Pentagon Dismisses Reports of 34 Warships for Obama Trip Security ("absolutely absurd”)

[Purveyor]

Source: ABC NEWS

The Pentagon did not mince words in dismissing as “absolutely absurd” and “comical” media reports from Indian news outlets that the US Navy was sending 34 warships off the coast of Mumbai as part of the security preparations for President Obama’s upcoming trip to India.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell did not shy away from dismissing reports that appeared in Indian media outlets, such as the Press Trust of India and the television network NDTV. The Press Trust of India is that country’s largest news agency.

Morrell told reporters he was making an exception to the practice of not discussing Presidential security details to shoot down the reports.

“I will take the liberty this time of dismissing as absolutely absurd this notion that somehow we were deploying 10 percent of the Navy -- some 34 ships and an aircraft carrier -- in support of the president's trip to Asia,” said Morrell at today’s Pentagon briefing. “That's just comical. Nothing close to that is being done."

He acknowledged that a Presidential trip requiring security needs “should not come as a surprise to anyone” and that the Defense Department “does play a role in support of Presidential missions.” He said it was customary to not discuss such security requests, but “I made an exception in batting down this absurd notion of there being 34 ships, or more than 10 percent of the Navy, deployed in support of this trip. That is most certainly not the case.”

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/11/pentagon-dismisses-reports-of-34-warships-for-obama-trip-security.html

[madrchsod]

1. the fascist media networks will report this as true....

and the great unwashed will believe every word as gospel.

[Angry Dragon]

4. Some already have

[Angry Dragon]

2. so bachmann was wrong again

she owes the American public an apology

I am waiting michele

[PA Democrat]

3. Wasn't Glenn Beck frothing at the mouth on this subject?

[Bennyboy]

6. The Beck Freak out...

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/freak-out-right-wingers-howl-over-obamas-india-trip.php

[NoGOPZone]

29. He'll still find a way to spin it

Now we'll hear that Obama has strong armed the Pentagon brass into lying to protect him.

[Tx4obama]

5. Politifact has an article up debunking the India trip $200 million per day rumour

Rep. Michele Bachmann claims Obama's trip to India will cost the taxpayers $200 million a day

Rated: FALSE

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/nov/04/michele-bachmann/rep-michele-bachmann-claims-obamas-trip-india-will/

[Sonoman]

7. That crap was all over the Idiot Sites.

They were, as usual, batshit crazy on it.

Sonoman

[Roon]

11. Drudge is headlining it

bet he turned on his siren when he got his "scoop"

[gateley]

15. Rachel did an incredible expose -- it's probably in the videos if you didn't

catch it.

And welcome to DU, Sonoman! :hi:

:loveya:

[trud]

8. Indian news outlets

the same great quality as Indian tech support.

[tularetom]

9. I know its bullshit but so WTF if it was true?

He is our commander in chief and as such he is entitled to whatever protection is needed to provide for his safety.

You didn't hear a peep out of them when similar measures were taken to protect the boy king on his ill advised forays into international diplomacy.

[NYMdaveNYI]

10. Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh and Bachmann said it. So it’s automatically true. nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. The teabaggers will believe anything.

Remamber all the people they said Clinton had killed.

[bigworld]

13. This kind of rabid lying will be the norm for the next 2 years

The right wing smells blood and they're going to do anything to defeat Obama in 2012. And they won't let pesky things like facts get in their way.

And I don't know how to fight that. My dad gets these vicious anti-Obama emails all the times and it doesn't matter if you show him the facts... they just make his opinions that much more entrenched. Really, where do you begin with people who want to be deceived?

[sakabatou]

14. Now watch as Fox "News" spins this as a conspiracy.

[Democat]

16. Let Republicans attack the military if they want.

Who cares? They only damage themselves. I'm sure the US military can do what it needs to do without input from the Republicans on this issue.

[Thor_MN]

19. Good idea!!! We can cut 10% of the Navy as all they are used for is presidential security!!!

The best way to counter hysterical lies is to take them to their consequences, Conservative idiots hardly ever consider consequences.

For example, in Oklahoma, they voted to ban Sharia and other international law, arguably banning the 10 Commandments (they are in Sharia law) and Native American law on the Reservations.

[USA_1]

17. WTF is he going there?

Fix up the fucking problems at home and forget the shit that goes on overseas - they are no concern of ours. No wonder things never change at home.

[underpants]

21. He *is* the President. This is what Presidents do

[USA_1]

22. I See ...

concern himself with what goes on overseas while ignoring the shit going on at home - no wonder the country is so fucked up

[DFLforever]

23. And what goes on overseas has no effect on what goes on

here in the US? either in terms of trade, jobs, the economy, the currency, or war and peace?

[USA_1]

25. Trillion$

The trillion$ spent overseas on foreign wars do create a great money jobs ~ for others but not for those of us in the inner cities who pay the taxes to finance all that warmongering.

[LanternWaste]

30. Precisely which policies will he be forced to ignore by traveling overseas?

Precisely which policies will he be forced to ignore by traveling overseas?

[Posteritatis]

24. Isolationism is intrinsically stupid, especially in this day and age. (nt)

[USA_1]

26. By contrast creating wars overseas is wonderful

.. job producing, morale boosting, economy improving, deficit increasing, and makes the USA a better place to live in. Of course, the 5,000 or so who died and the hundreds of thousands who get injured in those wars, along with the high taxes we pay for the wars, and the troubles society has as a result are de minimus or of no consequence. After all, it's only 5,000 who die for nothing.

OK, let's have more wars, more Americans dead and infinitely more injured. America will be a better country for it.

Right?

[Posteritatis]

28. Thinking there's only isolationism and warmongering is also intrinsically stupid. (nt)

[Dappleganger]

27. Because we participate in a global economy.

[Blue_Tires]

18. as of last night, the same bullshit, unattributed story was still on the NDTV site

certainly they have the decency to take it down, right??

[Uncle Joe]

20. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Purveyor.