You better be sitting for this one.
Did you know that the Obama administration still considers Yemen a “model” for how to handle terrorism?.
Here is what Barack Obama’s latest DL (Daily Liar), Josh Earnest, told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl today – and, yes, this was a real exchange, not a made-up one:”
QUESTION: Josh, just quickly first on Yemen. I know you’re asked this every time something terrible happens in Yemen. But — but now that we have, you know, essentially complete chaos in Yemen, does the White House still believe that Yemen is the model for counterterrorism strategy?
EARNEST: Jon, the White House does continue to believe that a successful counterterrorism strategy is one that will build up the capacity of the central government to have local fighters on the ground to take the fight to extremists in their own country. And the United States can serve both to diplomatically offer up some political support to central governments. We can offer very tangible support to local security forces in the form of training and equipping.
And we can also support the operations of those security forces through whether it’s the deployment of ISR capability or even in the case of Iraq, military airstrikes. And that — that is a template that has succeeded in mitigating the threat that we face from extremists in places like Yemen and Somalia. And it’s the template that we believe can succeed in mitigating the threat emanating from Syria as well.
QUESTION: You know, that — that’s astounding. You’re saying that you still see Yemen as the model? I mean, the central — building up the central government, a central government which is now collapsed; a president who has apparently fled the country. You know, Saudi troops massing on one border; the Iranians, you know, supporting the rebels. You consider this — this as a model for counterterrorism?
EARNEST: Again, John, what the United States considers to be our strategy when confronting the effort to try to mitigate the threat that is posed by extremists, is to prevent them from establishing a safe haven. And certainly in a chaotic, dangerous situation like in Yemen, what the United States will do and has done is worked to try to support the central government, to build up the capacity of local fighters, and use our own technological and military capabilities to apply pressure on the extremists there.
And, look, I — there’s no doubt that we would like to see a functioning central government in Yemen. We don’t see that right now. And that is why we’re supportive of the U.N.-led process to try to put an end to the violence and instability; to bring the sides, you know, all sides together to the table to try to resolve their differences; to build up the capacity of the central government; to build up the capacity of local forces; and to continue to apply pressure to extremists.
What I will say is that we have not seen that kind of — of — of progress in terms of strengthening the central government. I think you could make a pretty strong case that we’ve seen the opposite of that. But we do, you know, we do continue to enjoy the benefits of a sustained counterterrorism security relationship with the security infrastructure that remains in Yemen.
QUESTION: Do you think a security infrastructure still remains in Yemen?
EARNEST: There are — there are elements of the Yemeni government that we continue to be in touch with that continue to further our efforts to apply pressure to extremists that seek to operate in that country. And we continue to have the capability, again because of the planning and because of the relationships that we have in the region, we do continue to have the capability to take out extremists if they’re posing a threat to the United States.
FYI: Terrorists from ISIS have overrrun Yemen. The government is literally in hiding and not functioning in any capacity large or small. The United States has closed its embassy and evacuated all its military personnel. Yemen is now the province of radical Islamists whose aim is to end Western Civilization and subjugate the world – which they are having dramatic success in accomplishing during the Obama administration.
But it is a “model”. Barack Obama’s version of “Baghdad Bob” said so.
My only disagreement with Jonathan Karl is that he called Earnest’s answer “astounding”. It starts at astounding and then drops through a trap door.
Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to believe this impossibly overmatched, thoroughly dishonest administration is for real. But then you are horrified to realize that it is.
Does this give you an idea of what Obama & Co. would call a “success” with Iran? NO WONDER Netanyahu felt compelled to take his case to congress.
Still almost two years left. I count the seconds.
