Obama's Secret Rescue Mission

[kskiska]

Source: NY Post

SEEKS TO FREE US MOM'S KIDS FROM PALESTINIAN 'CAPTIVITY'

Barack Obama carried out a secret assignment during his global tour last week.

While talking about the Middle East peace process in the West Bank Wednesday, the presumptive Democratic nominee slipped a note to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

The private message: Help an anguished Chicago mother get her daughters back.

Obama detailed the plight of Colleen Bargouthi, 36. She says that for the last year, her four daughters have been held in the Palestinian territories, made to wear headdresses and schooled in Islam by their Muslim father, Yasser Shibli.

(snip)

Having Obama as her advocate was Colleen's wildest fantasy come true.
"I'm just extraordinarily pleased with what he's done for me," she said. "It makes me feel wonderful - one step closer to my daughters."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/seven/07272008/news/nationalnews/obamas_secret_rescue_mission_121815.htm?page=0

[TwilightGardener]

1. Wow.

[Connie_Corleone]

2. Huge Kick!!

[1monster]

3. Back in the '90s, I worked with a young Middle Easterner, gorgeous, sweet, and with great manners.

When those of us who were a bit older would hear the younger girls giggle, sigh, and swoon over him, we'd nod our heads and say, "Just always remember girls, that if your were to nab him, when he says, "Honey, let's pack up the kids and take a visit to the old country so the kids can meet their Grandma," you say, "I've got a better idea, Dear. Let's buy a ticket for Grandma to come and have an extended visit here!"...

[Maraya1969]

80. Yea I've heard so many stories that make it sounds like the men fall

victim to cult behavior if they go over to parts of the middle east. I watched cold case last night on the tv and it was about the women's suffrage movement. These women were treated like the women in the middle east seem to be, (some of them and in different parts). Women have always had to fight for equal rights. Our country has come very far but not far enough.

[appal_jack]

4. 2nd Wow

To summarize further for those who choose to avoid the NY Post:

1) Husband goes from relaxed approach to a 2-religion household early in the marriage to massive-Islamo-fundie-nutbag post 9/11.

2) Husband then keeps their daughters in the Palestinian territories and sends wife and stepson back to US after a "visit."

3) Obama intervenes, gallantly and constructively, and at no small risk to himself on a carefully watched international trip.

4) Upon hearing of this intervention, nutbag-husband reportedly (as quoted in Post article) says "F- - - Washington, f- - - Obama and f- - - you."

If this story gets sufficient media play, it should put the final nail in the coffin for the meme "Obama is a Muslim," which would be a nice side effect. Most of all though, I hope that the woman gets her girls back.

Gobama! K&R

-app

Edit to properly close the quotation marks.

[Union Thug]

7. Re. Media attention

This is the first time I've heard of this, and I'm trying to pay attention (I know I fail a lot of the time, but I'm trying).

Why is it, I wonder, why really great stories - both in substance and marketability - falls on deaf ears. One would think that Obama would be hailed as a hero for this. Instead, our media likes to feature hero constructs, pentagon propaganda and lies (poor jessica and the late tillman didn't deserve the crap they were dealt).

[intheflow]

17. I'm not defending this guy in any way, but

calling him an "massive-Islamo-fundie-nutbag post 9/11" is a bit ott, imo. First of all, plenty of christian and atheist guys start off sweet and turn into abusers later. Secondly, I can't help but think what nutbags this guy encountered in the good ol' USofA living in the US as a foreign-born Muslim after 9-11. He may actually think it would be better for his daughters to grow up where their father's religion won't be vilified daily--don't forget that the mother is a Baptist. God only knows what the church was teaching those girls about their father's Muslim faith. Then there are cultural differences: maybe he thinks his girls need to be raised where the media/culture isn't constantly pressuring teenage girls to dress like they want to be Heffner's next Playboy centerfold.

So while I despise that this man has basically tricked his wife into letting him abduct his children, I join the chorus in demanding the return of the girls to their mother, and I denounce all forms of domestic abuse, I would not jump to any conclusions that he's a Islamo fundie nutbag--he could just probably be a run-of-the-mill nutbag. Actually, I think it's the term "Islamo" that I take offense at--just sounds too much like the RW "Islamo-fascists" bs, so makes your whole summation grossly bigoted to my ear. I mean, you start off saying you'll recap for those who don't want to read that RW NY Post, then use a RW term out in summation.

