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An Unprecedented Two-Track Move
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He Kept His Eyes on the Prize
January 9, 2012 | 83 comments
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A 2012 Conservative Case for America’s Future
January 4, 2012 | 23 comments
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Trust, Don’t Verify
November 17, 2011 | 27 comments
The Obama Watch
Obama’s Muddle East
We thought a Mideast policy could not be more confused, more feckless than Jimmy Carter’s. Now we know better.
President Obama came into office pledging a new approach to the Middle East. We were told that his middle name — Hussein — would give him unprecedented entrée to the corridors of power in that troubled region — and to the Arab street.
We thought a Mideast policy could not be more confused, more feckless than Jimmy Carter’s. Carter acceded to (if he did not welcome) the ouster of the Shah in 1979. The Shah was horrible in Carter’s eyes. Well, the Ayatollah Khomeini and his mullahs who replaced the Shah were horribler. And still are.
Mr. Obama pledged an “open hand” to the mullahs in Tehran. It was spat on.
When thousands of young Iranians massed in the streets demanding democracy, it looked like a Hope and Change rally. But this administration turned its back on them and promised to avoid “meddling” in the mullahs’ affairs.
President Obama respects Iran’s sovereignty, we were told at that time. Iran, of course, respects nobody’s sovereignty. Ask the Lebanese. Especially the Maronite Christians there.
When he went to London, Mr. Obama bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah is an absolute monarch whose rule is maintained by the sword. Dissidents are beheaded — usually on Fridays after Mosque.
No Jews, no Christians are permitted in the Kingdom. But we have nonetheless had an arms-length relationship with this desert despot and his extended family.
Now, we read, that Abdullah is so upset with President Obama that he is extending feelers to Moscow and Beijing. Abdullah is afraid that the “Arab Spring” spoken of by the President may turn out to be not so much a spring season as a bed spring — ready to bounce longtime rulers right out of bed.
Egypt. President Obama made a point of going to al-Azhar Mosque to deliver his overture to what he calls “the Muslim world.” Strange, he never talks about a Christian world. Nor, in choosing Egypt as his venue, did he acknowledge the fact that one-tenth of Egyptians are Coptic Christians. They found it hard to hang on before the President of the United States referred to their country as the Muslim world.
President Mubarak seemed to be firmly in control when Mr. Obama delivered his Cairo speech. For thirty years, Hosni Mubarak had maintained a cold peace — but a peace nonetheless — with neighboring Israel. Now, in the face of massive street demonstrations orchestrated in part by the murderously anti-Israel Muslim Brotherhood, the Obama administration gave Mubarak full support, then less than full support, and finally a sharp shove off stage.
If Mubarak’s rule was horrible, we may soon find that a new alliance between an Egyptian military we fund and the Muslim Brotherhood even horribler.
What was the point of going to a nest of Muslim Brotherhood activity to deliver that 2009 Obama address if not to puff up their stature and their influence? Osama bin Laden tells us that Arabs like to go with “the strong horse.” Did Mr. Obama saddle up Mubarak or the Muslim Brotherhood as the strong horse with that Cairo speech?
President Obama delivered another Mideast speech, this one in Turkey. That nation — a member of NATO since its founding — was once viewed as the strongest U.S. ally in a region dominated by hostile Muslim regimes. Culturally Muslim but politically secular, Turkey once cooperated quietly but effectively with Israel. No more.
Prime Minister Erdogan’s government has lurched toward Islamism. Erdogan recently promoted a flotilla whose object was to break the Israeli arms embargo of Gaza.
Now, we come to the only country in the Middle East that has been a constant U.S. ally, that is the only functioning democracy, that is the only political system in the region where religious minority rights have any standing — Israel. We cannot quote any Obama speeches to the Knesset, but he recently met with Israeli President Shimon Peres in the White House. He said:
About the Author
Ken Blackwell, the former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio is Vice Chairman of the Republican National Committee’s Platform Committee. He also serves on the boards of the Club For Growth and the National Taxpayers Union.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (30) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Ken Blackwell
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Dee See| 4.12.11 @ 7:05AM
"The U.S. has one final task before its own collapse is finished and RED China is brought in
as world 'enforcer' --and that's 'bringing in'
(i.e. franchise slumming) the recalcitrant
Middle East."
-ALAN WATT
(unmissable coverage online)
ANY QUESTIONS?
Intelligent Design| 4.12.11 @ 7:28AM
It's clear that Obama is totally incompetent when it comes to foreign policy, economic policy, energy policy, upholding the laws of the United States, the war on terror, and in his role as commander-in-chief. His solution to every issue is to give another speech, and he stinks at that too.
da monk| 4.12.11 @ 9:39AM
Alright Mr. Blackwell, now tell us how, if you were President, you would handle the situation in the Mid-East?
davelnaf| 4.12.11 @ 9:53AM
Only someone swathed in insulating layers of narcissistic self-regard as Obama would be unable to see what a mess he has made of Middle East Policy. It’s almost as if the dysfunctional Arab world and Obama were made for each other. But someone always has to clean up the messes left behind by the losers of this world. Thankfully, at least that part of the mess, called Barack Hussein Obama, will be cleaned up next year.
