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Title: Hundereds of Americans trapped in Libya while Obama parties
Source:
Daily Mail
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... -Obama-pressure-act-grows.html
Published: Feb 25, 2011
Author: Oliver Tree
Post Date: 2011-02-25 13:15:33 by Happy Quanzaa
Keywords: Obama Akbar, Barack Hussein Osama, Obama bin Laden
Views: 10278
Comments: 14
Hundreds of Americans trapped aboard a rescue ship that was too small to sail in rough weather have finally left Libya this morning. The 167 stranded U.S. citizens have been holed up on the Maria Dolores since Wednesday, as rough weather has prevented the ship from leaving. The Dolores left Tripoli at 6:37 am EST and is expected to reach its destination port of Valetta, Malta at around 3:00 pm EST. 'The ferry carrying American and international citizens from Libya to Malta is finally underway,' U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley tweeted. According to the State Department there are 285 passengers on board the Dolores, including 167 U.S. citizens and 118 people of other nationalities. President Obama has been under intense criticism for his muted response to the bloodshed in Libya, with speculation that Colonel Gaddafi had intimidated the White House into silence by blocking the evacuation of U.S. citizens. And last night, while the Dolores remained stranded, the president enjoyed a White House pop concert in celebration of Black History month. Tony Munoz Editor of shipping magazine The Maritime Executive said: 'I don't understand why this vessel didn't leave earlier - The Maria Dolores is a new vessel built for Mediterranean seas. 'I can only imagine the captain was refusing to sail because he felt the vessel was not capable enough of taking the sea on. Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Munoz said that there was no comparison between the 68 metre Dolores and the 204 metre Hellenic Spirit, used by the Greek government to evacuate its citizens from Benghazi. 'The U.S. needed to charter a bigger boat like the Greeks' he said. 'The fully hulled Spirit will be more durable outside a port, this much bigger vessel could take the rough seas on. 'There is no question about it, they [U.S.] should have been out of there long ago - why haven't they chartered a bigger boat like the Greeks or Turkish. 'At the very least, the government should have had a larger back up vessel on the way.' Tens of thousands of foreigners are trying to flee the chaos in Libya, with Turks and Chinese climbing aboard ships by the thousands, Europeans mostly boarding evacuation flights and North Africans racing to border crossings in overcrowded vans. The British Government sent three chartered planes to Tripoli, with the first returning in the early hours of Thursday morning. China has evacuated more than 450 by plane and bus - nearly half of whom were employees of Sinohydro. India's External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said Friday that the government would send two flights a day starting Saturday to evacuate some of the 18,000 Indians in Libya. India is also sending ships. Other countries, such as Greece and Turkey have been able to rescue thousands of their own citizens,despite yesterday's rough weather. Earlier in the week, State Department official P.J. Crowley said Libyan authorities had refused the U.S. permission to land any chartered aircraft. 'We had requested permission to bring charter aircraft into Tripoli. 'That permission was not granted yesterday [Tuesday]. 'We still would like to have permission to bring charters in for any additional Americans who want to leave.' Some have suggested the slow evacuation was behind President Obama’s lacklustre performance in condemning Colonel Gaddafi's, regime where thousands are thought to have been killed following protests. Passengers arriving in Rome and Malta described scenes of chaos and violence at Tripoli's airport, with people pushing and shoving to get onto the few flights taking off Wednesday and Libyan police and security agents kicking and beating them. ‘One of my fellow passengers was actually beaten up quite heavily and kicked on,’ said Steffan Arnersten, a 42-year-old Swede who works as a managing director at a technical consulting company. ‘He's quite wounded.’ Sharon, a Maltese arriving home aboard the only one of three scheduled Air Malta flights to make it out Wednesday, said the situation at the airport was desperate. ‘It was just terrible. People fighting for their lives, scrambling over people, pushing, shoving, kicking, everything. It was a mess.’ Libya is one of the world's biggest oil producers — responsible for nearly 2 per cent of the world's oil — and many oil companies were evacuating their expatriate workers and families. There are an unknown number trapped in isolated desert camps. British Defence Secretary Liam Fox said yesterday that a number of Nato alliance countries are drawing up plans to rescue the trapped contractors. Mr Fox said an 'international co-ordinated effort' would be mounted to retrieve workers who are isolated and under threat from armed gangs. 'We may be taking out citizens of other countries, other countries may be taking out UK citizens. The better we have it coordinated and de-conflicted, the better the chances of success,' he said. 'What took you so long': Stricken Libyan
rescue boat finally leaves Tripoli, but why
did they take so long to depart?• Boat packed with U.S. citizens finally sets sail
• Experts ask why a bigger boat wasn't used like the Greeks and Turkish • Libyans refuse to let U.S. chartered planes land
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#1. To: Happy Quanzaa, go65 (#0)
They should make their own plans for escape like the right wingers said the New Orleans poor should have.
