King: Don’t negotiate for kidnapped Nigerian girls
(CNN) - The former chairman of the House Homeland Security committee is urging the United States and others not to negotiate with Boko Haram, the terrorist group in Nigeria that has kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls.
Instead, Rep. Peter King, R-New York, said he would support President Obama if he were to send U.S. special forces to rescue them.
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"This is one of those terribly difficult decisions - morally difficult - but I would say no, that we cannot negotiate," King told CNN's Erin Burnett. "If it were my daughter or my wife or my sister, I realize the human impact. But the fact is once you start negotiating with terrorists, it just leads to more violence."
King, who sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has been a leading advocate of the United States’ so-called "War on Terror," unafraid to criticize the Obama administration for, in his opinion, doing too little against a resurgent al Qaeda, fueled by strengthening affiliate networks around the world.
Boko Haram has loose ties to al Qaeda, mainly its affiliate in West Africa and extremist groups in Mali.
"Put it this way: If the President decided to use Special Forces, I certainly would not oppose them," he said on “Erin Burnett OutFront,” adding that the United States’ main responsibility is to provide intelligence and surveillance to the Nigerians.
"I realize all the complexities involved, all the dangers involved," he said, but "as commander-in-chief, if he made that decision, I would support him."
At the moment, the United States is providing manned aerial surveillance planes over Nigerian territory, gathering intelligence in support of the efforts to find the girls, and sharing commercial satellite images with the Nigerians, according to U.S. officials.
–CNN's Elise Labott contributed to this report.
@DM4O-Good Morning, I bet Boko Haram has made it onto a drone list but like you said we don`t want end up bombing the girls as well. Maybe Wake Up is right and its too late cause the girls are split up from each other.
Wake Up!
You're right, it is not our fight.
I too feel bad for these girls but...it is not our fight.
Worse things are happening in Darfur, dusty, dirty Darfur (no oil there), but yet here we sit, sat and will continue to sit inr regards to that part of the world.
Meanwhile...I have been keeping up with your posts, Lynda's and the rest of the gang. I'm in training here at work so jumping into the conversation is not always possible.
Keep up the great work my sister and give my regards to my girl Lynda, she's been on quite a roll recently!
Good morning to you too DM!! Congratulations on the promotion. We realize you've been busy and we miss you but completely understand. And you are so right, our girl Lynda has been hitting em out the park!!😍😍😍
Dominican mama wrote:
Hmm.
I find myself agreeing with King more than I do with any other Republican (Boehner occasionally lapses into periods of lucidity), but that doesn't say much.
You're still up in NYC and have more exposure to him daily than I would.
On this point I appreciate him not pushing for us to go into armed conflict over the interests of a foreign country that happens to be loaded with oil.
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I think he spends the vast majority of his working time in DC. He doesn't represent my district, anyway. King is just blowing a lot of hot air. Pontificating about how we should be providing intelligence is pure nonsense. Like I said, the U.S. has been providing the Nigerian government with intelligence for years. King is pretending that the Obama administration isn't doing anything to help the girls, when in fact the U.S. is already doing what King is suggesting that we begin doing. King is being entirely dishonest with these statements. His remarks only help the terrorists.
@ Dominica mama: "Keep up the great work my sister and give my regards to my girl Lynda, she's been on quite a roll recently!"
Amazing what a day in the sandbox playing Tonka trucks with a four year old will do to one's psyche and general outlook in life. Well, that and the lake was given the ice-out all clear Friday afternoon so I did indeed drive up to the cabin after all. Spent Sunday doing nothing but sitting in the lawn chair absorbing the peace and quiet of nature at its best. Got the new water tank in (we have one small section of pipe to replace) and will be getting the dock in this weekend.
All in all ... all is well in my little world.
I am proud of you, DM. So. Very. Proud.
[ I'll catch your posts when I can. ]