E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSBy NBC's Andrew Rafferty
Aides to Herman Cain are pointing to a Libyan military commander with ties to the Taliban to vindicate the candidate’s suggestion yesterday that the former militant ruling party of Afghanistan is playing a role in the formation of Libya’s new government.
Cain spokesman JD Gordon cites Abdel-Hakim Belhaj, Libya’s Islamist military commander who fought with the Afghan Taliban, as proof that Cain’s remarks were accurate. Gordon, a former spokesman for the Department of Defense, said he knows Belhaj has taken an “oath of loyalty” to Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
In Orlando on Friday, Cain rhetorically asked reporters at a press conference, “Do I agree with siding with the opposition? Do I agree with saying that Ghaddafy should go? Do I agree that they now have a country where you've got Taliban and Al Qaeda that's going to be part of the government?”
The comment came after the former Georgia businessman faced another question about a mangled answer he gave to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board when asked if he agreed with how President Barack Obama handled Libya. Cain took an extended pause before beginning to answer, and at one point needed to start over.
His suggestion that the Taliban, now dispersed through Afghanistan and Pakistan, is playing a role in forming the new Libyan government was quickly picked up by media as another example of a foreign policy gaffe.
"He’s not suggesting the Taliban is running Libya, he's just saying we did not do a good enough job vetting who the opposition is,” Gordon told NBC News.
Gordon cited several news agencies having to update or correct initial stories after too abruptly reporting Cain had made another gaffe.
“You guys oughtta do your homework,” Gordon said when asked for his reaction to media coverage of the candidate’s remarks. “It's interesting that he knows more than the media in this case."
But it is Al Qaeda, not the Taliban, that U.S. officials most frequently cite as a concern for the role they may play as Libya forms a new government in the wake of Moammar Gadhafi’s death.
Cain’s comments to the editorial board followed a foreign policy debate where he faced criticism for a lack of specificity in his answers, often saying he would rely on the foreign policy advisers around him to make decisions.
Leave a Comment:
It just goes to prove why Newt Gingrich is going to be the nominee. We need someone with experience to bring this country back from the brink of disaster that Obama has brought us to. He has not fixed anything and has made it worse. We should not elect a president who is not ready from day one like Hillary said. Newt has the ideas, don't let the media tell us to elect Mitt Romney. It seems to me that the media is not scrutinizing Mitt at all. Why is that? I believe they want Mitt because Obama's team think that they can beat him.
Herman tried to get Kissinger to be his Sec. of State....while your at it see if Robert Wagner will be your Secretary of the Navy.....and for the Interior Sec. I suggest J&R upholstery....
It boggles the mind that any of the republican goofballs are trying to take on Obama in foreign policy. They will fail in this asperation, period.
what part of TALIBAN do you liberals not understand?
The part of the TALLIBAN I understand is that they want us out of their F-U-C-K-I-N-G country.... Why don't we try it ???
Maybe it is the part about attacking them after 9/11 when they had nothing to do with it, Maybe the part where they warned us about 9/11 in 2/11 and offered to capture Bi Laden and wipeout Al-Q,,,,,,,Or maybe the part about when they again offered to capture Bin Laden and wipe out Al-Q 2 weeks after 9/11.
Could be we are all just confused about why Bush attacked them in the first place considering they had been our Allies for 40 years before we attacked them.
And we all thought Bachmann was the ignorant crazy candidate,,,,,,Hermie has her beat by a mile
What difference does it make whether its Taliban or Al quaeda in Lybia, the White House tried to attach themselves to this, just like the rest of the "Arab spring", claiming Obamas foreign policies are in sighting Democratic change in the Middle East. Another person commented on the vine asking "when did America go to war with Lybia"? Really? So it wasn't Obama and liberals taking bows for Kaddafi's death? Sorry if your gonna take responsibility for it, then you have to take the good with the bad. The Muslim Brotherhood, Al quaeda, the Taliban have been a part of this all along, and were more than happy to take a "back seat" while Obama dropped missiles and drones on the leaders. And now that those leaders have been toppled these terrorist run in and take over. America now has gone from the frying pan and into the fire and whatever comes from this in the future, Obama owns it. So make your snotty little remarks about Mr.Cain and the rest of the Republican candidates not having the knowledge to handle foreign policy. Well now America has to live(and now die) with Obama aiding and abbetting our enemies to take over the Middle East, and their weapons stockpiles.
When Herman Cain heard the word "Libya" all he could think of was...."when you put Libby's, Libby's, Libby's on the label, label, label you will like it, like it, like it on your table, table table!" Seriously Cain, go back to food service.