Exclusive – President Obama Talks About Sending Special Forces to Uganda
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(Courtesy The White House)
On Friday we learned that President Obama authorized the deployment of 100 Special Forces troops to Central Africa, to help regional armies remove from the battlefield senior leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army, which is known for committing horrific crimes as well as using child soldiers.
Today in our exclusive interview with President Obama, I asked about the “process of agreeing to deploy troops in a situation like this where you know that these Special Forces might have to return fire and they might be firing upon child soldiers. How difficult is that as a decision to make?”
The president responded that “none of these decisions are easy. But those who are familiar with the Lord’s Resistance Army and their leader, Mr. Kony, know that these are some of the most vicious killers, they terrorize villages, they take children into custody and turn them into child soldiers, they engage in rape and slaughter in villages they go through. They have been a scourge on Uganda and that entire region, Eastern Africa.
“So there has been strong bi-partisan support and a coalition — everything from evangelical Christians to folks on the left and human rights organizations — who have said it is an international obligation for us to try to take them on,” he continued. “And so given that bipartisan support across the board belief that we have to do something about this, what we’ve done is we’ve provided these advisers, they are not going to be in a situation where they are called upon to hunt down the Lord’s Resistance Army or actively fire on them, but they will be in a position to protect themselves.
“What they can do is provide the logistical support that is needed, the advice, the training and the logistical support that hopefully will allow this kind of stuff to stop,” he said.
– Jake Tapper
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President Obama thinks that he is King or Dictator because he makes his decisions unilaterally. His “obligation” does not constitute an attack on his nation! He seems to think his obligation is to police the world with American troops without any authorization!
Posted by: Common _ Sense | October 18, 2011, 10:07 pm 10:07 pm
Common Sense, did you read the whole article?
“So there has been strong bi-partisan support and a coalition — everything from evangelical Christians to folks on the left and human rights organizations — who have said it is an international obligation for us to try to take them on,”
How is this Obama making a unilateral decision, or somehow being King or Dictator-like?
Seems to me like he’s a President who has followed the political process and listened to his people and their representatives.
Posted by: I_Can_Read | October 18, 2011, 10:16 pm 10:16 pm
Even though there is a lot that is going on about this subject, I am really glad that something is finally happening to try and stop Joseph Kony. These kids are being taken and brought into a life of despair and it’s scarce that the kids find a way out after being captured by Kony and his soilders. These are sons and daughters of mothers and fathers. And for the chance of these kids being able to come back to their families and try to live a near normal life will be the greatest gift.
Posted by: Elizabeth | October 18, 2011, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
I’m just happy that both the Right and Left can agree that Kony has to be stopped. When it comes to human and child rights, there should be no disagreement. And Common_Sense, what attack on “his nation”? Even if the accusations of Obama not being an American citizen were true, he’s not from Uganda, Sudan or the DRC. And to be honest, he doesn’t need authorization from Congress, this is not a war.
Posted by: Nikki_Phenomena | October 18, 2011, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
We have no national interests in Uganda. This is the UN’s problem, not ours.
Posted by: Justin | October 18, 2011, 11:07 pm 11:07 pm
No encyclopedia accessible at this hour of the morning, but according to wikipedia, they have large untapped oil and gas reserves in Uganda. That’s almost certainly the “why”.
Posted by: whatever | October 19, 2011, 1:14 am 1:14 am
Or maybe it’s because Obama legitimately cares about the lives of people who are oppressed. No need for ‘national interest’, just a heart.
Posted by: Jordan124 | October 19, 2011, 3:00 am 3:00 am
I’m sorry, but ‘having a heart’ and wanting to help these poor people does not justify the deployment of 100 US troops. Whatever happened to bringing our troops home? This is ridiculous.
Posted by: Jessica | October 19, 2011, 6:52 am 6:52 am
The national interest is George Soros is heavily invested in Ugnadan oil. Soros told Barry to put the christians down so hecan make profits. American blood for oil – when did I hear that before? Pathetic POS Barry.
Posted by: Patriot Soccer Dad | October 19, 2011, 8:48 am 8:48 am
It’s another intervention in Africa portrayed as humanitarian with the consequences and commitment minimized. Not coincidentally, Uganda is swimming in untapped oil.
Posted by: jane r. | October 19, 2011, 9:14 am 9:14 am
More importantly, Obama “deployed” over 500 million dollars in Taxpayer money to his buddies and campaign cash machine Solyndra
Posted by: Obama Drama | October 19, 2011, 9:15 am 9:15 am
The Obama Prayer
Dear God, although they are numerous and apparently never ending please keep President Obama’s mistakes small.
Amen.
Posted by: Noz | October 19, 2011, 9:40 am 9:40 am
Isn’t the US military overstretched as it is? Now is the making of a 7th war front. Didn’t the fall of Rome and the subsequent collapse of European nations who over-extended teach anything?
So it’s another so-called limited military engagement supposedly based on humanitarianism positioning itself in the middle of a civil war situation in an African nation with oil. But instead of Gaddfi, there’s a Mr. Cony we’re going after. And instead of vast oil fields, there is oil untapped waiting for exploitation.
Posted by: jane r. | October 19, 2011, 11:23 am 11:23 am
First of all, it is ridiculous that we cannot engage in a conflict without you misinformed critical people making unsupported accusations that we are only in it for our our good (oil). This is my job, and I can say, I couldn’t give a crap about their oil, however, I do illegitimately care about the thousands being brutally murdered with machetes, women and children included.
Another point, I am in the military, and I don’t feel over-stretched – I’ll go fight for these people right now.
“All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke
I don’t intend on sitting around doing nothing while people are dying and oppressed.
Oh, and thirdly – IT”S NOT A WAR! It is (from our perspective) only a minor conflict – one hundred troops is nothing – we’ve had hundreds there for decades!
Just saying…
Posted by: DMK | October 20, 2011, 8:55 am 8:55 am
“I don’t very often stand with this president, but I do in this case because we passed it without a dissenting vote. Every member in here, there is not one that voted against it. So let’s keep that in mind that that’s the truth about what is happening right now with the LRA.”
- Senator James Inhofe (R — that’s REPUBLICAN, People!!), U.S. Senate General Speeches, 10/17/11
Posted by: Truth Seeker | October 20, 2011, 2:14 pm 2:14 pm
I understand what obama is tryin to do here, but i wonder how easily our special forces will be able to kill children soldiers? Kony wont just be standing in the open for all to see, there will be engagements and im sure they will include children, so will our SF groups be able to kill these children just to get to kony?
Posted by: J.berry | October 23, 2011, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm
Tired of wars..sick and tired of these crap and US being a world wide policeman..tireddddddd
Posted by: african killer bee! | November 6, 2011, 11:03 am 11:03 am