And of course, this could all just be me and my very sad lack of coffee this morning making me quarrelsome. :)

[DissedByBush]

28. I don't see the problem with "Islamo-fascist" in general

Many members of the faith of Islam have a fascist ideology and strive daily to achieve a fascist state. According to Wikipedia, fascism generally shows "nationalism, militarism, totalitarianism, statism, dictatorship, populism, collectivism and economic planning." Most of those describe the situation these people want to impose, it just about describes Taliban Afghanistan. Thus "Islamo-fascist" is quite accurately descriptive.

The problems come when the RW wants to use it for more than just that minority of Muslims and as a scare tactic.

[KnaveRupe]

35. The Taliban aren't nationalists, or statists, or populists.

They aren't militarists (using their military as a tool of foreign policy) - the Afghan army hasn't threatened any of their neighbors that I can recall.

I don't recall them being particularly well known collectivists or being famous for their centrally-planned economy.

And I CERTAINLY don't ever recall them being known for the one hallmark of fascism your (and Wikipedia's) definition omits - the unification of State and Corporate interests.

They were (and are on the way to again becoming) a totalitarian dictatorship, certainly, but not a fascistic one. They are pure-bred, dyed-in-the-wool, old-skool theocrats.

Conflating them with fascists is complete RW silliness. Saddam Hussein's Iraq was closer to a fascist state, but then again, it was a pretty secular state, so Islamo-fascism didn't really apply much to it, either.

[DissedByBush]

40. The definitions

Military might and the use of force was a large part of the Taliban. They used it to suppress competition from the warlords and to keep the populace inline. Many in the government also had dual-duty as military commanders, and would leave their jobs to fight.

Nationalism doesn't mean a nation's border. The nation can consist of a group, in this case the group of Muslims. The Taliban also expanded their nation into Pakistan. Islamo-fascists also want the rest of the world to become Muslim, which goes back to the militarism, and the nationalism to achieve their worldwide Ummah (the definition that includes making everyone else either Muslim or Dhimmi).

The Taliban did unify state and what was left of corporate. The government made the big business deals.

They were statist, with the government being very intrusive in all matters of life.

They were totalitarian.

They were a dictatorship.

They were populist, we the people vs. those who are against us, no elites allowed (except as usual the government saying this being the elites).

They were collectivist in that group goals completely trumped any individual goals.

About the only thing they lacked was a planned economy, but then they really didn't have much of an economy except for what Mullah Omar wanted to do at any one time.

[Chulanowa]

39. Doesn't work that way

Very hard to have a totalitarian dictatorship, while still having a theocracy based around what is one of the world's least-organized religions.

You can be fascist, and you can be Islamicist. But you can't be both. That's kinda like being a Libertarian Stalinist, or an authoritarian anarchist.

[24HRrnr]

49. Actually, the Wiki definition is

"Fascism is a term used to describe authoritarian nationalist political ideologies or mass movements that are concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence and seek to achieve a millenarian national rebirth by exalting the nation or race, and promoting unity, strength and purity"

What you quote are various elements that may be present in fascism.

Definitions are important. Several replies to your post have already spun off and declared the certain radical elements of Islam do not qualify for the term based on the elements you posted as the definition.

[rAVES]

57. Islamo Facist is an Oxymoron.. might do well as a progressive to remember that.

[CrispyQ]

85. Not unlike the Christo-fascists in our own country. --nt

:eyes:

[hootinholler]

87. Except for the corporate element.

Islam precludes fascism. It does not preclude totalitarianism, but fascism.

By definition (by the person who coined the term fascism) fascism is the marriage of corporations and state.

-Hoot

[lark]

90. Gee, sounds like you just described the BFEE

except for the populist crap. I never noticed Hitler being very populist so think that part of the description is off.

[Ian David]

48. I use christo-fascist more often than islamo-fascist, and have used judeo-fascist a couple times.n/t

[intheflow]

53. As long as you're an equal-opportunity debaser,

I guess it's all good. :P

Actually, I believe in in the term Christo-fascists, I actually believe they are a part of the junta government currently running the US. I guess I would stay away from the term Judeo-fascist because it sounds like anti-semitism to me, as in, "Jewish business interests control the US government and/or world!" paranoia. Not to say there aren't some Jews right in there with the Christo-fascists running our country, it's more because that's been such a standard justification to discriminate and exterminate Jews, I'd rather not go down that broadbrush trail.

