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President Barack Obama called Alassane Ouattara, the democratically elected president of the west African nation Ivory Coast, on Tuesday to congratulate him on assuming his duties. According to a White House readout, Obama told Ouattara that the United States would be a strong partner as Ouattara "forms an inclusive government, promotes reunification and reconciliation, and responds to the current humanitarian situation."
At about the same time, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) was on the floor of the Senate backing Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent president who refused to step down from his office after losing an internationally certified election in November.
According to Federal Aviation Administration documents and audiotapes obtained by The Smoking Gun, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) "scared the crap out of" airport workers at Cameron County Airport in South Texas last October, when he landed his Cessna on a closed runway.
On October 21, 2010, Inhofe landed his plane on a runway that was closed and marked with an X, apparently scattering construction workers and nearly hitting a truck. According to an FAA report, Inhofe noticed the X, but "still elected to land avoiding the men and equipment on the runway."
Shortly after the incident, the man supervising the construction, Sidney Boyd, spoke on the phone with the FAA, and said the landing "scared the crap out of us." (Listen to the audio here.) Boyd said he thought the driver of the truck Inhofe almost hit "actually wet his britches."
"James Inhofe, they tell me he's a Senator from Oklahoma," Boyd can be heard saying.
According to Boyd, Inhofe's plane initially touched down, and then "sky hopped" over six vehicles and personnel working on the runway, before landing for good.
"He was determined to land on that runway come hell or high water, evidently," Boyd said.
Obama didn't care about the fair election outcome....he just likes the side that massacres people...and hates the side the doesn't massacre people.
January 01, 2011
A senior administration official confirmed to Fox News that Obama tried twice to call Gbagbo in early December to warn him that he faced sanctions if he continued to cling to power. Gbagbo did not take those phone calls, prompting Obama to instead send his warnings in a letter.
The United States has since imposed sanctions on the incumbent, along with his family and associates, but that and other international sanctions have failed to smoke him out.
Though a spokesman for Ouattara reportedly said Saturday that West African nations will have to use military force to oust Gbagbo, Obama is first dealing with the security of U.S. personnel in the country. The State Department two weeks ago ordered all non-emergency staff to get out of the country, but a team of Defense Department officials are on the ground planning for a possible evacuation of everyone left at the embassy.
The fact is most folks posting on this thread couldn't find the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire on a map if their life depended on it much less understand the history and dynamics of the recent elections.
A senior administration official confirmed to Fox News that Obama tried twice to call Gbagbo in early December to warn him that he faced sanctions if he continued to cling to power. Gbagbo did not take those phone calls, prompting Obama to instead send his warnings in a letter.
The United States has since imposed sanctions on the incumbent, along with his family and associates, but that and other international sanctions have failed to smoke him out.
Though a spokesman for Ouattara reportedly said Saturday that West African nations will have to use military force to oust Gbagbo, Obama is first dealing with the security of U.S. personnel in the country. The State Department two weeks ago ordered all non-emergency staff to get out of the country, but a team of Defense Department officials are on the ground planning for a possible evacuation of everyone left at the embassy.
The fact is most folks posting on this thread couldn't find the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire on a map if their life depended on it much less understand the history and dynamics of the recent elections.
I don't see how that is possible. Because everyone knows Obama loves the side that massacres people and hates people when they don't massacre people.
Forces loyal to Ivory's Coast's internationally-recognised president Alassane Ouattara killed or raped hundreds of people and burned villages during a rampage in late March, Human Rights Watch says.
The rights group revealed new evidence of summary killings of supporters of strongman Laurent Gbagbo in the far west of the strife-torn country as Ouattara followers seized Gbagbo territory.
Obama DID congratulate the man whose forces massacred civilians....
That is a fact.
No, it is not. The massacres at Duekoue and Blolequin and Guiglo are still under investigation. It is certainly possible that Ouattara's forces were responsible, but by no means certain. If Ouattara did order them to happen, he should be removed from power himself.
However, Ouattara won the election according to all neutral observers. Gbago refusing to cede power was a blatant and illegal power grab, and I'm disappointed to see the lack of respect for democracy exhibited by some of the posters here who apparently think that the loser of an election should be allowed to simply remain in power out or some sort of stubbornness.
But oz, why don't you tell us what you would have done in such a situation?
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