This is Your National Security Advisor
BY Herschel Smith
15 years, 2 months ago
From Jim Jones (via Jake Tapper):
Responding to criticism from former Vice President Cheney that President Obama is making the nation more vulnerable to terrorism, the president’s National Security Adviser, Gen. Jim Jones (Ret.), told ABC News in an exclusive interview that actually the reverse is true: President Obama’s greater success with international relations has meant more terrorists put out of commission.
“This type of radical fundamentalism or terrorism is a threat not only to the United States but to the global community,” Jones said. “The world is coming together on this matter now that President Obama has taken the leadership on it and is approaching it in a slightly different way – actually a radically different way – to discuss things with other rulers to enhance the working relationships with law enforcement agencies – both national and international.”
Jones said that “we are seeing results that indicate more captures, more deaths of radical leaders and a kind of a global coming-together by the fact that this is a threat to not only the United States but to the world at-large and the world is moving toward doing something about it.”
So the message is that since Obama has taken office more terrorists have been put out of business. The metrics show success because of the person of Obama. Continuing:
The former Marine General didn’t provide any specific numbers to back up his claim, but he said “there is an increasing trend and I think we seen that in different parts of the world over the last few months for sure.” He added that he was not “making a tally sheet saying we are killing more people, capturing more people than they did — that is not the issue.”
So it’s not about a tally sheet, and that is clearly not the issue. Continuing:
But the numbers are going up, he said. “The numbers of high value targets that we are successfully reaching out to or identifying through good intelligence” from both the CIA and intelligence agencies from US allies has made the difference, he said. “We have better human intelligence; we know where the terrorists are moving. Because of the dialogue and the tone of the dialogue between us and our friends and allies…the trend line against terrorism is positive, and that’s what we want. If we have a positive trend line we have a safer country.”
So the trend line is positive, and the “numbers of HVTs … has made the difference” (whatever that is supposed to mean).
Summarizing, the metrics are showing success and Obama is doing better than the previous administration. But there is no tally sheet, and the whole issue of killing and capturing more people misses the point. But more to the point, we are killing and capturing more people.
Got it? Neither do I. Your NSA is not a serious man.
Prior: Calling on National Security Advisor James L. Jones to Resign
UPDATE: Welcome to Instapundit readers and thanks to Glenn for the link.
On September 2, 2009 at 9:15 pm, Tony said:
The creepiest line is this whole sad article is “discuss things with other rulers” … RULERS? Excuse me, this is America. We elect politicians to serve the people, not RULE us. That’s the most disgusting element in this whole pile of ass-kissing.
On September 2, 2009 at 9:17 pm, Cmp said:
HVT= High Value Targets
On September 2, 2009 at 10:09 pm, harlemghost said:
To quote Mr. Jones …
“to discuss things with other rulers to enhance the working relationships with law enforcement agencies – both national and international.”
Other Rulers ???? What other rulers and since when did we have a ruler leading us ?
I thought that good intelligence took years to bear fruit. Nothing changes overnight … if we are getting better intel now its because of what Bush did not despite what Bush did …
And how many HVT have we caught ? Every Predator drone attack does count as a HVT killed.
Agreed this man is not serious … sounds like another Wesley Clark …
On September 2, 2009 at 10:12 pm, Herschel Smith said:
You know what Tony? That completely slipped past me. Good catch and comment.
On September 2, 2009 at 10:32 pm, PD Quig said:
We SHOULD discuss things with other rulers–using OUR ruler. Our ruler should be about 2″x4″x40″ and should include nails that protrude about 3 inches out of the wood every six inches. When we need to, we should deploy our ruler with a swift blow the the face or temple of other the various rulers.
This has also been variously described as “talk softly, but carry a big stick,” and remains the most generally applicable rule of foreign policy success ever articulated.
Gen. Jones seems to be stuck in the “talk big, but carry a soft stick” school. This seems to be the generally applicable rule of Democrats and losers-but I repeat myself (apologies to Mark Twain).
On September 3, 2009 at 4:39 pm, MichelleOrwick said:
On September 2, 2009 at 9:15 pm, Tony said:
The creepiest line is this whole sad article is “discuss things with other rulers” … RULERS? Excuse me, this is America. We elect politicians to serve the people, not RULE us. That’s the most disgusting element in this whole pile of ass-kissing.
————
Remember when Valerie Jerrett said that Obama was ready to “Rule on Day One”? I see a trend….
On September 7, 2009 at 12:33 am, DesertPete45 said:
Methinks we should hold a pow wow in every village and baazar in Helmand and sip tea, hold hands, pass out chocolate and soccer balls. We shold promise schools, clinics, MREs, wells, sidewalks, air conditioning and swamp coolers along with Radio Free America. We should airlift in tons or rice each week and build water pipelines from the wells to each home. We then should install flush toilets so they don’t have to take a dump in irrigation ditches and canals. Let’s see, what else can we do? Well we could promise them that if they vote we will protect their purple fingers from the Taliban. Of course our kindness will have already won over the Taliban and they will throw their Automaitic Kalashnikovs in the irrigation ditches and will abandon their cause. After all this McChrystal, Mullens, Gates, Jones and Obama can throw a barbeque in honor of the Taliban all in the name of diversity!!!
On September 8, 2009 at 10:56 pm, DesertPete45 said:
Just thinking, General Nicholson of the Marines in Aghanistan said that our policy of engaging the population and turning them against the Taliban is already working!!! What is this guy smoking??? Where are the men and officers of integrity??? We are hanging our guys out to dry!! Where the hell are the real men?? Answer: there are none!!!!!!!!!!!!!