[Ian David]

55. The handful of Jews who want to destroy the Muslim Mosque in Jerusalem are Judeo-fascists.

The handful of Jews who want to destroy the Muslim Mosque in Jerusalem like are Judeo-fascists, like the late Rabbi Kahane and his followers like David Grossack.

As are people like anti-gay Holocaust Revisionist Brian Camenker and his buddy Y.A. Korff.

The whole "banking" thing is an anti-Semitic red herring.

The real problem are the 14% of Jews who are regressive fundamentalists-- because ALL regressive fundamentalists of ALL religions are the problem.

[intheflow]

56. "ALL regressive fundamentalists of ALL religions are the problem."

So true, so true. :(

[jbnow]

74. The father didn't practice his religion per the article but

that doesn't mean they wouldn't hear their fathers background bashed.

Still a good reason to be wary of men from many of these countries if they decide to be asses is women have less rights there and there is not a clear legal claim for moms to get the children back as there would be with many western countries if a US court so ordered.
Of course parents disappear in this country with the kids as they could in any other country too, but these are particularly hard even if you know exactly where the kids are.

Most people don't marry with thought of their spouse turning into such a wretch.

[Kali]

79. good post

nice to see critical thinking :thumbsup:

[lark]

89. In this case it is an Islamic thing

This has been happening long before 9/11 to many women married to ex-pats from the Middle East. It happened to a woman that's a family friend. Great guy, good husband, fine with daughter not being raised Muslim, but when a son was born - everything changed. He took our friend and children for a "visit", his family totally turned him against his wife because she wasn't muslim. The girl got sick, he sent mom and daughter home, divorced her the day she left and kept the son. They told the son she and his sister died so he wouldn't try to contact her and she hasn't spoken to him or seen him since and it's been over 15 years. They play hard-ball over there!

One of my good friends married a non-religious Muslim. When they had their first baby they went to Morocco to see his family and they too tried to talk him into divorcing my friend and stealing the baby. His aunts and mom were horrible to my friend, it's totally obvious in the pictures. Luckily he was strong enough in his relationship that his fundamentalist family members couldn't sway him and they stayed with his dad who is also non-religious and had a wonderful visit.

Moral - be very careful if you marry a man who is an ex-pat Muslim.

[The Croquist]

20. Good for Obama but...

What is the "no small risk to himself"?

On a worse note the 6 year old, Amanda, was born in Palestine. That means she's not a US citizen. I'm not sure how much the US government can do to help but if I were Fayyad I wouldn't turn Obama down. After almost 8 years of Bush they could use a friendly person in the Whitehouse.

There is no final nail in the coffin regarding Obama and Islam. Ignorant people will believe what they want to believe. If anything bugger eating morons will claim that this is proof that he is a Muslim (assuming he is successful).

[Trekologer]

26. Correct me if I am wrong...

But children born to a citizen, even if born outside of the country, are citizens.

[YOY]

86. Depends on the country.

My daughter has dual citizenship as she was born of a Bulgarian (my wife) in the United States.

Some countries take a national approach and some take a native born approach.

When you are born on American soil you are an American Citizen.

According to others if you are born of a national you are a national yourself regardless of birthplace.

[Neecy]

27. I believe she is....

On a worse note the 6 year old, Amanda, was born in Palestine. That means she's not a US citizen.

Her mother is a US citizen, so the child should be entitled to US citizenship regardless of place of birth (reference: John McCain).

[R Merm]

29. McCain was born on a US military base, that is considered

being born on US soil

[The Croquist]

I sit corrected

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_nationality_law#Acquisition_of_citizenship

Through birth abroad to one United States citizen
For persons born on or after November 14, 1986, a person is a U.S. citizen if all of the following are true:

1. One of the person's parents was a U.S. citizen when the person in question was born;
2. The citizen parent lived at least 5 years in the United States before his or her child's birth; and
3. At least 2 of these 5 years in the United States were after the citizen parent's 14th birthday.

A person's record of birth abroad, if registered with a U.S. consulate or embassy, is proof of his or her citizenship. Such a person may also apply for a passport or a Certificate of Citizenship to have a record of his or her citizenship. Such documentation is often useful to prove citizenship in lieu of the availability of an American birth certificate.

