Obama on WikiLeaks: ‘Documents Don’t Reveal Any Issues that Haven’t Already Informed our Public Debate’
EmailABC News’ Yunji de Nies and Sunlen Miller Report:
President Barack Obama spoke publicly about the WikiLeaks incident for the first time today, expressing concern about the disclosure of tens of thousands of documents, but at the same time, downplaying the content.
“While I’m concerned about the disclosure of sensitive information from the battlefield that could potentially jeopardize individuals or operations, the fact is, these documents don’t reveal any issues that haven’t already informed our public debate on Afghanistan. Indeed, they point to the same challenges that led me to conduct an extensive review of our policy last fall,” Mr. Obama said.
The President reminded reporters in the Rose Garden that that policy review led to a substantial increase in troops and a strategy that he believes can lead to victory.
“Now we have to see that strategy through. And as I told the leaders, I hope the House will act today to join the Senate, which voted unanimously in favor of this funding, to ensure that our troops have the resources they need and that we’re able to do what’s necessary for our national security,” the President said.
The House is expected to vote today on a war funding bill for the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The President spoke after one of a series of regularly scheduled meetings with Congressional leaders from both parties – including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader John Boehner, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
In addition to the war funding bill, the President said also urged both parties to pass the small business aid bill. The President heads to Edison, NJ tomorrow, where he will hold a roundtable discussion with local business owners, as part of a larger series of trips focused on the economy.
Mr. Obama pledged to keep pushing for broader energy reform including a climate change regulation component, despite last week’s setbacks on the Hill with Senate Democrats abandoning climate change legislation.
“The Senate is now poised to act before the August recess, advancing legislation to respond to the BP oil spill and create new clean-energy jobs. That legislation is an important step in the right direction, but I want to emphasize it’s only the first step. And I intend to keep pushing for broader reform, including climate legislation.”
The President said he also urged Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow judicial nominees to be confirmed. Mr. Obama expressed his frustration over a number of nominees who have been voted out of committee, but have not been allowed to begin service because they have yet to have a full vote in the Senate. The President accused “some in the minority” of using “parliamentary procedures time and again” to hold up these nominations.
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‘Documents Don’t Reveal Any Issues that Haven’t Already Informed our Public Debate’
By “public debate” do you include the thoughts of General McChrystal?
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | July 27, 2010, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm
Obama serves one up to the press.
Fact is, though these facts are publicly available, they aren’t in the American press.
The most important result of this leak is the knowledge that our press isn’t reporting.
Posted by: Flash Override | July 27, 2010, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Nice try bone head president. First there has been no public anything in your presidency, and second most of this was never know by the public. they get to see now what a real screw up you really are and they understand if they are actually using their brain that you all talk and nothing else. Everything you have done has harmed America you are the worst excuse for a president that this country has ever had.
Posted by: Wade Johnson | July 27, 2010, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
The president lied–flatly and unambiguously lied–to the American people about the release of the Lockerbie bomber. He lied.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | July 27, 2010, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
“While I’m concerned about the disclosure of sensitive information from the battlefield that could potentially jeopardize individuals or operations, the fact is, these documents don’t reveal any issues that haven’t already informed our public debate on Afghanistan.” – President NoBo
So, these thousands of documents were public record?
What’s the big deal then?
Posted by: Noz | July 27, 2010, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
Oh Boy! Fresh stuff to Blame on Bush!
Let’s go Liberals!
Posted by: Noz | July 27, 2010, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
You do understand all these now publicly documented incidents, atrocities, lies and cover ups took place under the Republican Bush administration, don’t you?
Posted by: Carly |
Which atrocities are you referring to?
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | July 27, 2010, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm
It’s two years into his term and he isn’t accountable for his own policies? When does he become accountable? After he retires!?!
Obama is Bush on steroids… And the brain dead left laps it up, because he has a tan.
Never have so many been bought off so cheap!
The only thing that has changed is they guy reading the cue cards… The policy is the SAME, even if McCain had won…
Why do you think he has lost the moderates ALREADY! Jeez!
Posted by: CBA | July 27, 2010, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
The current deficit is caused almost entirely by three things: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, and the recession. Its time to bring the troops home and stop putting water in a leaky bucket.
Posted by: Flash Override | July 27, 2010, 6:02 pm 6:02 pm
“While I’m concerned about the disclosure of sensitive information from the battlefield that could potentially jeopardize individuals…” So this is our president when he’s really, really, really mad and standing up for the lives of our sons and daughters fulfilling his directives on the battlefield..where’s the comment about WIKI-leaks acting “stupidly?”
