Palin Supports Cross-Border Pakistan Raids

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Palin Supports Cross-Border Pakistan Raids

September 28, 2008 8:11 AM

ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala Reports: During an unscheduled stop at a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop last night, Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed cross-border raids by U.S. troops into Pakistan to prevent terrorists from crossing the border into Afghanistan.

Palin made a stop last night at Tony Luke's, an outdoor cheesesteak joint in South Philly, where she grabbed dinner with her daughter Willow and chatted with customers.

According to the pool report of the stop, one customer there named Michael Rovito briefly pressed Palin on her position on Pakistan, and how she would handle attacks on American troops in Afghanistan by terrorists based in Pakistan's Waziristan border region.

"It's working with Zardari to make sure that we’re all working together to stop the guys from coming in over the border. And we'll go from there," Palin said of working with new Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who she met in New York last week.

When asked by Rovito whether the U.S. should conduct cross-border raids into Pakistan fom Afghanistan, Palin responded, "If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should."

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama got into a heated exchange on Pakistan at their first presidential debate on Friday, with McCain harshly criticizing Obama for promoting in a speech last year making military strikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan with or without the Pakistani government's permission.

"He said that he would launch military strikes into Pakistan," McCain said of Obama. "Now, you don't do that. You don't say that out loud. If you have to do things, you have to do things, and you work with the Pakistani government."

"And I guarantee you I would not publicly state that I'm going to attack them," McCain added.

Obama responded that "nobody talked about attacking Pakistan," saying his speech last year on Pakistan endorsed the idea that "if the United States has al Qaeda, bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act, then we should take them out."

"This is not an easy situation. You've got cross-border attacks against U.S. troops," Obama added. "And we've got a choice. We could allow our troops to just be on the defensive and absorb those blows again and again and again, if Pakistan is unwilling to cooperate, or we have to start making some decisions."

Obama's position on cross-border raids sounds similar to the one stated by Palin last night, although Palin did not explicitly say whether she would support raids without the Pakistani government's permission.

When asked in her interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson this month whether the U.S. has the right to go into Pakistan without the approval of the Pakistani government, Palin said that the U.S. has to "exercise all options."

Gibson pressed her on the point, asking, "Is that a yes, that you think we have the right to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government, to go after terrorists who are in the Waziristan area?"

"I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell bent on destroying America and our allies," Palin responded. "We have got to have all options out there on the table. Military strike has got to be a last option. But where we are today, in a very dangerous and volatile world, all options have got to be on the table."

In addition to meeting and greeting customers and store employees, Palin was asked by a reporter while waiting in line to order if she had watched the first presidential debate on Friday.

"I did, I did. Oh, McCain did awesome," Palin responded. "He was great. He was absolutely on his game."

Palin said she was ready and looking forward to her own debate this Thursday with Sen. Joe Biden.

"I am. Look forward to it. Look forward to getting to speak to Americans through that debate, absolutely," Palin said.

According to the pool report, Palin and her daughter Willow ordered two cheesestakes (whiz and onions) but did not eat at the shop before heading back to their hotel for the night.

September 28, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (571)

User Comments

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Wow she agrees with Obama rather then McCain. Maybe Jake should start a "Oh that Sarah" series. That is if he can figure out what she said.

Posted by: jim | Sep 28, 2008 8:16:41 AM

This is an excellent post , I'm grateful to you , thanks a lot.

Posted by: العاب شمس الدين | Sep 28, 2008 8:29:38 AM

It seems to me that palin dosent understand the question, it took her 5 diff schools to get her BS. Can someone please tell MC/PALIN ... THIS IS 21st CENTURY. USA IS MOVING FORWARD NOT GOING BACK.

Posted by: Reid | Sep 28, 2008 8:30:35 AM

Everyone who intends to vote in the upcoming election should be REQUIRED to read a transcript of Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric.

Posted by: Joel | Sep 28, 2008 8:33:04 AM

Palin said she supports cross border to chase terrorists. It means the terrorists are in the both sides that Obama still does not get it.

Posted by: alex | Sep 28, 2008 8:34:37 AM

Obama in the debate said "General Petraeus has done a brilliant job". Obama's sidekicks have in the past called the General "Betrayus". Where is the AD demanding Obama APLOLOGIZE to the General NOW... This line could have been the SOUND BITE McCain needed....

Posted by: vs | Sep 28, 2008 8:38:39 AM

- Barack Obama - First Presidential Debate, September 26, 2008

“I think Senator McCain’s absolutely right that we need more responsibility…”
“Senator McCain is absolutely right that the earmarks process has been abused…”
“He’s also right that oftentimes lobbyists and special interests are the ones that are introducing these…requests…”
“John mentioned the fact that business taxes on paper are high in this country, and he’s absolutely right…”
“John is right we have to make cuts…”
“Senator McCain is absolutely right that the violence has been reduced as a consequence of the extraordinary sacrifice of our troops and our military families…”
“John — you’re absolutely right that presidents have to be prudent in what they say…”
“Senator McCain is absolutely right, we cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran…”

Posted by: Steve | Sep 28, 2008 8:44:15 AM

like I said.....I can't wait until Thursday... This lady is the dumbest of all times.