Different rules apply for persons born abroad to one U.S. citizen before November 14, 1986. United States law on this subject changed multiple times throughout the twentieth century, and the law as it existed at the time of the individual's birth controls.

[R Merm]

33. I sit corrected also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born_citizen

Although the Panama Canal Zone was not considered to be part of the United States,<5> federal law states that "Any person born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States, is declared to be a citizen of the United States".<6> The law that conferred this status took effect on August 4, 1937, one year after John McCain was born — albeit with retrospective effect, resulting in McCain being declared a U.S. citizen from birth.<7>

[DFW]

47. That is 100% correct

My daughters were born in Germany, American father (me) and German mother. As soon
as they were born at a German civilian hospital, I took their German birth certificates,
showing me as the father, down with my passport and photos of the kids to the American
embassy, and walked out of there 90 minutes later with their US birth certificates ("Birth
of an American Citizen Abroad"), passports, and their social security numbers. Under the
Bushies, it is probably more complicated, but if so, I can't imagine why.

This should be done within weeks of birth, however. You're an idiot if you wait years to
do this, as embassy staff gets understandably suspicious as to why you waited. When I
was getting my US citizenship documents from the American embassy in Germany, there was
some German mother there with her 12 year old son, trying to get him US citizenship with
nothing other than a verbal claim that the father was an American soldier stationed in
Germany 12 years ago. She was yelling and shouting, but it got her nowhere. On the other
hand, if you show up within a reasonable period after birth with sensible documents,
there was (and still should be) no obstacle to immediate citizenship.

[kestrel91316]

50. She isn't "entitled" to US citizenship - she IS A US CITIZEN. Period.

Any child of a US citizen is automatically a US citizen at birth, regardless of where they are born or who the other parent is or isn't.

[Frank Cannon]

52. Of course, you're right. Why do I have to correct so many people about this?

It seems like I run into people every day on this board who don't know about this. I learned about jus sanguinis between naps in high school government class, for crying out loud. What are they teaching kids these days?

[kestrel91316]

54. Well, in addition to NOT teaching students any useful facts, they

also appear to NOT be teaching them how to learn for themselves.

Everybody seems able to type on a keyboard well enough, but their Google fingers and Wikipedia fingers appear paralyzed, along with their brains.

I don't think civics is taught anymore.

[1monster]

84. I'm so glad you brought that up. When students ask me why I don't just give them the information to

study, I tell them that the most important thing a teacher can teach is how to find the information needed.

You'd be amazed at the number of students who don't know how an index at the back of a text book can help them...

[1monster]

83. State mandated tests and not much else. Reading, 'Righting, and 'Rithmetic...

History in Florida in the past was perfunctory at best: World History Lite in sixth grade. Geography Lite in seventh grade. US History Lite in eighth grade. American History Lite in tenth grade. US Government Lite in eleventh grade.

Now that History will be on the FCATS, it may get a bit more of a hearing.

Geography? My son is admittedly not a scholar. He's too lazy for that. But he can pass a course with minimum effort (and I do mean minimum). But when it comes to geography, he's totally illiterate.

He asked me a questiong the other day for which the answer was Chicago. He then asked, "What state is Chicago in?"

I answered, "Illinois."

"Illinois!" he exclaimed. "I thought Chicago was in Detroit!" :eyes: :crazy:

If that were the only time he'd come up with something like that, I would only have been amused. But he also thought that Pennsylvania was in Philedelphia and hasn't even that much of a clue about the rest of the world...

And Governor Charlie "No Cuts In Education" Crist is withholding a further 2% of funding for all Florida school distritcts... and that is on top of already drastic cuts which, which in my school district, has resulted in 200 fewer teachers and hundreds less in support staff for the 2008-2009 school year. And we will have a projected 800 student increase in school population.

Don't expect things to get much better in Florida either. Several more budget busting Amendments are coming up on the November election ballot.

[Neecy]

60. well....

The child *is* "entitled" to become a US citizen if born overseas. This isn't a magical process. Application still has to be made with the government before the child's citizenship is recognized. That's why I used the word entitled - not because I never took a civics class, but because not every child born of a US citizen overseas applies for US citizenship. But they're still entitled to it.

Thanks, I actually did pass my civics class.

[kestrel91316]

88. I stand corrected. I didn't realize they had to go through an

actual application process.

I still maintain that most Americans don't know squat about citizenship or civics or how to learn or think.

