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Loose Canons
Obama’s Stuttering Covert War
As Iran happily knows, covert operations are worthless if their substance and sponsor are made public.
President Obama’s piecemeal approach to war reminds us of nothing at all. The Iraq withdrawal, the ongoing pullout from Afghanistan, the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and his now-publicized “kill list” program using drones to bomb individual terrorists appear disconnected from any overall strategy to end the threat of Islamic terrorism.
Obama’s approach to Iran is consistent with his overall incoherence. On one hand, he is doing everything possible to block an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons program. On the other, as we learned seventeen days ago from the New York Times, Obama has engaged in a covert cyberwar against that same objective.
The president would argue that under our outdated laws, a cyber attack isn’t even an act of war. But Carl von Clausewitz’s “On War” defines war as “an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will.” The cyber attacks on Iran are clearly an act of force to compel Iran to stop enriching uranium, imposing our will and Israel’s. They were acts of war by any logical measure.
The problem that results from Obama’s lack of cohesion is twofold. First, a covert war is most effective when it is covert, not advertised on the Times’ front page. Second, if the covert war is to compel a result that doesn’t disappear in a few weeks or months, it has to be carried out until the desired goal is achieved.
Covert operations such as the cyber attacks on Iran are authorized by “Presidential Determinations,” which are supposed to be shared with the chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees in recognition of Congress’s constitutional power over the conduct of wars. Presumably the Determination authorizing the covert cyber attack stated the objective of blocking Iran from achieving nuclear weapons.
But the cyber attacks, while they apparently delayed Iran’s progress for several months, didn’t achieve more than that.
Few nations have earned our wrath more convincingly than Iran. From the hostages taken at our Tehran embassy in 1979 to Iran’s complicity in the 9/11 attacks (determined last December by a federal judge) to its direct support (with the innovative “explosively-formed penetrator” weapon) of Iraqi insurgents which killed many U.S. troops, Iran has taken little care in even disguising its military actions against us.
If Obama means to end our covert war with the cyber attacks, he is intending to end or limit a conflict that cannot be ended or limited because Iran will not let it. If we are unwilling to do more, we could at least undertake a wider covert war.
Some Iran experts, including my friend Michael Ledeen, argue that we need not conduct a conventional war with Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program. They argue that support for the Iranian opposition is a better option and would have the necessary effects in time to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
I have never believed that the Iranian opposition could be strong enough to topple the Tehran regime, and that military power would have to be employed to prevent the regime from producing nuclear weapons and the means of deploying them. Diplomacy won’t work. No negotiation has produced any change in the Tehran regime’s behavior since it came to power. The only questions remaining are whether covert operations can delay Iran’s nuclear weapons program indefinitely and whether we can obtain enough accurate intelligence on that program to determine when the clock has run out and prompt, decisive military action has to be taken.
Our intelligence community still lacks the detailed information that could enable us to determine when Iran will achieve the nuclear capability it is pursuing. Though our ability to launch more covert operations against Iran is limited only by technology and imagination, the persistent lack of actionable intelligence — which is not likely to be remedied in the coming months or years — raises the risk of indefinite delay of military action to an intolerably high level. If we — and the Israelis — limit ourselves to covert action indefinitely, Iran will eventually achieve its nuclear ambitions.
The mullahs likely knew where the Stuxnet worm cyber attack came from, but having our authorship of the attacks published effectively dared the Iranian regime to counterattack. We don’t know what form that response will take or how or when it will be made or if it will succeed. We do know that the leak to the Times makes it harder and more dangerous to do what is needed in Iran.
Though Obama has dipped his toe into the covert war waters, he or his successor next year face the same dilemma. Some combination of covert actions could have the effect of delaying Iran’s nuclear program substantially, but what should they be and how long can we rely on them?
The limitations on our covert operations are only three: technology, our willingness to engage in more and different kinds of such operations, and our politics. The Obama White House leaks on the cyber attacks on Iran, and the Obama “kill list” program of drone attacks, are evidence of a reckless political strategy that, if continued, could prevent any future covert operations from succeeding. No covert agent or special operations soldier should have to bear that burden.
