAC group listing.

He wasn't. But Joe Lieberman is.....along with Newt and Kristol and Cantor.

http://www.defenddemocracy.org/index.php?option=com_fddbios&Itemid=326

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. That's a terrible site..........

Why am I thinking of "carpetbombing"?

[jaxx]

12. Sure is and the PNACs were terrible people.

Now they move on with a few new faces and the same old agenda.

[Dr.Phool]

15. Some real rocket scientists there.

Victoria Tonsilectomy, Jack Kemp, Steve Forbes, Bud McFarlane.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

18. McFarlane must be hard up for work -

that's the only reason I can think of for him to be there.

I honestly thought he was dead......................

[sarge43]

3. Sure thing, Johnny. Suit up and hit the beach. You first, hero.

Bull shit talks; blood spills.

[gizmo1979]

4. I know squat

about Somalia but the coast looks fairly nice.The right businesses to create jobs and an economy would drive the country to be legitimate.

[LynnTheDem]

5. Yes, coz another "Black Hawk Down" dragging US corpses thru the streets

will work so well for Pres. Obama...right, bolton?

These MFing neoconmen just don't give the fuck up.

So let's send BOLTON to Somalia to "take em out".

That will rid us of bolton.

[shadowknows69]

6. Um, anyone remember how that went last time??

And I'm sure countries are going to be just knocking our door down to aid us on any military adventure :sarcasm:

Then again if enough international money is at stake, of course we'll go in and slaughter hundreds of innocents to get at a few pirates, which we'll probably miss for three years or so.

[Junkdrawer]

7. Not just Bolton. NPR also had an "expert" who called for this...

Maj. Gen. Tom Wilkerson, CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute in Annapolis, Md., talks with Renee Montagne about the problem of piracy. Wilkerson says current anti-piracy tactics are not working, and the U.S. will need to root out the pirates' bases in Somalia.

...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102900914

[rug]

8. Post a link so the flagwavers can join.

[Rambis]

10. It's not a windup love, he really thinks like this

http://www.mafster.co.uk/space/files/audio/lomThinks.mp3

[arcadian]

13. A lot of people on DU agree with John Bolton.

Ouch.

[laststeamtrain]

16. "...when will we ever learn?" is the way Pete Seeger put it. Sad. n/t.

[gratuitous]

19. They do indeed

I'm a little surprised we haven't seen a chorus of "Fuck Yeahs" and offers of high fives for Mr. Bolton yet.

I'm composing a post to explain it all from my point of view, but I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't be worth the effort seeing the edifying and lucid posts made so far on the issue.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Erect scary bogeyman, wave flag, send in the cannon-fodder.

[mod mom]

17. Why isn't that thug behind bars, yet?

[virgdem]

20. "The Prudential Response"?

He wants an insurance company to respond to terrorism? This idiot needs a dictionary stat. The "prudent" response to Bolton is to STFU, ahole.

[stillcool]

21. now there's a shocker!!

Were these guys voted our of power?

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/North_Africa/Somalia_CIA_Backed_Coup.html
Somalia: Another CIA-Backed Coup Blows Up
by Mike Whitney
December 2, 2008


Up until a month ago, no one in the Bush administration showed the least bit of interest in the incidents of piracy off the coast of Somalia. Now that's all changed and there's talk of sending in the Navy to patrol the waters off the Horn of Africa and clean up the pirates hideouts. Why the sudden about-face? Could it have something to do with the fact that the Ethiopian army is planning to withdrawal all of its troops from Mogadishu by the end of the year, thus, ending the failed two year US-backed occupation of Somalia?
The United States has lost the ground war in Somalia, but that doesn't mean its geopolitical objectives have changed one iota. The US intends to stay in the region for years to come and use its naval power to control the critical shipping lanes from the Gulf of Aden. The growing strength of the Somali national resistance is a set-back, but it doesn't change the basic game-plan. The pirates are actually a blessing in disguise. They provide an excuse for the administration to beef up it's military presence and put down roots. Every crisis is an opportunity.
------------------------------
Ethiopia's Plan for Withdrawal
In 2006, the Bush administration supported an alliance of Somali warlords known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) that established a base of operations in the western city of Baidoa. With the help of the Ethiopian army, western mercenaries, US Navy warships, and AC-130 gunships; the TFG captured Mogadishu and forced the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) to retreat to the south. Since then the resistance has coalesced into a tenacious guerrilla army that has recaptured most of the country.
The Bush administration invoked the war on terror to justify its involvement in Somalia, but their case was weak and full of inconsistencies. The ICU is not an Al Qaida affiliate or a terrorist organization despite the claims of the State Department. In fact, the ICU brought a high level of peace and stability to Somalia that hadn't been seen for more than sixteen years.

[peacetalksforall]

22. Boots on the ground. Republican Imperialists have no concept of the

requirements of short term and long term. The short term need was to rescue a U.S. citizen sitting on a life boat, partially captured by so-called pirates. How many days, weeks, months would it take to get the intelligence on where to attack on the ground in Somalia. Or does the DOD have a Chalabi type know-it-all within Somalia who promises that the people of Somalia will rise up and throw flowers at being saved?

Someone should ask him how long they wanted the Captain to sit there?

We should talk about not using the words 'neo-con' and call these people IMPERIALISTS. Much easier to comprehend for most people. His appearance here and what he said is a good example.

He is a repulsive human being. So hard to take.

[Mudoria]

23. Hand Bolton a gun and helmet and let him lead the Marines to the beaches!

Oh, he only armchairs wars from a safe distance....