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As the news arrived late last night that U.S. Navy Seals took out three pirates in the Somalia stand-off, leading to the rescue of the Captain of the maritime commercial ship who had been taken hostage, I was overcome with pride, once again, in our military and in the actions taken by the Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama.

For all of my criticism concerning President Obama`s economic policies and a variety of his foreign policy positions, I was proud this morning of my President and of the Obama Administration for taking action against these thugs on the high-seas.

When a military victory is won on the watch of the Commander-in-Chief, regardless of whether or not we voted for him, credit must be given where it is due.

Our United States military, who executed this rescue with brilliance and with accuracy, deserve a salute from every American this morning. Our President also deserves to be saluted for his willingness to take on the pirates and end this particular siege of terror.

For those who dislike President Obama`s policies on a variety of levels and will not appreciate this moment of victory, giving the Commander-in-Chief credit for a successful military action, I would remind you that when it comes to the national security of our country and our willingness to fight terror where ever it is found, political affiliation and our personal political bias should be replaced with a spirit of pride in our country. This action, along with President Obama`s decision to continue the intelligence surveillance programs of the Bush Administration, are actions I applaud, not as a Republican, but as an American

The President of the United States deserves this moment and the recognition of the American people for a job well done. When we are faced with moments such as this one, it is not about republican or democrat, liberal or conservative. It is not about whether  we like the person or the president. To my friends on both sides of the aisle, it is not about politics...IT`S ABOUT THE COUNTRY STUPID.

Congratulations Mr. President and congratulations to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Will Griffith, chairman
The Griffith Corporation
www.griffithcorp.com



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Will Griffith
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL

BRAVO! President Obama knew that he would be tried during the early stages of his presidency and this test shows that the Americans are still mighty. Our next stop might be the camps in Somalia. We dont need to send ground troops just a little heat from above. So all you radicals and pirates please take note of this if.  The days of the "Black Hawk Down" are over we will hunt you where you sleep and remember this one saying "Blink and you Die in the Dark".

I disagree. It`s about the politics. Mr. Obama was perceived to be weak on national defense during the election process. Following the inauguration, he`s done a few things to bolster his position, notably to announce increased troops in Afghanistan.

He said he`d like to withdraw from Iraq, but that`s been modified. I think it`s because after he began receiving daily briefings at the highest levels, he began to realize that terrorists aren`t kidding. They really do want to destroy the United States (and western civilization).

Here comes a low-risk opportunity to look really great. He need only approve a plan by the Pentagon and agree that the Navy should go ahead with killing three mopes in a lifeboat.

There`s no question that Navy SEALs are at the absolute top of the extremely tiny group of people who can execute force. The likelihood of success was very, very high. Even if the captain had been killed, it would be the exercise of "will" on the part of America that mattered.

Indeed, the SEALs pulled it off brilliantly, and America gets a fantastic PR boost in the news. The American people feel great about the "might of the United States." Everyone wins, and Mr. Obama looks like a serious, no-screwing-around, hard-on-terror kind of leader.

Is there any difference between four out-of-work kidnappers and Al Qaeda or Hamas? Of course! These pirates have no military background, no major weaponry, aren`t in a war, and have no intention of destroying millions of civilians. All they want is money.

We used a hammer to kill a mosquito. It`s certainly a good thing, and very important that Mr. Obama gave the go-ahead to use violence. But does that really mean anything in the scheme of today`s world politics and growing instability? No. Not really.

You know Craig, when we say `It`s about the country stupid`, we are of course addressing those in Washington where everything is about politics.
And we keep waiting...hoping they`ll get it!

The president, I think, will stand the test in the war to fight terrorism. I believe President Obama has begun to feel the full weight of his responsibilities and with Robert Gates carried over from the Bush Administration, there is a degree of consistency in our approach to the war on terror, despite all of the political posturing and back tracking.

I do believe that the military action this week, as small as it may appear, was an indicator to the world that this president is not afraid to use a hammer to kill a mosquito. And if he went that route for the issue off the coast of Somalia, then how far will he go to win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I think Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations (and the nations that sponsor them), could well be in for a rude awakening if they counted on this president to be weak. But in the large scope of things, I do believe it meant something. It may have been vague, but the meaning was not lost in political translation.

Will Griffith
www.griffithcorp.com



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Will Griffith
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL

:-) Yes, I know the reference is toward Washington. Ironically, I also happen to agree....literally....with the statement.  I think both congress, and the executive branch represent a level of stupidity the country has rarely seen before.

Obama has made Afghanistan his own, so I think he`ll give that conflict his 110%. I think Iraq is going to be largely abandoned, sacrificed like the Vietnam war as too unpopular to be worth winning. So long as the victory against the pirates remains overwhelming, I think he might continue it. Public perception is more important than the cause when it comes to politics. It`s hard to judge Obama yet. He`s not entirely consistent in his messages and actions. He came to office largely as a pacifist, and it seems he`s changed his mind. I don`t mind a war. I just hope he wages it righteously. Defeat the enemies and keep the national integrity. That`s where Bush faltered. I hope Obama brings the rules back to warfare, and based on his actions thus far I think he will.

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Making limitless possibilities much more limited.

I never took Obama to be a pacifist, but remember that presidents are shaped by history and their times. His approach to the war against terrorism and the battle fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan is the result of the realization of the burdens of his office.

The obligations and duties the President has sworn to uphold are evident to him and with that, I have every confidence that he will execute his duties as Commander-in-Chief and do what is right for the country.

We are living in an age in which pacifism is largely unrealistic. It is also important to recognize that we had to invent new rules for a new kind of warfare and President Obama has recognized that keeping those tools put in place by the Bush Administration, perhaps with some fine-tuning, are valid, just and the right thing to do from a national security perspective.

Will Griffith
www.griffithcorp.com



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Will Griffith
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL

Obama has done a good job in deciding which of Bush`s policies are worth keeping. He`s thrown the intel gathering practices away and good for him for doing so. They were a blight on our shining moral reputation. I`m happy that he`s revealing all of the Bush admin dirty laundry by publicizing all the interrogation procedures and whatnot, and on the same note, I`m glad he`s not prosecuting the people responsible for carrying out the orders. When the Bush administration handled Abu Ghraib, they for the most part only disciplined the lowest rung of the heirarchy, and left the order givers in his cabinet and highest ranks unscathed. I hope Obama follows through on a moral and transparent administration. I have no opposition to fighting the wars we`re already engaged in, though I would object to initiating a war on a third front. The piracy issue is hardly a war, so that can be an exception. I only hope any action Obama engages in follows established rules as best as possible. We`re the most moral nation on the planet, and we have to lead by example. I`ve got immense faith that Obama can turn the country around.

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Making limitless possibilities much more limited.