We had a significant opportunity to support the Iranian opposition in 2009 when opposition protests shook the Tehran regime. Obama declined to support the opposition and what could have been a revolution fizzled. We have refused to even talk to the opposition, a position that should be reversed immediately. If there is a substantial revolutionary movement in Iran, we should provide it covert aid in terms of financing, communications equipment, training and arms. CIA paramilitary groups should be inserted into Iran to perform these tasks and to improve our intelligence-gathering there. Sabotage against Iranian nuclear facilities should become a commonplace occurrence.
About the Author
Jed Babbin served as a Deputy Undersecretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush. He is the author of several bestselling books including Inside the Asylum and In the Words of Our Enemies. You can follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (54) | Leave a comment
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MelvinNC| 6.18.12 @ 7:01AM
In 1979 I joined the worlds finest fighting organization the United States Marine Corps.
Why did some kid, who brushed against the law want to join and enter into a life of an infantryman?
Because I wanted to kill every single breathing Iranian who violated our embassy and took my fellow Americans and Marine brothers hostage.
For twenty years I waited, couple of times I came close, but I never had the chance to quench the rage that still to this day burns inside me.
We have played patty-caked and piddled around with Iran long enough. By doing this we have allowed the Iranians to develop weapons that can kill a whole lot of us, rather than us killing a whole lot of them.
For you Islamic butt kissers, and peace at any price crowd. You know nothing of history, and you even know deep down that eventually we are going to have to deal with the militant mullah's, because they have made their intention perfectly clear in what they want as a endgame.
Remember when American political males used to have a pair, somewhere along the line they were turned into eunuchs, and Mitt Romney and John Boehner included.
Jack in Wi| 6.18.12 @ 7:40AM
This is absolutly disgusting. A call for genocide and murder against millions of people who have done nothing to us. What a disgraceful group of people here. Iran,as all our combined intelligence agencies have confirmed on numerous occasions, has no nuclear weapons program. Iran has offered for 10 years to have negotiations with us and have a complete peace and understanding. Reagan, Nixon, and Eisenhower, negotiated with the USSR, even as they had 10,000 nuclear weapons pointed at us. Nixon went to China and had dinner with 2 of the biggest mass murders in the history of the world Mao and Chou. He opened relations and we have been at peace with China for 40 years. Iran has attacked no-one in 300 yearss. It is time to do with Iran what Nixon did with China, open relations, send an ambassador, negotiate, end sanctions, trade and send tourists, have student exchange programs and get on with life.
Mr Babbin, with all due respect. your continual calls for and unprovoked pre-emtive or preventive war on Iran, among other places, are the kinds of actions that Julius Streicher hung at Nuemberg. These attacks on Iran's legal peaceful nuclear program are also severe war crimes. This country is being pushed into another world war for no sane reason. The people doing tthe pushing won't be doing the killing and dying.
chuck| 6.18.12 @ 7:53AM
Thank you Jackass for the fine display of "Islamic butt kissing".
Stuart Koehl| 6.18.12 @ 9:00AM
What would constitute a "provocation", in your mind?
Crassus| 6.18.12 @ 10:26AM
Streicher shouldn't have been hung at Nuremberg, disgusting though he was, but that's beside the point. Comparing Jed Babbin to Streicher is pure filth and should get you a permanent ban from this site although for some reason the moderators seem to love your sorry, anti-Semitic ass.
Dave Williams| 6.18.12 @ 11:13AM
..Done NOTHING TO US?????? Jackhole, you've just lost whatever shred of credibility you might've had left. Please find something better to do with your time than annoying sane people with your sick islamophilic posts.
Occam's Tool| 6.18.12 @ 12:27PM
Dave, you DO realize that you are generally liked greatly, do you not?
Albert Constantine Jr.| 6.18.12 @ 11:52AM
" Iran has attacked no-one in 300 yearss." (sic)
The seizure and retention of our embassy in 1979 was an attack that went on for 444 days. The truck bomb in Beirut in October of 1983 by Hezbollah/Islamic Jihad Iranian proxies is another attack on the US.