Redstateboy| 4.12.11 @ 10:14AM
Let's not forget Hillarious Clintonista is the Secretary of State. She doesn't get a pass for her incompetence either.
ABNCP| 4.12.11 @ 12:10PM
Mister Monk. Why you would offer any support for this President is beyond me. Every time he opens his mouth on any political subject he is either: Misleading, giving misinformation, decieving, giving half truths or damm lies.
Obama's original strategy for the middle east has crashed and burned. Remember how he started out. Giving a hand to the mullahs to charm them into doing away with their nuclear ambitions. Playing nicey nicey with Syria's brutal dictator because Obama thought he was so great he could lure it away from decades of supporting terrorism
and cooperation with Iran, Hezbolla and Hamas.
And of course getting out of Iraq and the Afgan conflict. Even giving Al Quida and the Taliban a time certin when we would leave. And now it all lies pretty much in tatters. His pitiful outreach to
Iran and Syria has been thrown back in his face with the contempt it deserved. His administrations instinct for reasuring enemies and throwing long time friends under the bus has created the question, "Where is American power?"
"What is U.S. policy?"? "Who's in charge?"?
What has to be done by the next President to clean up this mess as much as it can ever be cleaned up? Everything possible must be done to bring home to Iran and Syria that the U.S. is done playing the weak card. And no I do not mean war with Iran or Syria. These states are weak. We must actively support hope and change within them. We have the covert means to get that done if we have the will to it. When the Iranian people cried out, "Obama are you with us or are you with the regime?" Our President was mute and detached and the mullahs won. If he had the will and courage at that time, things in the middle east might be far different now.
da monk| 4.12.11 @ 5:55PM
MR ABNCB: YES, YOU HAVE YOUR POINTS AND COMPLAINTS, BUT JUST AS I ASKED MR. BLACKWELL, WHAT IS YOUR SOLUTION IF YOU WERE THE PRESIDENT TO THE PROBLEMS YOU ENUMERATE OTHER THAN IT "HAS TO BE DONE BY THE NEXT PRESIDENT...EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE TO BRING HOME TO IRAN AND SYRIA THE U.S. IS DONE PLAYING A WEAK HAND" WELL, WHAT IS YOUR SOLUTION OTHER THAN COVERT MEANS? IT'S EASY FOR US TO CRITICSIZE WHEN WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISIONS. "HE WHO WEARS THE CROWN SLEEPS UNEASY"
John| 4.12.11 @ 12:17PM
The mess in ME is not all obamas fault. Successive US administrations have supported tyranny and apartheid in this region. This is all unraveling as Arab independence exerts itself. America should be on the side of democracy and human rights. It should defund any programmes that support apartheid. They keep the false idea of bogus ideologies to divert us from the truth. Neoconservatives will suck America dry. They're leeches..
Occam's Tool| 4.12.11 @ 4:28PM
So, the US should be on the side of Israel, then, John, since it is the only Democracy in the Middle East, and every Arab country is an Islamic hellhole. Why, the only place in the ME where Arabs get to elct delegates to a free Paliament is in Israel. Great! Thanks for agreeing with me.
Occam's Tool| 4.12.11 @ 4:29PM
sorry, "elect."
Steve A| 4.12.11 @ 12:18PM
da monk, that's easy. Just ask Obama what he would do & proceed with the opposite course.
da monk| 4.12.11 @ 5:57PM
STEVE A: AND THAT COURSE WOULD BE?
Occam's Tool| 4.12.11 @ 1:07PM
So, John--- happy to agree withyou---defund all Arab regimes that practice apartheid and/or slavery and/or rape of children and/or stoning of rape victims, and/or acid thrown in the faces of little girls who try to learn to read and/or support beheading of 3 month olds and/or....
play nice| 4.12.11 @ 1:58PM
Obama - "there is no "me" in this mess! I inherited it.
Nancy in NC| 4.12.11 @ 2:11PM
For someone who harped on about Bush's ME mistakes, Obama couldn't wait to enter the fray. All we need is to be involved in one more Muslim country ruled by one more nut job.
We should have bombed the hell out of Afghanistan after 9/11 and left, promising to return with bigger and better if they continued to harbor terrorists. Leave them all with weapons and bullets and let them sort it out with the Taliban. Trying to teach this culture about democracy and the rule of law is like trying to teach a pig to sing.
Did it ever occur to past and president administrations that some cultures not only need a dictator, but actually prefer it? Not one more American should die for this bunch of barbarians.
Nancy in NC| 4.12.11 @ 2:15PM
John, I say defund them all. All our money hasn't improved our relationships with these barbarians.
When Obama talks about the poor people of Libya, I could just vomit. The oppressed there are no worse off than the oppressed of most of Africa, North Korea, and a few dozen other hell holes. We can't continue to be policeman of the world...we can't afford it, and we suck at it.
Bill Diebold| 4.12.11 @ 3:16PM
...let's face it, for a Chicago street thug he treated his international responsibilities as any illiterate gang banger would. Hell, he's barely a community organizer what ever that is beyond another liberal scam job feeding at the public trough. A wise man once said "People voted for hussein obumer to prove they weren't racist, Now who will they vote for to prove they aren't stupid"...