[Frank Cannon]

92. It's not an "application process"

You don't "apply for" as much as "notify". The child of American citizens is a citizen, period.

Here's the website, for anyone who doesn't believe me.

http://travel.state.gov/law/info/overseas/overseas_703.html

[kas125]

5. Speaking as a mother whose ex took her son and ran away

six months before it became illegal to do so - THANK YOU, Senator Obama!

[Night_Nurse]

43. Another mom with a psycho ex...

Throw out the politics, the religion, the ethnicity of all parties involved:

That man has that mother's children; granted, he is their biological father, but that does not give him the right to take them to another country and then shut her out. It's kidnapping.

I can only imagine the pain, heartache, helplessness and fear that woman has been living through. It is unbearable; when someone takes your children, and you cannot reach them, and you don't know where they are at... and the someone who took them was once a person you loved and created those children with, but then he turned into a stranger, a monster... it rips a hole in your entire being. That's all I can say...

I hope to God she gets her babies back. No matter who helps her.

[sam sarrha]

46. my X ran off with a drug dealer and 2 hookers, got busted for 5 lbs of drugs, went to prison, our

child's where abouts with pimps and whores was unknown, her father got his DC insiders/CIA SUITS..to intervene, take over the case and purge her files.. she did get it together later and is living a good life doing good things.. but her lies have poisoned my son against me, he is 32.

seems it takes insiders to get things done.. i hope this is a sign of things to come.. doing something for the general citizen because it is the right thing to do.. not just because it makes the rich richer.. i like Obama more each day, i will put his sign on my lawn.. but keep the Edwards sign in my window

[kas125]

93. I'm sorry that happened to you.

My son is grown now, too. He had a hard time as a teenager, but he grew into a fine man. It was a horrible thing and I wouldn't wish not knowing where or how your child is on anybody. I'm glad that Obama tried to help this woman because when I needed help, it wasn't against the law for a parent who wasn't divorced from the other parent to take the child. I'm glad things are different now.

Someone took my Obama sign from my yard last week. They left the three anti war signs, but took the Obama.

[crikkett]

6. Chicago Sun-Times story: Obama helps mom's campaign to get 4 kids back

http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/1072486,CST-NWS-sweetside24good.article

Obama helps mom's campaign to get 4 kids back

July 24, 2008
Recommend (6)

JERUSALEM -- While meeting with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salim Fayyad on Wednesday, Barack Obama appealed to him on behalf of a suburban Chicago woman who is fighting to get her four daughters back after their father refused to let them leave the West Bank.

Obama handed Fayyad a note and some background information about the situation, "asking the prime minister to look into this issue."

Colleen Davis Bargouthi, who lives in south suburban Midlothian, pressed Obama to visit her daughters, who live near Ramallah. The girls, ages 6 to 11, have been there since 2007, when her husband, Yasser Shibli Bargouthi, took his family to the West Bank to visit relatives.

Obama made a specific request of the Palestinian Authority in the note, according to a statement. "I would ask that the minister of justice look into this case, and our consul general will follow up."

Lynn Sweet

[ohio2007]

8. New York Post is considered a rag by many

other recent articles;
"Blackwater provided security for BHO in Afghanistan"

[crikkett]

10. Hey there, ohio2007, thanks.

sorry for getting all 'edity' on you. I just found out more info...

Thanks.

[crikkett]

9. ...and here's another story from a Chicago TV station, a week before..

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6278010

...Bargouthi's daughter's(sic) range in age from five to 11 years old and traveled with their 15-year-old brother, mother and father to his native Palestine in June of 2007 to visit their grandmother. The visit was supposed to be just a six weeks long. The woman says it was around Christmas 2007, after she repeatedly requested to come back to the United States, that her 38-year-old husband Yasser - who she had been married to for 15 years - abruptly announced he was keeping the girls with him in Ramallah and then threw her out of his family's home...

...Senator Obama's office issued a statement signed by Michael Ortiz which reads in part, "our office will do everything in its power to ensure that the State Department gives this case the attention that it deserves and that the investigation is conducted in a time sensitive and thorough manner."...

...Bargouthi says her husband has divorced her in his native Palestine and plans to remarry a Muslim woman.

In the last few months, Barghouti has been allowed to monitor phone conversations with the girls....

Oh, and the girls are betrothed.

[rusty quoin]

11. Betrothed? OMG!

[yurbud]

14. great monkey-faced pic of Bush. Looks like a baby trying to crap in his pants.