Posted by: cindy | July 27, 2010, 7:25 pm 7:25 pm
“Interesting how the Republicans can’t respond to the points made, and retreat to knee-jerk, bumper-sticker slogans.” – Dave R
Thanks for the compliment Dave. I didn’t know my off the cuff comment was good enough for a Bumper Sticker! Wooo Hooo! Oh, and I’m a conservative leaning Independent.
But seriously, I was just having fun. I haven’t read up on the WilkiLeaks stuff.
Another thing, I’m not a Bushie fan so if he screwed up more than we know it’s not surprising to me.
: o )
Posted by: Noz | July 27, 2010, 9:52 pm 9:52 pm
Hello Richard Nixon Obama.
Welcome back from the dead. For someone who couldn’t read a 10 page Arizona Bill. How many of those thousands of pages did you read? AND NONE OF THEM CONTAINED ANYTHING THAT WE DON’T ALREADY KNOW. Sit down next to Mr. Rangle Please we have two ethics problems
Posted by: BillSaidIt | July 27, 2010, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
So next month Obama will take credit for ending the war in Iraq even though he will leave 50,000 troops there indefinetly in harm’s way.
McCain was right. Troops will be there for 100 years.
Obama needs to stop saying he’s pulling out the troops in Iraq until they are truly ALL out of there.
Posted by: hank | July 27, 2010, 11:00 pm 11:00 pm
If the current crowd were not in the WH, they would be cheering the leaks and looking for more to leak…
Posted by: Quo Warranto? | July 27, 2010, 11:06 pm 11:06 pm
If WikiLeaks were half the force they think they are… they would have a long-form copy of the Birth Certificate on their web site…
Posted by: Quo Warranto? | July 27, 2010, 11:08 pm 11:08 pm
Obama must have thought after the McChrystal firing that Afghanistan was on the back shelf again, where he wants it to be.
Since the MSM gets their talking points from the WH, Afghanistan is basically ignored by the media.
No daily reports of those who are killed (troops and civilians)and the brutal pictures like when Bush was in office.
And now that Obama is president Code Pink seems more interested in protesting Karl Rove’s book signing than protesting the war.
Posted by: ollie | July 27, 2010, 11:08 pm 11:08 pm
If WikiLeaks were half the force they think they are… they would have a long-form copy of the Birth Certificate on their web site…
Posted by: Quo Warranto? |
That’s genius.
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | July 27, 2010, 11:40 pm 11:40 pm
If Obama is so concerned about GITMO being a recruiting tool for terrorist, why is he not concerned about Bagram prison in Afghanistan?
GITMO is like a five-star hotel compared to Bagram.
Posted by: kyle |
Having failed to close Gitmo, Barry has decided to blunt the effectiveness of the recruiting tool by never actually prosecuting anyone there.
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | July 27, 2010, 11:52 pm 11:52 pm
Obama is more interested in saving face for himself than he is in tracking down the perps who leaked the documents to put them up on trial for sedition. Self aggrandizement – NOT protecting America’s interests – seems to be Obama’s strong point.
Posted by: EPU | July 28, 2010, 2:04 am 2:04 am
c’mon EPU..you saw how really, really mad the president was about the wartime leak of classified docs..I seriously thought I heard him starting to say wiki-leaks had “acted stupidly”..I mean, I think he was seriously thinking about, fixin to get ready to prepare a really strong statement to that effect.
Posted by: cindy | July 28, 2010, 7:22 am 7:22 am
ollie, you and the Fawning Corporate Media both need to get out more. If the FCM isn’t reporting Afghanistan, why would they report Code Pink? After the CD wears off, check out the Code Pink page and see they’re just as active as ever.
The FCM got bored reporting on Afghanistan, and assumed we all were as well. They project a bit, don’t they?
Posted by: Flash Override | July 28, 2010, 8:54 am 8:54 am
Why did the administration give Scotland the green light for “compassionate release” of the Lockerbie bomber? Why did Obama lie about American knowledge of the release during his meeting with the British P.M.?Are you going to ask Gibbs?
Posted by: Nephron | July 28, 2010, 8:58 am 8:58 am
These documents name hundreds of Afghan informants. Now they and their families will need to be moved and protected from torture and death at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Nobody over there will share any intelligence with us ever again, for fear of being outed by America’s Leftist press.
