President Obama realizes ship owners face a “security” issue when their vessels pass through the dangerous pirate-infested waters off the shores of Somalia, according to his chief spokesman.
But he sidestepped a question on whether they actually should be armed.
The question was raised by Les Kinsolving, WND’s correspondent at the White House, who asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs at a briefing today: “Does the president believe that our merchant ships should continue …”
“Lester,” Gibbs interrrupted, “why do you have to write these down? Just go with the flow, just sort of like…”
“… to be unarmed when they go anywhere near Somalia?” Kinsolving finished.
“Say that again,” said Gibbs.
“Does the president believe that our merchant ships should continue to be unarmed when they go anywhere near Somalia? And I have just one follow-up” Kinsolving said.
“Just one?”
“Yes.”
“I think there has, in the past few days, been discussions about the security that should be – or might be entailed in terms of individual – individual ships and merchant lines. Obviously that’s a discussion that will continue,” Gibbs said.
“I think you saw the commander, I think in the Fifth Fleet, say their recommendation to some of these shipping lines in dangerous areas of the world, is to employ – consider strongly employing some private security to ensure that – ensure the safety of their sailors and of their ships and their cargo, and that there are steps that can be taken relating to speed and evasive actions that can increase their security in those areas.”
But he didn’t mention whether they should be armed.
In response to a second question, Gibbs delivered a lobbying effort for the administration’s new plans to post medical records in digital formats, specifically referring to the records of soldiers.
Kinsolving asked: “Since almost everyone in the country is grateful both for the commander-in-chief’s consent to take action against the kidnappers and the impressive action of the SEALs in rescuing Captain Phillips, my question: How will the president try to keep the SEALS, Rangers, Airborne, and the rest of our armed forces from suffering budget cuts?”
He was referring to the members of the U.S. military who shot and killed three pirates and rescued Phillips, a captain of an unarmed freighter who was held hostage for several days by pirates.
“Well, let me give you two reactions. One, as the president said again in both his statement and his – at the Department of Transportation yesterday, that he’s enormously grateful for the courage and the professionalism of the men and women in uniform that protected the crew, the captain, and protect each of us every single day,” Gibbs said.
“The president and the Secretary of Defense have outlined a plan that they believe will actually provide greater focus and resources on the missions that we’re most likely to encounter as we move forward, and have taken steps to ensure that we direct those resources where most appropriate,” he continued.
“And lastly, the president spoke about this last week at the White House: We have to do all that we can to ensure that when those men and women that protect us come home, that each and every one of them get the benefits that they’ve earned and that they deserve so richly. The president has taken steps to ensure that there’s continuity in their medical record-keeping when they switch from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans Affairs. I think the president is keenly interested in ensuring their quality of life both while serving on active duty as well as when they leave the service of their country,” Gibbs said.
According to Agence France-Presse, the Obama administration is proposing raising the U.S. military budget but in ways that would “profoundly reform” spending.
The proposed budget is 4 percent higher for 2010 that last year. It halts new orders for F-22 jets but gives billions to low-tech weaponry such as unmanned drones.
Other plans are for a new fleet of helicopters for the president, a boost in cyber-warfare experts and 30,000 new civilian officials.
Have a question you’d like to hear President Obama answer? Post it on WND’s Mr. President forum!
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