[wordpix]

67. hahahahaha, thanks for the comic relief!

[elehhhhna]

12. The STate Dept killed a bill for the US to cooperate in int'l child custody agreements...

drafted IIRC by the world court.

bipartisan support was there. State blocked it somehow, for an untold reason. My congressman told me this a few yrs ago. The head of the Dept., at the time, was Madelyn Albright. (?!!)

WHY?

The ELian Gonzalez debacle? I don't get it.

[ohio2007]

30. ELian Gonzalez sounds close enough but if this story grows legs,it will upset

many voters in Detroit, for example, and they will draw conclusions as to where a line in the sand has been placed. .

At least those girls will be allowed to go to school and get a better worldy education then what they most likely would have had in the states.

right ?


http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=xR8Tfd0i4lY&feature=related



Barak has made his choice according to the article. It will not be well taken in certain circles I fear.


http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=EStxEtEwYnM&feature=related
jmo
the world's problems can't be fixed with a simple change in the oval office .

[sam sarrha]

13. wonder how much Daddy made selling his daughters as sex slave baby factories..??

[Hekate]

15. That's uncalled-for. I don't know what direction doweries go in Palestine, but early betrothal...

... seals the deal between families and is an ancient custom in many places with arranged marriages. In Palestine they are not likely to be sent to live with their betrothed until much later, but it ensures their future.

It also seals the daughters' fates -- unless Mom can get them back to the US, where they are native-born citizens and have the right to determine their own future.

I imagine that Dad may have been made bitter by his treatment here after 9-11 -- but that is the last drop of sympathy I have for him. Removing kids from the US and raising them in the Middle East apart from their American mothers is a much-too-common story.

Hekate

[sam sarrha]

19. its still children, especially Women as chattel.. Islam doesn't have a good reputation about its

treatment of women... ancient is often just an excuse to keep doing abhorrent things to people who cant defend themselves.

[Hekate]

24. Agreed. nt

[ohio2007]

34. It's not Women as chattel as much as women treated as cattle

..just calling a spade a spade.

[azurnoir]

37. You are aware that the "tradition"

of arranged still goes on in this country albeit quietly, nope not Muslim communities either, it happens in the Greek community and "other" religious as opposed to ethnic communities.

[sam sarrha]

45. whatever makes people free'r, happier and more compassionate,

[sam sarrha]

71. no.. not at all, i have never heard anything of the sort in my 60 years

[azurnoir]

72. I am serious

My daughter who is 20 went to high schoo with a girl who was from an "old fashioned" Greek family who had her in an arranged betrothal or marriage? with a 50ish gentleman in another city, she was slated to sent there shortly after graduation, I do not think this is common in the Greek community in fact, I was shocked.
There are other examples though one being in the Hmong community where child marriage is still common but becoming less so, I was alerted to this while working in a medical clinic a few years ago, the man who told me about it was himself a Muslim BTW and he described the practice as criminal and barbaric, he said he had tried to alert child protection to this but there was little they could do about it, because frequently the girls still lived with their parents while married.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

66. The Qur'an gave women more rights than western women had

until about 200 years ago. Women had the right to own property, divorce, and the right to child support from the father of her children. They were also given the right to education and inherit property. What you are talking about is the ancient Middle East custom of treating women as chattel, much the way it was done in the West in times past. In the Middle East, however, the tradition continues--Islam was not able to overcome the tradition.

[intheflow]

18. Where are you getting that the girls are betrothed?

I didn't see that in either your link or the story link in the OP. :shrug:

[crikkett]

91. From the news video at the link. n/t

[DrZeeLit]

16. Are they safe now that this story has been leaked? If Obama had to pass the note

in total secrecy, what's this story doing in the Post?

Hope they are going to make it through this and out the other side.

[Divine Discontent]

21. exactly..

if I understood right in glancing at this story, I see no resolve as of yet, and isn't that dumb then to put the story in a paper already? it appears like it's to sabotage it or to be "first" in talking about it, which puts everyone involved at risk...

seriously, they try everything they can to thwart Obama's wonderful ability to lead.


MORE AT --- www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable

[file83]

69. That's my first reaction - it's not a secret if it's being reported on.

Those kids' lives are probably in danger now.