The Explosive Formed Projectiles (EFP) used against our forces in Iraq (not Iran) by militias trained, equipped and staffed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is yet another example of Iran attacking outside its borders.
If you disagree that these are attacks, I recommend that you volunteer to have a truck bomb parked and detonated in your driveway, and EFPs set off throughout what remains of your property. Perhaps your survivors will see it differently.
Occam's Tool| 6.18.12 @ 12:37PM
Jack: you are the rampaging anti-semite here, and Babin is a philosemite. How you connect this with Streicher is beyond me, as your actions are much more similar to Streicher's than anyone here except maybe John786.
C'mon Man!| 6.19.12 @ 1:23PM
While it's ok to disagree with war per se, it is not ok to say Iran has done nothing to us. Pull your head out of the sand, they call for our destruction every day, and as the article mentioned, did you forget our hostages?
When you speak against the facts, you lose any ground your argument may have had.
Occam's Tool| 6.18.12 @ 12:26PM
Melvin: thank you, sir, and know that some civilians completely agree with you. Semper Fi, Marine.
Boar Hunter| 6.18.12 @ 4:39PM
MelvinNC;
Thank you sir for your service to our great country.
Thank you sir, for speaking out as a man and reminding some here that there are men left in this world who are not only brave enough to speak the truth, some are still willing to put their lives on the line to defend it.
Pecos Pete| 6.18.12 @ 7:03AM
It is just a matter of time until the USA, or Israel, bombs the crap out of Iran's nuclear development sites.
TLP| 6.18.12 @ 8:49AM
The REASON that Hama's Deliveror - Abu Hussain - (the Super Christian, named after Mohammed's horse) does, and DOESN'T do what he does, and doesn't do, is simple.
He has crafted a Master Plan of not only ACTION (Egypt & Libya) but INACTION as well. (Iran & Syria)
When The Muslim Brotherhood ran Riot in Tahir Square, the President who knows more about Judaism than anybody, threw our Ally - Mubarek - under the bus. Now, they Burn the last Christian Churches in Egypt as they did in Iran. Now, they Kill the Kopts as THE ONE does nothing, SAYS NOTHING, yet sends American Forces to Africa to hunt down CHRISTIAN Fighters, engaged in battle against MUSLIMS.
When the people of Iran took to the Streets, for Freedom, and Liberty, and a Better Life, Abu stressed America's NEW PATH of Non Interference in other Countries' internal affairs. America doesn't "MEDDLE" anymore. (Honduras)
Khaddafi was next. All of a sudden, MEDDLING was back on the Menu. Standing at the back of the room he led an International Armada in a Holy War against a guy wearing Lipstick and Mascara, with the end result being that ONE MORE COUNTRY joined the Ranks of JIHAD, against Israel and the West.
Flash FOREWARD to the Present.
The Arab League came up with a Plan to ARM the Syrian Resistance. But, it was VETOED by Obama. Why Libya, but not Syria? Why Egypt, but not Iran?
He's stalling for the time it takes to raise the kind of Army that Revelation foretells of on the plains of MEGGIDO.
Duh.
nathan| 6.18.12 @ 10:34AM
@TLP: Enough. I'll start with you. Our wonderful ally, Mubarak was a kleptomaniac human rights violating dictator who for decades oppressed his people and buried them at the bottom of the heap economically. So when they finally got tired of being oppressed, seeing relatives guilty of NOTHING, hauled off and never seen again, all of it and rose up like Jefferson said they had a right and an obligation to do, tell me sir and tell the rest of us, what YOU as president would have told the million people in Tahir Square who were not remotely all Muslim Brotherhood, probably not the majority, tell us as president what you say/do to support that WONDERFUL ally that would have made a difference. That would have had them saying, "You know something, the man's got a point. We are wrong, we need to go on being horribly oppressed for another decade and then let his children do it for another generation."
Tell us, because if you can't come up with the magic words/actions that would have caused the uprising to end against a man who was as bad or worse than Saddam, then the criticism against BHO ON THIS ISSUE needs to end NOW. And BTW under that wonderful ally the Christians were oppressed too. He was just a bit more subtle about it.
