Afghan charitably reminds Panetta of real threat
There’s no need to reiterate Jonn’s post on Pannetta having his troops disarmed before speaking with them.
It would seem, quite epiphanously, that while Leon Panetta was having American troops disarmed before allowing them in his presence an Afghan stole a truck and drove it through the airfield’s perimeter in what seems like an attempted attack. Initial reports indicate he was a civilian employee at the base. So our Secretary of Defense is distrustfully disarming American troops while one of our “partners” is trying to kill him. It’s good to be reminded of the perspective of our current leadership, from time to time.
Category: Breaking News
I was thinking it’s a metaphor for our national security – while this administration is looking for the threat to come from the least likely direction, it always shows up right where the rest of us expected it.
See, this is why I hate blogging. I spent half the morning blogging, and then NSOM beats me up by using “epiphanously.” Seriously, how can I beat that?
Here, I bestow on you the TAH/Dennis Miller belt of verbal excellence. Wear it well my friend.
@1: Didn’t you get the memo? We’re the enemy, we’re the ones that society should be wary of (even though they weren’t wary when we provided them protection), according to DHS and the inbred mouth breathers at SPLC.
@2: You’re letting me down, TSO, after I stuck up for you in the other thread and all!!
Personally, I prefer ‘epiphanically’, but that’s just me.
Well, to be fair, I’m not even 100% sure it’s a real word.
http://www.wordnik.com/words/epiphanously
Ah, see? Not a real word, false alarm.
No see, that only makes it betterer.
Irregardless, they’re both dipped in awesomesauce.
Scrabble Law trumps wordnik:
“‘epiphanously’ has been looked up 468 times, added to 1 list, and is not a valid Scrabble word.”
Late… as usual, but epiphanously make me hot. I don’t care what anyone says!
Pannetta survived his trials and tribulations, both imagined AND real.
epiphanously will live on in TAH mythology.
So you see, according to the latest reports, our troops were asked to leave their weapons outside because of a “credible threat.” The story says that this man drove his truck on base right around the time that Panetta’s plane was touching down, and that as a result, his plane had to taxi to a different location. I mean, they have to keep him safe, and it’s not like they had no reason whatsoever.
I’ve had a crazy day at work, but Jax, I couldn’t make heads or tails of what you were trying to say above.
PN, she was trying to tell you that she failed to read this part:
“Later, American officials said that the top commander in Helmand, Maj. Gen. Mark Gurganus, had decided on Tuesday that no one would be armed while Mr. Panetta spoke to them”
So does Panetta get a Silver Star for his heroism in the face the boredom?
Nothing worse than bored, unarmed Marines. Well except for bored, well armed cannoncockers.
PN #13: Interesting in a epiphanously way. “Credible Threat” from his own troops? If some bad guys had targeted the tent he was in it would be unarmed human shields not guns that covered his ass… Weird observation in any context – you nailed it. But then… I am easily confused.
@14 Possibly she didn’t read that. For myself…if I could get my hands on that General, I’d grill him like a homicide detective.
I’d recommend bad cop-bad cop in lieu of good cop-bad cop.
No I am sorry, I went back and read the story I saw on MSNBC again and it said “there were clear concerns about security” but “the order was NOT a reaction to an immediate threat.” I think I need to go take a much-needed nap before I try to read any more news stories :/
Nap + wine = perfect clarity. Just sayin’.
I like the way you think!!!
No weapons?…Pull out and send in the Peace Corps instead!
I don’t trust ANY democRAT and this douche just reinforced that sentiment. I wouldn’t piss in his mouth if his molars were on fire.
@23: Damn man! I don’t care who ya are; that’s funny right there!
In an epiphaniacal sense, Panetta’s actions do, indeed, represent this administrations warped views on our society, and the sheepdogs who protect it.
In an epiphanously Freudian context, of course. Crapweasels are as crapweasels do, and all that….
Of course, extrapolating this situation in an epiphastical way, wouldn’t the logical next step be to disarm all the Secret service folks?
From the NYT article:
“General Gurganus told reporters later that he had wanted a consistent policy for everyone in the tent, and that “I wanted to have the Marines look just like their Afghan partners,””
*cough*Bullshit*cough*
He should have brought Hillary. At least there would have been enemy snipers everywhere…
Yeah, my personal BS-ometer pegged on that too. It’s the PC answer, but I kinda doubt it’s the whole story – or even the biggest part.
I hate to say it, but that’s about what I’d expect from about half the GOs I’ve met or listened to speak over the past few years. About half of them struck me as more politicians in uniform than leaders.
And that’s just damned sad.
re #28
I have to be at least part politico to put on a star in today’s military.
No argument, NSOM – political skills are progressively more important the more senior one gets. At the senior levels – civilian or military – leadership is as much persuading peers as inspiring and directing subordinates.
However, years ago IMO military GOs were leaders first and politicians second. Today, I’d estimate fully half (if not more) are primarily political schmoozers vice leaders.
For what it’s worth: Fox is reporting that military sources have called this an attempted attack by an Afghan interpreter.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/14/officials-call-incident-at-afghanistan-airport-attempted-attack/
Kinda makes you wonder about the “stack arms” policy during the visit, doesn’t it?
This:
From the NYT article:
“General Gurganus told reporters later that he had wanted a consistent policy for everyone in the tent, and that “I wanted to have the Marines look just like their Afghan partners,””
Why?
ROS, maybe the general wanted them all to go out and drive trucks, and they couldn’t do it with their rifles?
Anon in Jax, that MSNBC shit will make you crazy. Look what it’s done to their staff.
I suppose you think the staff at Fox News is a little more sane?
I don’t recall Bill O’Reilly or Greta calling anyone a slut of late.
Don’t read into disarming soldiers before they see the SECDEF. I saw Dick Cheney a few years ago downrange, and it was the same deal. The Secret Service, rightly, won’t allow anyone to be armed around high level dignataries. I’m sure it was the same with G.W.B.
Not universally the case, amigo. See the first photo in the article linked above. I’m pretty sure that’s SECDEF Rumsfeld to the left of center in that photo.
And this may be the only time in his life he’s been described as being “on the left”, too. (smile)
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=29122