"Keep Your Goddamn Government Hands Off My Medicare!" - Various Tea Party signs.
Too bad Short Bus Nagin wasn't in Tripoli with a fleet of school buses available to take them out.
I don't want my tax payer dollars saving a bunch of Americans working for Qaddaffi oil.
"Keep Your Goddamn Government Hands Off My Medicare!" - Various Tea Party signs.
Quanzaa would say the same thing, except Obama is President.
Since January 3, 2011, Republicans have controlled the power of the purse.
The socialist neocons are whining because the government bailout of US carpetbaggers in Libya only provided a 68 meter catamaran. They want The Love Boat? I recall a re-run of MASH I saw where this uber right winger named Colonel Flagg... LOL! You see how when the messiah "king" obammy shows the world what an incompetent whiny loser man child he REALLY is, that his whores and tools and FOOLS still try to blame somebody else? YOUR messiah "king" obammy has ALL of the responsibility for his own FAILURES you slack jawed lickspittle toadies.
Living in mouth breather's empty noggins 24/7/365 totally rent free!
The Koch's to the rescue. They own plenty of Love Boats.
"http://first-draft-blog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5ced53ef0148c7a28c4b970c-320wi"
The USEmpire is totally stretched. Follow the Israelis/Chinese/Turks from now on. They get out first. No problems.
You can bet Koch employees were on that boat.
OBAMA FUBAR!!!! ALL HAIL!
Well, [war's] got to do something for attention, his multiple personalities aren't speaking to him any more, and his imaginary friends keep finding excuses not to come over.
Probably had to pushed off some women and children in order to take their 'rightful' place.
"http://first-draft-blog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5ced53ef0148c7a28c4b970c-320wi"
Isn't that what the free market is all about?
You have the courage to tell the masses what no politician told them: you are inferior and all the improvements in your conditions which you simply take for granted you owe to the efforts of men who are better than you. Ludwig von Mises in a letter to Ayn Rand
Only in a fascist nation where the economic system is the same as the political system. Yep, sounds like us.
"http://first-draft-blog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5ced53ef0148c7a28c4b970c-320wi"
8D What's the point of wealth and power if it doesn't make you feel better about yourself?
Hundereds of Americans trapped in Libya while Obama parties
#2. To: Godwinson (#1)
#3. To: Happy Quanzaa (#2)
Too bad Short Bus Nagin wasn't in Tripoli with a fleet of school buses available to take them out.
#4. To: Godwinson (#3)
I don't want my tax payer dollars saving a bunch of Americans working for Qaddaffi oil.
#5. To: Happy Quanzaa (#0)
(Edited)
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
Godwinson posted on 2011-02-23 11:47:32 ET
http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=18011&Disp=46#C46
#6. To: Happy Quanzaa, ALL messiah king obammy lickspittles and toadies (#0)
#7. To: hondo68 (#5)
They want The Love Boat?
#8. To: Happy Quanzaa (#0)
#9. To: Rek (#7)
The Koch's to the rescue. They own plenty of Love Boats.
#10. To: Happy Quanzaa (#0)
#11. To: mcgowanjm (#9)
You can bet Koch employees were on that boat.
#12. To: Rek (#11)
Probably had to pushed off some women and children in order to take their 'rightful' place.
#13. To: lucysmom (#12)
(Edited)
Isn't that what the free market is all about?
#14. To: Rek (#11)
Probably had to pushed off some women and children in order to take their 'rightful' place.
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