[Clovis Sangrail]

22. don't get so excited

domestic issues are almost never exactly as 1 side portrays them
(and are often completely different)

If Obama did this I really hope his staff did some serious research into the situation first.

[Barack_America]

23. Yeah, this also makes me a bit nervous...

He could easily be accused of over-stepping his bounds here.

[Clovis Sangrail]

32. what makes me nervous

is what happens if things were significantly different than the mother portrayed?

I'm in no way saying they are significantly different... but that we don't know that anymore than we know they are mostly as the mother portrayed them.
Suppose the father is the good guy in this little family drama?
This could blow up way worse than Obama just overstepping his bounds.


I've got to imagine that the McCain camp is pursuing this angle right now.
(then again... maybe not :rofl:)

[azurnoir]

41. There is another angle too

that makes me nervous, if true isn't this a case of governmental interference in a custody case? Besides the family is in Ramallah on the West Bank not in Gaza, so chances are that if there really is a problem it will be resolved, the PA who is "officially"(quotes for reasons too OT) the power in Ramallah is secular not religious.

[DireStrike]

82. Obama is not advocating for anything directly

He is simply telling the mother's side of the story as he heard it, and asking that their justice ministry look into the situation.

It's not overstepping bounds to bring issues to the attention of the authorities that should be concerned with them.

[mehrrh]

25. captives

This reminds me of the woman in the 1980's who married an Iranian, who refused to let them return to America. Sally Field played the woman in the movie, Not without my Daughter.

[azurnoir]

38. Sorry but your post is "proof positive"

that the propaganda was properly "catapulted".

What makes me question the story is that it was not run in Israeli newspapers, which covered Obama's visit quite extensively.

[PatSeg]

62. Almost exactly the same

except it was only one daughter. I saw the movie and read the book. I could never watch the movie again. It was far too frightening for me.

[Phred42]

31. NEW YORK POST?!!!

Is this creditable?


".....According to a survey conducted by Pace University in 2004, the New York Post was rated the least credible major news outlet in New York, and the only news outlet to receive more responses calling it "not credible" than credible (44% not credible to 39% credible)..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Post

[Tiggeroshii]

36. It's a tabloid.

I don't think it's much credible.

[Phred42]

78. Tx - I thought so but wasn't sure

[derby378]

42. Actually, Harper's carried this story first

Although the conservative media is running with this, the story appears to be very credible.

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/07/hbc-90003277

[Phred42]

77. Now yer talkin ! TX

[Catchawave]

44. Should a US Senator be negotiating with Palestine?

Great news for this family, but not sure about the position of an elected official in dealing with a rogue country?

[pennylane100]

51. If not a Senator, who then?

If your loved one was involved, I am sure you would not care about who intervened but how could the help.

[Catchawave]

58. Within the law.

That was my question?

[Undercurrent]

59. Good for him!

The account is being picked up by Faux News too.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/27/report-obama-asks-palestinians-to-help-us-woman-whose-girls-are-stuck-in-west-bank/

[Catchawave]

61. Did ya'll see this link in the NYP story?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07272008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/book_of_revolations_121766.htm

Are they pulling a fast one? This inquiring mind would like to know.

[ohio2007]

63. Thats what I'm talking about, a certain bias will lead to... "Mission Accomplished"?

Was there really a "mission" ?

The whole story needs to return to the source in Chicago for any follow up but don't hold your breath for a middle east breakthrough.

The story is destined for a fast track run down the memory hole

[Catchawave]

65. Nobody read the whole link in the OP ?

The Gerard Baker OpEd had someone tombstoned here recently. The NYP link includes his OpEd. :shrug:

[Kingofalldems]

68. Who? When?

Missed that one. Was it the latest column by Baker?

[pecwae]

76. Apparently no one bothered.

How embarrassing!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

64. What a great thing to do!

The husband is a jerk and not honorable, that's for sure. By helping the wife, Obama is showing up the lies about him being Muslim, doesn't it? And how can any PUMA call him sexist after doing this?

[trickyguy]

70. Shows you what a nice guy we all knew Obama is. He's really

on the side of women and I'm sure he sympathizes with Colleen

what with having two daughters of his own.:)

[Limelight]

73. Straight up badass.

End of story. :headbang:

[Loudmxr]

75. Sean Hannity will probably say Obama was interfering with parental rights!!

[Doctor_J]

81. As Frank Rich put it yesterday, he is now the Acting President

If only we could stop * from doing any more damage