God save our Republic
Occam's Tool| 4.12.11 @ 4:29PM
Mr. Bill,
Correct you are.
Tenn Slim| 4.12.11 @ 5:04PM
Understand fully, the Mid East Muddle is NOT a muddle. It is scripted, predicted, predictable, and fully vetted by the Center for American Progress, AKA Podesta, Soros and company.
What we are seeing is the FP agenda laid out during the campaign, implemented since 2009, and now flowering fully.
The end game: Demise of the US productivity, via the debt game. Demise of the US influence in global affairs via a seemingly inept FP. Demise of the US DOD via withdrawals, inept use of the DOD in far flung regions. Demise of the US influence across the regions of the Pac Rim, Mid East, EU, UK and finally a complete Depression era isolation within the Atlantic/Pacific boundaries. We are meant to wallow in abject poverty, abject misery and enjoying fully the pent up wrath of denied Leftist Dreams of some 55 years.
We are reaping exactly what we voted in, and sown across these many Carter Like years.
As we reap, so shall we sow.
Semper FI
end
John| 4.12.11 @ 6:19PM
Señor occam
when it comes to the Arab/Islamic world you have one eye. A very bad eye shared by many others on this site. The revolutions in the Arab world will produce regimes that will be closer to the west then the current despots. A despot can never bring real friendship. It's time America whole heartedy support the Arab revolution. First thing would be to call time on the reductions house of saud. The neocons will only take America to a very dark place. They've already cost America trillions and diverted it from the real strategic threat- china. America needs to love Islam - Muslims.
Occam's Tool| 4.12.11 @ 7:19PM
No, John, I have an eye that will not allow you within 1000 kilometers of my daughter. You are a supporter of murderous scum and filth.
My warning to you is to leave my beloved country alone. Mess with her and she will unleash power that will make Hiroshima seem a love tap---remember, the Hiroshima bomb is now considered a "Tactical" nuke. Personally, I think it will be very well deserved.
John, pray that your Islamoterrorist friends don't piss America off too much---this country can destroy you and roll over back to sleep and not miss you.
Sharia Delenda Est!
Bill Sundling| 4.12.11 @ 8:11PM
The revolutions will lead to Islamic dictatorships. I didn't bother adding "radical" because all Muslim governments are radical.
Sam H| 4.12.11 @ 8:06PM
Mr. Monk,
For starters, announce that we are going to open up our domestic oil-drilling industry full-bore and that we are going to go balls-out with developing shale oil.
Once that sinks in worldwide, propose a constitutional amendment allowing for defense spending to never fall below 5% of GDP.
Make it clear to Arab despots and their facillitators that if it is war they want; war they shall have.
In other words, diplomacy and negotiations based upon a platform of strength.
And, should we find ourselves in a war with any other Arab/Muslim nations or peoples....practice war with all the brutality and strength we can muster. Kill the enemy and nation-build after they are thoroughly defeated and humiliated.
Only then, if at all.
How is that for starters?
Sam H| 4.12.11 @ 8:07PM
Mr. Monk,
Oh yes, I forgot....stand firmly and unyieldingly with Israel.
Always.
Bill Sundling| 4.12.11 @ 8:08PM
Who says Obama is incompetent? He's been successful in making our enemies stronger. Who says this is because of his incompetence? Who's to say it isn't deliberate?
ABNCP| 4.12.11 @ 8:26PM
Mr. Monk, what part of covert action do you not understand. For many years we have covertly supported freedom in many country's. Poland comes to mind, Communist Russia. The CIA for
years operated covertly with disidents to help bring down that dictatorship. If we support in Iran and Syria the majority population that clearly wants out of their outrageous governments
they will absolutly win, as they did in Egypt. Of course when I use the term "covert action" that covers a whole lot of different actions. If we take out Iran and Syria over the short term with this procedure the whole world picture changes.
JeffT| 4.12.11 @ 9:56PM
I concur with Beck. That Tunisian street vendor could prove to be the Arch Duke Ferdinand of our times.
Dee See| 4.12.11 @ 11:16PM
"We are using MASSIVE third world
immigration (largely muslim)
to destroy British culture once
and for all and forever."
-TONY BLAIR
"Globalism, Free Trade and EUGENICS
are always intertwined. ALWAYS. ALWAYS."
-ALAN WATT
(awesome online coverage as it happens)
---Khaddafi, like Mubarak, and Hussein, and Khoumeni et al were set ups. They were and are
tyrants.
YET ever left out of the coverage is the FACT
that they REFUSED to participate in debt serf
usury ---or the hideous EUGENICS 'iniatives'
of Globalist UNESCO/WHO.
I keep repeating it because it's continually
buried ----even as MASSIVE covert sterilization
and worse are well underway here.
'Free Trade' remember exalts Free Traitors.
The Endgame is YOU-genocide.
REALLY
TRULY
ON RECORD
Creative Recreation | 8.10.11 @ 10:28PM
is good