This guarantees failure in Afghanistan, a war that even Obama described as “necessary.” May as well welcome the Taliban back into power. Hey Afghanis, break out the burqas, lock up your wives, and take your daughters out of school.
Mission Accomplished, Socialists!
Posted by: Libs and the Lying Liars Who Elect Them | July 28, 2010, 9:08 am 9:08 am
When we can’t outright ‘win’ a conflict, we resort to producing a lot of paper.. this is one of the military’s biggest downfalls.. triplicate, quadruplicate mumbo jumbo.
A drone war against guerillas just doesn’t work very well and sending troops into areas that we never plan to hold or occupy is the equivalent of institutional suicide.
Posted by: Dontget818 | July 28, 2010, 9:15 am 9:15 am
The President has increased drone attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan over what Bush used. This has increased the number of civilian deaths. Their blood is on Obama’s hands.
Obama campaigned on ending these unjust Bush wars against Islam. He has been in office for a year and a half, and instead of ending the wars, he extends them. Obama violated the mandate the American people gave him in the 2008 election.
Why does he do it? Is it to “show his toughness?” Does he feel the sting of his critics’ ignorant charge that he is a Muslim, and have a need to prove himself?
Posted by: Code Pink | July 28, 2010, 9:31 am 9:31 am
“Why does he do it?” – Code Pink
Because he is not smart enough to figure out an alternate course of action that deals with the realities this messy world presents.
“This guarantees failure in Afghanistan, a war that even Obama described as “necessary.”" – Libs & Lying Liars
You are right, the leak of the documents will be the reason a lot of Afghans get killed. The Liberal Press is not concerned about that. They feel they are doing something good. As to the guaranteed failure of the war, we insured that when we elected Barack Hussein Obama. He doesn’t have the skill set for victory.
Posted by: Noz | July 28, 2010, 9:46 am 9:46 am
Why.. because he can.
Posted by: Dontget818 | July 28, 2010, 9:55 am 9:55 am
I’m starting to like the POTUS.. a surprise to me.. he has grown into having that leader of the free world ‘feel’ .. not quite the scary guy who was elected way back in 2008.
In his defense, he knows a lot more about the region and geopolitics than plebes like us know. If we read the daily briefings, our heads might explode..
Posted by: Dontget818 | July 28, 2010, 10:09 am 10:09 am
“libs” excellent piece in the WSJ the other day comparing the fallout of our potential withdrawel from Afghanistan with our departure from Vietnam. I think the US is way below the point of acceptable returns in this endeavor, and I sure would like this war to end, but make no mistake there will be horrendous consequences for the people (esp the women and those who helped the coalition) once the Taliban surges back into power. Look at the millions murdered in Vietnam and Cambodia after our exit, not to mention the over one million Vietnamese who saught assylum in America.
Posted by: cindy | July 28, 2010, 10:24 am 10:24 am
Mc Crystal probably set him self up to leave due to terms of engagement imposed by Obama. So Petraeus took over and is known to be a warrior who would probably change those terms in order to protect our soldiers. Funny this leak comes out that may box Petraeus in to Obama’s agenda.
Posted by: Downwithsocialism | July 28, 2010, 10:49 am 10:49 am
All we need now is a few modern Kabul government buildings with rooftop heliports.. and we can repeat history all over again.
Posted by: Dontget818 | July 28, 2010, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Julian Assange of wikileaks is interesting in a freaky way, but obviously has failed on many levels to accomplish anything. Let’s not forget, at the core, he is just a computer hacker. As we know, in that discipline, the best are creating impressive software and networking solutions, and those that don’t have the skills, well they become like Julian. Interesting to watch some astute, real reporters and hosts ask him questions. He talks in circles, and dreams up reasons why what he is doing has any value. His bitterness about his own personal failures shows quickly. But here we are, myself included, giving him what he wants…attention. After all even negative attention is attention. Now he is in hiding. There is a surprise, and a statement of his lack of credible intentions except…pay attention to me. Again, let’s not forget the best Julian Assange could muster up with whatever education he had is “computer hacker”. Julian Assange and wikileaks is limited in value and obviously time, as freaks are interesting at first, then we move on to things that are more productive.
Posted by: Bye Bye Wikileaks | July 30, 2010, 12:56 am 12:56 am
If it can be shown that anyone died, Afghan, or American, as a result of these leaks, the leaker should get the death penalty… and wikileaks should benefit greatly from technology in the form of a Hellfire missile from a Predator aircraft…
Posted by: Quo Warranto? | July 30, 2010, 11:31 pm 11:31 pm