McCain and Camp please do not try to cancel or reschedule the debate. We love Sarah..she keeps us laughing please let her appear...Please

Posted by: meetoo8 | Sep 28, 2008 8:48:28 AM

- Barack Obama - First Presidential Debate, September 26, 2008

Posted by: Steve | Sep 28, 2008 8:50:00 AM

Steve,

That is Obama's way of saying he doesn't know diddily. He did that with Clinton too. Obama thinks it makes him sound like he is grading their answers.

But you left out Obama admitting he abused the earmark process.
"Senator McCain is absolutely right that the earmarks process has been abused…. That is why I suspended them".

Posted by: geevill | Sep 28, 2008 8:55:02 AM

Steve: Nice try, but you left out the FULL sentence in each case. That junk you, McCain and the rest of you Republicans are trying to pass off probably works for someone who hasn't seen the debate.

Intelligent people knows it was more to it then just sound bites. You Republicans are so desperate that it's sickening to point that you want to attempt to insult the intelligence of the American people.

Besides, MORE people are talking about McCain not having the guts to look Obama in the eye or look at him during the whole debate and how desrespectful that was.

Posted by: vote4peace | Sep 28, 2008 8:59:38 AM

Kudos to McCain for telling Obama to "shut up" about things like "we'll take them out" when referring to irresponsible and negligent comments about our ALLIES. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when Obama said it. Least McCain has DISCERNMENT. Liberals: get out the dictionary and look the word up.

Palin IS answering Gibson and the rest very intelligently and with discernment. To ask someone what they would do if this or that is stupid because the correct answer, in a campaign should outline steps to making a decision, ie, "I will confer with people who are close to the situation and get facts before I make a decision considering everything on the table".

Gibson tried to put words in her mouth and good for her she dealt with that snake just like she'll deal with the snake Biden this week and terrorists when she is VP.

Looking forward to the debates, I hope she calls him out on his gaffes; gaffes like FDR getting on TV during the depression (it was Hoover and there was no TV). LOL! Just like (as Rush says) Columbus getting off his plane...

Posted by: obamayomama | Sep 28, 2008 9:00:17 AM

Steve:

I have realised and others that Sen. Obama
has a different style of politics.

He does not stick on saying to his
opponent he is wrong while he knows
100% he is right.

This is the kind of politics civilised
people practice, and I salute Sen. Obama for this. He is a REALLY CHANGE.

Posted by: FM | Sep 28, 2008 9:04:20 AM

Regarding the borders, Afghanistan borders Pakistan and when you are fighting so close to the border, you don't realize you are in the other's territory - that was the scenario as I understood it from what the pilots said.

We'll be OK though with Palin - the president of Pakistan likes her.

Posted by: obamayomama | Sep 28, 2008 9:04:36 AM

It's amazing how whenever any topic is about Palin or McCain you Republicans always try to skip the subject by focusing negatively on Obama. Pathetic.

Nice try, the world already knows Palin is a joke, and with all the EXECUTIVE experience you claim she has, there is NO WAY she could have debated Obama Friday.

Tell you what, why not get your insults ready in advance for the Biden & Palin debate.

Posted by: vote4peace | Sep 28, 2008 9:06:28 AM

Obama voted with Bush 90% of the time too on fluff legislation - now with the other 10%, seems he's siding with Bush more and more by calling Patraeus brilliant - lol! Didn't Bush put him in place? So Obammie is agreeing with BUSH - where's the outrage!

Guess we'll get 4 more years of Bush with Obamma!

Posted by: obamayomama | Sep 28, 2008 9:06:43 AM

obamaya: Nice try, won't work, only Palin supporters are dumb enough to believe what you just said.

Posted by: vote4peace | Sep 28, 2008 9:09:29 AM

And, regarding earmarks, the "bailout" bill contains 2,000 of them from the dems to include college tuition payoffs, car loan payoffs and 20billion to Obamas favorite community organizing outfit: ACORN.

Glad Mccain got in the 'way' of that; no wonder the dems want him out of the way. Personally, I agree that they should publish the bill on net to let the folks see it - we cannot trust our government run by democrats who got us in this mess in the first place and that's a fact.

Posted by: obamayomama | Sep 28, 2008 9:12:30 AM

v4peace:

What part of what I said are you referring to?

Posted by: obamayomama | Sep 28, 2008 9:15:15 AM

just hope the ditsy twit dont cross into russia and cause problems-----maybe shoot a russian moose.

Posted by: rodney | Sep 28, 2008 9:20:23 AM

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