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REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS
Re: Columbian Secret Service kerfuffle
Monday, April 16, 2012 7:11 AM
NIKI2
Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...
Quote:Obama wants 'rigorous' investigation of Secret Service prostitution claims President Barack Obama called Sunday for a "thorough" and "rigorous" investigation into allegations involving prostitutes and Secret Service agents in Colombia. Some 11 Secret Service agents and officers are being investigated over preliminary findings that they allegedly brought back several prostitutes to a hotel in Cartagena, U.S. government sources familiar with the investigation have told CNN. "What happened here in Colombia is being investigated by the director of the Secret Service," said Obama, who spoke in Cartagena, where he was in town for the Summit of the Americas event. The alleged misconduct occurred before Obama arrived in Cartagena. The Secret Service personnel have since been sent back to the United States and put on administrative leave, the agency said. The U.S. military said that five U.S. troops who were working with the Secret Service are also under investigation for missing curfew and alleged "misconduct" at the same Colombian hotel. "We're representing the people of the United States and when we travel to another county I expect us to observe the highest standards," said Obama. "Obviously what's been reported doesn't match up with those standards." None of the agents or officers being investigated was part of the president's personal protective detail and Obama was not based at the Hotel Caribe, where the alleged misconduct occurred. But dignitaries and journalists reporting on the hemispheric meeting were staying there, a U.S. government official said. Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, was briefed on the matter and told CNN on Saturday that the government personnel brought prostitutes back to their rooms Wednesday night and "one of the women did not leave the room in the morning." A hotel manager tried to get in the room, and eventually the woman emerged and said "they owed her money," according to King. Similarly, U.S. government sources said there was a dispute between at least one Secret Service member and a woman brought back to his hotel over a request to be paid. At least one of the women brought to the hotel talked with police, and complaints were filed with the U.S. Embassy, the sources said. "The Secret Service saw that report, and they immediately began an investigation," King said. Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovon said that the agents were relieved of duty Thursday -- prior to the president's arrival in Colombia -- and replaced after "allegations of misconduct." The agency's assistant director, Paul Morrissey, noted his agency's "zero tolerance policy on personal misconduct." "This incident is not reflective of the behavior of our personnel as they travel every day throughout the country and the world performing their duties in a dedicated, professional manner," Morrissey said Saturday. "We regret any distraction from the Summit of the Americas this situation has caused." The U.S. military is conducting its own investigation and will mete out "punishment, if appropriate ... in accordance with established policies and the Uniform Code of Military Justice," U.S. Southern Command said in a statement Saturday. Ronald Kessler, a former Washington Post reporter who has written a book about the Secret Service, called the incident "clearly the biggest scandal in Secret Service history." Moare at http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/15/world/americas/colombia-secret-service-obama/index.html?iref=NS1]
Monday, April 16, 2012 7:21 AM
ANTHONYT
Freedom is Important because People are Important
Monday, April 16, 2012 7:26 AM
Monday, April 16, 2012 7:49 AM
AURAPTOR
America loves a winner!
Monday, April 16, 2012 8:24 AM
PIZMOBEACH
... fully loaded, safety off...
Monday, April 16, 2012 8:28 AM
Monday, April 16, 2012 8:50 AM
HERO
Quote:Originally posted by ANTHONYT: Hello, Did they actually break a law? I'm not sure what the laws are regarding this in that country. --Anthony
Monday, April 16, 2012 10:25 AM
WULFENSTAR
http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg
Monday, April 16, 2012 11:36 AM
KWICKO
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)
Quote:Originally posted by Hero: I note for the record that the resources of the Service are strained during election years. While they may not be guarding the President I suspect that some of them may find themselves guarding Romney's dog.
Monday, April 16, 2012 11:46 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by Hero: I note for the record that the resources of the Service are strained during election years. While they may not be guarding the President I suspect that some of them may find themselves guarding Romney's dog. Having seen some of Romney's supporters, that may be the more dangerous job.
Monday, April 16, 2012 12:02 PM
WHOZIT
Monday, April 16, 2012 1:40 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by Hero: I note for the record that the resources of the Service are strained during election years. While they may not be guarding the President I suspect that some of them may find themselves guarding Romney's dog. Having seen some of Romney's supporters, that may be the more dangerous job. That doesn't even make any sense.
Monday, April 16, 2012 4:44 PM
FREMDFIRMA
Quote:Originally posted by pizmobeach: Both of these show a complete lack of respect for Obama imho. They do not fear him or the consequences of being caught. How about prostitutes being plants to learn Obama's next moves and whereabouts? Like that's never been done... really so very shoddy.
Monday, April 16, 2012 5:21 PM
Monday, April 16, 2012 5:28 PM
RIONAEIRE
Beir bua agus beannacht
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 1:53 AM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Romney didn't start his political career in this man's living room, did he ?
Quote: Or spend 20+ years listening to him rail against the United States, in his weekly sermons, and then claim ' What ? I never heard him say those things! '
Quote: And yet, you want to paint ALL of Romney's supporters as some sort of deviants as this one guy, who really has next to nothing to do w/ Romney at all.
Quote: But bravo at the thread jacking.
Quote:Anything to get away from talking about the current administration, huh ?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 12:21 PM
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 12:28 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: " We're all just folk. " - Mal " AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall "The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 2:50 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor:
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 4:16 PM
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 4:35 PM
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 2:54 AM
GEEZER
Keep the Shiny side up
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 3:41 AM
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 5:50 AM
Quote:Both of these show a complete lack of respect for Obama imho
Quote: That's really my ONLY issue with it - sloppy procedure.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 6:15 AM
STORYMARK
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Kwickie - Romney didn't start his political career in this man's living room, did he ? Or spend 20+ years listening to him rail against the United States, in his weekly sermons, and then claim ' What ? I never heard him say those things! ' And yet, you want to paint ALL of Romney's supporters as some sort of deviants as this one guy, who really has next to nothing to do w/ Romney at all.
Quote:Right. Who had a problem w/ their brain being missing ? That'd be you... straight up.
Quote:But bravo at the thread jacking. Anything to get away from talking about the current administration, huh ?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 6:19 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: Once again, Raptor, I agree (* always reminds me of Romancing the Stone ). Either you're mellowing out or getting sloppy, or I am...we're agreeing FAR too often lately, and you seem FAR too civil. Hmmmm...
Quote:Originally posted by GEEZER: So if, as many here have said, the Abu Ghraib incident reflected the stand of Pres. Bush, as Commander in Chief, on torture, wonder how the Cartagena incident reflects on the stand of Pres. Obama, as Commander in Chief, on hookers?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 7:27 AM
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 7:29 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Quote:Originally posted by GEEZER: So if, as many here have said, the Abu Ghraib incident reflected the stand of Pres. Bush, as Commander in Chief, on torture, wonder how the Cartagena incident reflects on the stand of Pres. Obama, as Commander in Chief, on hookers? I think that's a fair comparison. Bush's people engaged in illegal and immoral activities, and he excused it. Obama's people engaged in legal, but arguable immoral actions - and he spoke out against them. You're absolutely right - it does illustrate the divide between the admins very well. Good catch, Geezer! "Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"
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