Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was the Obama administration's point man who successfully pressed Egypt's interim military government to rescue six trapped guards at the Israeli embassy in Cairo, the Israeli government disclosed.
When Israeli government officials failed to get the Egyptians to take action, it was Panetta who stepped in and took action, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry.
Panetta telephoned Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Chairman Gen. Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, warning him to get the Israelis out safely or face recriminations from a nation that bankrolls and invests in Egypt.
"There's no time to waste," Panetta told Tantawi, warning that if the Israelis did not get of the embassy safely it "would have very severe consequences," according to Haaretz.
Egyptian commandos went into the embassy a short time later and safely rescued the Israelis.
President Obama himself became engaged shortly after the violence broke out Friday, calling on Egypt to take steps to curb the threat to the Israel's sovereign embassy property. Obama spoke to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
The demonstration at the Israeli embassy that turned violent and destructive is seen by many of the revolutionaries of the Arab Spring as a threat to democratic reforms because it represents a dangerous diversion from the need to move forward with elections and institution-building.
"There are (Egyptian) objectors, who are appealing not against policy, but against Israel," Netanyahu said.
For his part, Netanyahu worked the phones, speaking with Egyptian intelligence chief Gen. Murad Muwafi, after failing to get in touch with Tantawi.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, meanwhile, was in contact with Panetta and Dennis Ross, Middle East adviser on the White House National Security Council.
Barak had asked Panetta and Ross to push the Egyptian military "to protect the embassy from the demonstrators who broke into it," according to a statement from Barak's office.
The Israelis believe it is essential for the Cairo embassy to re-open quiuckly and stand as the symbol of Arab-Israeli relations.
"The Middle East is undergoing a historical earthquake and we have to operate calmly, responsibly," Netanyahu said today.
"Israel will continue to adhere to the peace treaty with Egypt. We are working together with the Egyptian government to quickly return our ambassador to Cairo," Netanyahu added.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke this weekend with her Egyptian counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, as she and other U.S. officials maintain constant contact with their Egyptian and Israeli counterparts, the State Department said.
"She welcomed the statements made by both Egyptian and Israeli officials that both remain committed to the peace between the two nations, and reiterated her view that Egyptian-Israeli peace is a cornerstone to regional stability," a State Department statement said.
"Additionally, Secretary Clinton offered her condolences to the loved ones of an Egyptian solider who passed away Friday night from wounds he sustained during last month’s violence in Sinai," the statement added.
Showing posts with label Leon Panetta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leon Panetta. Show all posts
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Gadhafi Getting Desperate as Rebels Close In
Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi are getting low on fuel and munitions as separate rebel armies are closing in on Tripoli, prompting Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to predict today the Libyan despot's "days are numbered."
In a sign that may prove Gadhafi is getting desperate, his forces fired a hugely unreliable scud missile Sunday at the rebel army for the first time in the six-month war.
The scud was launched from near the coastal city of Sirte and aimed at the rebel-held oil terminal city Brega. The short-range scud, which is not a guided missile, landed harmlessly in the desert. Gadhafi is believed to have a stockpile of more than 200 Scuds.
The rebels, meanwhile, are closing in on Gadhafi's last real stronghold: Tripoli on three fronts. The rebels say they have taken control of most of the major battleground city Zawiya, about 30 miles west of Tripoli; Surman, 40 miles west of the capital; and Gharyan, 50 miles south of Gadhafi's power center.
"I think the sense is that Gadhafi's days are numbered," Panetta said at a joint appearance at the National Defense University in Washington with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton called the NATO-Arab alliance fighting Gadhafi an example of "strategic patience" and the use of "smart power" to ultimately defeat an enemy.
In a sign that may prove Gadhafi is getting desperate, his forces fired a hugely unreliable scud missile Sunday at the rebel army for the first time in the six-month war.
The scud was launched from near the coastal city of Sirte and aimed at the rebel-held oil terminal city Brega. The short-range scud, which is not a guided missile, landed harmlessly in the desert. Gadhafi is believed to have a stockpile of more than 200 Scuds.
The rebels, meanwhile, are closing in on Gadhafi's last real stronghold: Tripoli on three fronts. The rebels say they have taken control of most of the major battleground city Zawiya, about 30 miles west of Tripoli; Surman, 40 miles west of the capital; and Gharyan, 50 miles south of Gadhafi's power center.
