Letter from a Nobel Laureate (Peace Prize)
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
I am providing this supplemental consolidated report,
prepared by my Administration and consistent with the War Powers Resolution
(Public Law 93-148), as part of my efforts to keep the Congress informed about
deployments of U.S. Armed Forces equipped for combat.
Or as George Orwell put it "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength".
MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST AL-QA'IDA, THE TALIBAN, AND
ASSOCIATED FORCES AND IN SUPPORT OF RELATED U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM OBJECTIVES
Since October 7, 2001, the United States has conducted
combat operations in Afghanistan against al-Qa'ida terrorists, their Taliban
supporters, and associated forces. In support of these and other overseas
operations, the United States has deployed combat-equipped forces to a number
of locations in the U.S. Central, Pacific, European, Southern, and Africa
Command areas of operation. Previously such operations and deployments have
been reported, consistent with Public Law 107-40 and the War Powers Resolution,
and operations and deployments remain ongoing. These operations, which the
United States has carried out with the assistance of numerous international
partners, have been successful in seriously degrading al-Qa'ida's capabilities
and brought an end to the Taliban's leadership of Afghanistan.
United States Armed Forces continue to pursue and engage
remaining al-Qa'ida and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan while transitioning to
an Afghan security lead. The Afghanistan Force Management Level is
approximately 66,000, under the 68,000 level directed by June 2011 Presidential
guidance. Approximately 61,000 of these forces are assigned to the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Afghanistan.
The U.N. Security Council most recently reaffirmed its
authorization of ISAF for a 12-month period until October 13, 2013, in U.N.
Security Council Resolution 2069 (October 9, 2012). The mission of ISAF, under
NATO command and in partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, is to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven
for international terrorists. Fifty nations, including the United States and
all NATO members, contribute forces to ISAF. These forces, including the U.S.
"surge" forces, all of which had redeployed by the end of last
summer, broke Taliban momentum and trained additional Afghan National Security
Forces (ANSF). The ANSF are now increasingly assuming responsibility for
security on the timeline committed to at the 2010 NATO Summit in Lisbon by the
United States, our NATO allies, ISAF partners, and the Government of
Afghanistan.
United States Armed Forces are detaining in Afghanistan
approximately 946 individuals under the Authorization for the Use of Military
Force (Public Law 107-40) as informed by the law of war. On March 9, 2012, the
United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Afghan
government under which the United States is to transfer Afghan nationals
detained by U.S. forces in Afghanistan to the custody and control of the Afghan
government within 6 months. Since the MOU was signed, approximately 3,100
detainees have been transferred to Afghan control.
The combat-equipped forces, deployed since January 2002 to
Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, continue to conduct secure detention
operations for the approximately 166 detainees at Guantanamo Bay under Public
Law 107-40 and consistent with principles of the law of war.
In furtherance of U.S. efforts against members of al-Qa'ida,
the Taliban, and associated forces, the United States continues to work with
partners around the globe, with a particular focus on the U.S. Central
Command's area of responsibility. In this context, the United States has
deployed U.S. combat-equipped forces to assist in enhancing the counterterrorism
capabilities of our friends and allies, including special operations and other
forces for sensitive operations in various locations around the world.
In Somalia, the U.S. military has worked to counter the
terrorist threat posed by al-Qa'ida and associated elements of al-Shabaab. In a
limited number of cases, the U.S. military has taken direct action in Somalia
against members of al-Qa'ida, including those who are also members of
al-Shabaab, who are engaged in efforts to carry out terrorist attacks against
the United States and our interests.
The U.S. military has also been working closely with the
Yemeni government to operationally dismantle and ultimately eliminate the
terrorist threat posed by al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the most
active and dangerous affiliate of al-Qa'ida today. Our joint efforts have
resulted in direct action against a limited number of AQAP operatives and
senior leaders in that country who posed a terrorist threat to the United
States and our interests.