"I think the sense is that Gadhafi's days are numbered," Panetta said at a joint appearance at the National Defense University in Washington with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton called the NATO-Arab alliance fighting Gadhafi an example of "strategic patience" and the use of "smart power" to ultimately defeat an enemy.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Obama Administration Vows to Finish Job In Libya
Updated 11 p.m. edt
NATO warplanes have struck at more than a dozen targets in Tripoli, showing signs that it intends to maintain a steady strike tempo against Moammar Gadhafi's forces and facilities.
The attacks were renewed after the Libya Contact Group met in Abu Dhabi, pledging $1 billion for cash-poor, but soon-to-be oil-rich rebel Transitional National Council.
While some of the cash is needed to finance the rebel army, finance the emerging rebel government, much of it is expected to be pumped into restarting the idle Libyan oil industry.
A consensus apparently is seriously emerging that Gadhafi cannot hold on for much longer. There are reports that even his forces who are surrounding Misurata cannot sustain a siege because they are short of ammunition, the ranks of professional soldiers are thinning and the city is being held by increasingly better-armed and trained rebel brigades.
And everyday someone from Gadhafi's inner circle contacts the allies seeking political asylum, or offering to join the rebel army, in the case of military officials.
"Gadhafi’s days are well and truly numbered," said Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. "It is a real proposition and one we may be facing sooner than many of you in this room may think."
end update
---[
The Obama administration rolled out some of its top guns today to argue that Moammar Gadhafi is doomed and his attacks on civilians have been curbed by the NATO air campaign.
"We have re-affirmed there is only one way forward for Libya, attacks against civilians must stop, Gadhafi must go, and the Libyan people deserve to determine their own future," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Abu Dhabi, where the Libya Contact Group was meeting.
"We have seen the regime weaken significantly. We have seen the opposition make gains both in the East and the West," CIA Director Leon Panetta told a Senate panel today that is considering his nomination to become the next Defense secretary.
"I think there are some signs that if we continue the pressure, if we stick with it, that ultimately Gadhafi will step down," Panetta said.
The Financial Times report claimed in a report today that the Pentagon is preparing for the Libya mission to cost about $60 million a month, instead of the $40 million originally estimated. It Comes as the Senate is considering giving Obama a slap on the wrist for not consulting Congress on the U.S. role in Libya, as the House already has done.
Clinton also emphasized that the rebel Transitional National Council is growing into a legitimate governing body that has demonstrated a willingness to work with democratic governments to build a free society.
"The United States views the Transitional National Council as the legitimate interlocutor for the Libyan people during this interim period. We expect to see Libyans coming together to plan their own future and a permanent, inclusive, constitutional system that will protect the rights of all Libyans," Clinton said.
"This is in stark contrast to the Gadhafi regime, which has lost all legitimacy to rule. The TNC is the institution through which we are engaging the Libyan people alongside our work with civil society," Clinton added.
She left no doubt that the U.S. is all-in until Gadhafi is out.
"As long as he continues his attacks on his own people, our military mission to protect them will continue," Clinton said.
"We are pleased that NATO extended the mandate of Operation Unified Protector for another 90 days. We have stepped up the pace of our strikes and added British and French attack helicopters to our arsenal," she noted.
NATO warplanes have struck at more than a dozen targets in Tripoli, showing signs that it intends to maintain a steady strike tempo against Moammar Gadhafi's forces and facilities.
The attacks were renewed after the Libya Contact Group met in Abu Dhabi, pledging $1 billion for cash-poor, but soon-to-be oil-rich rebel Transitional National Council.
While some of the cash is needed to finance the rebel army, finance the emerging rebel government, much of it is expected to be pumped into restarting the idle Libyan oil industry.
A consensus apparently is seriously emerging that Gadhafi cannot hold on for much longer. There are reports that even his forces who are surrounding Misurata cannot sustain a siege because they are short of ammunition, the ranks of professional soldiers are thinning and the city is being held by increasingly better-armed and trained rebel brigades.
And everyday someone from Gadhafi's inner circle contacts the allies seeking political asylum, or offering to join the rebel army, in the case of military officials.
"Gadhafi’s days are well and truly numbered," said Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. "It is a real proposition and one we may be facing sooner than many of you in this room may think."
end update
---[
The Obama administration rolled out some of its top guns today to argue that Moammar Gadhafi is doomed and his attacks on civilians have been curbed by the NATO air campaign.
"We have re-affirmed there is only one way forward for Libya, attacks against civilians must stop, Gadhafi must go, and the Libyan people deserve to determine their own future," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Abu Dhabi, where the Libya Contact Group was meeting.
"We have seen the regime weaken significantly. We have seen the opposition make gains both in the East and the West," CIA Director Leon Panetta told a Senate panel today that is considering his nomination to become the next Defense secretary.
"I think there are some signs that if we continue the pressure, if we stick with it, that ultimately Gadhafi will step down," Panetta said.
The Financial Times report claimed in a report today that the Pentagon is preparing for the Libya mission to cost about $60 million a month, instead of the $40 million originally estimated. It Comes as the Senate is considering giving Obama a slap on the wrist for not consulting Congress on the U.S. role in Libya, as the House already has done.
Clinton also emphasized that the rebel Transitional National Council is growing into a legitimate governing body that has demonstrated a willingness to work with democratic governments to build a free society.
"The United States views the Transitional National Council as the legitimate interlocutor for the Libyan people during this interim period. We expect to see Libyans coming together to plan their own future and a permanent, inclusive, constitutional system that will protect the rights of all Libyans," Clinton said.
"This is in stark contrast to the Gadhafi regime, which has lost all legitimacy to rule. The TNC is the institution through which we are engaging the Libyan people alongside our work with civil society," Clinton added.
She left no doubt that the U.S. is all-in until Gadhafi is out.
"As long as he continues his attacks on his own people, our military mission to protect them will continue," Clinton said.
"We are pleased that NATO extended the mandate of Operation Unified Protector for another 90 days. We have stepped up the pace of our strikes and added British and French attack helicopters to our arsenal," she noted.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Obama Opts for Name Brands at DOD & CIA
Updated 4 p.m. edt
Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, will replace Gen. David Petraeus as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, a U.S. official confirmed today.
Allen also commanded troops in Iraq. Here is his full biography from CENTCOM (scroll down to the middle of the page).
CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports at this hour that Petraeus will retire from the military and will run CIA as a civilian, beginning in September.
NBC, meanwhile, is reporting Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retire June 30th.
end update
---[
President Obama is avoiding controversial and contentious choices to head the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, opting for spymaster Leon Panetta to head the Department of Defense, and one of America's most beloved commanders, Gen. David Petraeus, to run the CIA.
The formal announcements are expected tomorrow, and neither Panetta nor Petraeus are expected to have much of a problem clearing the Senate confirmation process.
CIA Director Panetta will replace outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates, while Petraeus would in turn fill the slot at the spy agency. Gates, who along with Hillary Clinton, became one of Obama's most trusted counselors, has long said he would bolt the administration sometime this year.
Panetta will likely preside over a DoD that will have to embrace an era austerity, cutting the fat out of a military-industrial complex that has preyed on fear since the Cold War to a create a corporate warfare system that has filled their treasuries in exchange for kickbacks to politicians in the form of campaign contributions and unsavory junkets.
Petraeus will have the task of rallying a CIA that, in order, has missed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the 9/11 plot and attacks, and most recently, the Pan-Arab pro-democracy uprising that so far has toppled two (three, if the Yemen deal holds) dictators.
Some in the main stream media are already calling this a shakeup, but it really is more about continuity than a martini made the way James Bond likes it.
Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, will replace Gen. David Petraeus as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, a U.S. official confirmed today.
Allen also commanded troops in Iraq. Here is his full biography from CENTCOM (scroll down to the middle of the page).
CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports at this hour that Petraeus will retire from the military and will run CIA as a civilian, beginning in September.
NBC, meanwhile, is reporting Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retire June 30th.
end update
---[
President Obama is avoiding controversial and contentious choices to head the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, opting for spymaster Leon Panetta to head the Department of Defense, and one of America's most beloved commanders, Gen. David Petraeus, to run the CIA.
The formal announcements are expected tomorrow, and neither Panetta nor Petraeus are expected to have much of a problem clearing the Senate confirmation process.
CIA Director Panetta will replace outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates, while Petraeus would in turn fill the slot at the spy agency. Gates, who along with Hillary Clinton, became one of Obama's most trusted counselors, has long said he would bolt the administration sometime this year.
Panetta will likely preside over a DoD that will have to embrace an era austerity, cutting the fat out of a military-industrial complex that has preyed on fear since the Cold War to a create a corporate warfare system that has filled their treasuries in exchange for kickbacks to politicians in the form of campaign contributions and unsavory junkets.
Petraeus will have the task of rallying a CIA that, in order, has missed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the 9/11 plot and attacks, and most recently, the Pan-Arab pro-democracy uprising that so far has toppled two (three, if the Yemen deal holds) dictators.
Some in the main stream media are already calling this a shakeup, but it really is more about continuity than a martini made the way James Bond likes it.
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