The United States is committed to thwarting the efforts of
al-Qa'ida and its associated forces to carry out future acts of international
terrorism, and we have continued to work with our counterterrorism partners to
disrupt and degrade the capabilities of al-Qa'ida and its associated forces. As
necessary, in response to the terrorist threat, I will direct additional
measures against al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, and associated forces to protect U.S.
citizens and interests. It is not possible to know at this time the precise
scope or the duration of the deployments of U.S. Armed Forces necessary to
counter this terrorist threat to the United States. A classified annex to this
report provides further information.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN CENTRAL AFRICA
In October and November 2011, U.S. military personnel with
appropriate combat equipment deployed to Uganda to serve as advisors to
regional forces that are working to apprehend or remove Joseph Kony and other
senior Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leaders from the battlefield, and to
protect local populations. The total number of U.S. military personnel deployed
for this mission, including those providing logistical and support functions,
is approximately 79. United States forces are working with select partner
nation forces to enhance cooperation, information-sharing and synchronization,
operational planning, and overall effectiveness. Elements of these U.S. forces
have deployed to forward locations in the LRA-affected areas of the Republic of
South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African
Republic to enhance regional efforts against the LRA. These forces, however,
will not engage LRA forces except in self-defense. It is in the U.S. national
security interest to help our regional partners in Africa to develop their
capability to address threats to regional peace and security, including the
threat posed by the LRA. The United States is pursuing a comprehensive strategy
to help the governments and people of this region in their efforts to end the
threat posed by the LRA and to address the impacts of the LRA's atrocities.
MARITIME INTERCEPTION OPERATIONS
As noted in previous reports, the United States remains
prepared to conduct maritime interception operations on the high seas in the
areas of responsibility of each of the geographic combatant commands. These
maritime operations are aimed at stopping the movement, arming, and financing
of certain international terrorist groups, and also include operations aimed at
stopping proliferation by sea of weapons of mass destruction and related
materials.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN EGYPT
Approximately 694 military personnel are assigned to the
U.S. contingent of the Multinational Force and Observers, which have been
present in Egypt since 1981.
U.S.-NATO OPERATIONS IN KOSOVO
The U.N. Security Council authorized Member States to
establish a NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Resolution 1244 on June 10, 1999.
The original mission of KFOR was to monitor, verify, and, when necessary,
enforce compliance with the Military Technical Agreement between NATO and the
then-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia), while maintaining a safe and
secure environment. Today, KFOR deters renewed hostilities in cooperation with
local authorities, bilateral partners, and international institutions. The
principal military tasks of KFOR forces are to help maintain a safe and secure
environment and to ensure freedom of movement throughout Kosovo.
Currently, 22 NATO Allies contribute to KFOR. Eight non-NATO
countries also participate. The United States contribution to KFOR is
approximately 760 U.S. military personnel out of the total strength of
approximately 5,989 personnel, which includes a temporarily deployed
operational reserve force.
REGIONAL SECURITY OPERATIONS
As noted in my report of September 14, on September 12 a
security force deployed to Libya to support the security of U.S. personnel in
Libya. Further, on September 13, an additional security force arrived in Yemen
in response to security threats there. These forces will remain in place until
the security situation no longer requires them.
I have directed the participation of U.S. Armed Forces in
all of these operations pursuant to my constitutional and statutory authority
as Commander in Chief (including the authority to carry out Public Law 107-40
and other statutes) and as Chief Executive, as well as my constitutional and
statutory authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States.
Officials of my Administration and I communicate regularly with the leadership
and other Members of Congress with regard to these deployments, and we will
continue to do so.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA ad-DAJJAL
p.s. I know you have not formally declared war since December 8, 1941, but since you're all such a pack of pussies what difference does it make? Some people just are fun to kill.
"Security" is not the same as "peace".
Security is almost the same as "stability", and stability is one of
the prerequisites for those bastards who have all the money to
"invest" in countries around the world. And "investment"
means buying up sock-puppet dictators who will oppress (i.e., torture and
murder) their own people while the investors steal the nations' riches. Anyone
who doesn't go along with the program is an "extremist" who can be
branded as a "terrorist" and put on the kill list (or not, who would
ever know for certain?) and killed. Along with anyone standing near them, who
should have been smarter than to stand next to a bad person defined as bad by
the Nobel Laureate in a way that cannot be revealed to the public or reviewed
by any court.
By any reasonable definition, this constitutes tyranny; but
in the former land of the free and the home of the brave live only weasels and
cowards who seem to enjoy the fact that their "President" is a
tyrant.
Merry Christmas, in a non-religious sort of way. I wouldn't
want to be called a "religious extremist". Would you? I thought so.