Mimi | 6.18.12 @ 11:13AM
The Muslim Brotherhood won the election in Egypt.
This administration has been blatently supporting the muslim cause...Did he think no one would notice? From the FORT HOOD shootings, never called outright TERRORISM the writing was on the wall. Just one more reason we have to vote him GONE ....Tim is as ever right on the money!
TrueBlue | 6.18.12 @ 12:06PM
The difference between Egypt/Libya and Iran is that neither Egypt or Libya was a threat to us, Iran IS. Did/Do I feel sorry for the people in those countries? Yes. But should we have given any kind of support to their revolution, beyond possibly vocal, KNOWING that it would put in place a government that was not friendly to us?
Iran is the one who declared war on US in '79, not the other way around. If someone declares war on you you don't ignore you, you send them back to the Stone Age as quickly as possible to minimize casualties on YOUR SIDE. We had the chance to back the Iranian people when they stood up against their government, and the President passed it up. Even more amusing since he was quick to back up the people in Egypt and Libya, no?
Occam's Tool| 6.18.12 @ 12:29PM
Mubarak was an ally. A weak, shifty and disgusting one, but he was leader of an Arab country. What's replacing him is worse, and even worse, it has demostrated that to be an ally of someone like Nathan (Obama's foreign policy surrogate) is a dangerous and foolish thing.
Now, we are facing evil, child raping Islamists. Nice job, Nathan and Barack.
nathan| 6.18.12 @ 1:14PM
President Tool: Our sources in Egypt tell us that the people have taken to the streets against our trusted ally for over three decades, Hosni Muburak. Mr. President we have to support him. If he falls dire consequences will befall the region. Please President Tool go on TV and say something, ANYTHING to support our trusted ally in his time of need. DO SOMETHING PRESIDENT TOOL!
The floor is yours sir. I wait on the words that you as president would have said that have kept that ghastly man and his sons in power. I wait on you to tell us what you would have done differently from that man you detest. I see all the time, we threw a trusted ally under the bus. NOT ONE BLOODY TIME has a single person here said what they would have done differently.
So President Tool, tell us all how you would have kept him in power. Please.
You don't get it. Our "ally" wasn't all that much better than the guys that are replacing him. And when you support people like him, when you act in direct violation of your principles for decades, then in the end what do you expect? People who you helped to oppress for 30 years to love you? Really?
Warrior| 6.18.12 @ 2:39PM
Nathan, if you can't see a difference between Mubarak and the Muslim Brotherhood then you truly need some remedial help.
OT my friend, what is currently happening in Egypt is why I believe we have to be very careful in our foreign policy. We meddled in the affairs of a sovereign nation and now we have to live with monster that has been created. Israel is now gearing up for war. I don't believe the current Marxist in charge will support Israel if war breaks out.
Boar Hunter| 6.18.12 @ 5:24PM
"Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil" Thomas Mann
TLP| 6.18.12 @ 5:22PM
We've done it you way, already.
Carter did the exact same thing, in Iran, and we all know how that turned out.
Or, have you forgotten?
Idiot.
TLP| 6.18.12 @ 5:28PM
We already tried doing it your way.
Jimmy Carter threw The Shah under the bus.
And, we all know how that one turned out.
Idiot.
John786| 6.18.12 @ 7:18AM
A bit war mongering to start the week off. Why is it that some people in our society can call for terrorism, murder and death and not get prosecuted. Assymetricall law enforcement. Let's try loving Iran. We may be pleasently suprised. Unfortunately the one eyed only see what they want to see.
Mimi | 6.18.12 @ 7:44AM
It's peace thru strength my friend! Mitt should get quite loud and fiery....and have the Iranians shake in their boots infear of his election to Commander In Chief...upon his Inauguaration they will cave (ie) Reagan style!
When it comes to protection of this NATION... and the likes of this enemy...who has proven they cannot be trusted...all bets are off!
benny havens| 6.18.12 @ 8:04AM
Well John, your eyes must be where the Sun doesn’t shine. If you think you can sit down with people who view you as an infidel, and want to kill you, and expect to develop a dialogue with a resultant compromise, you are a fool.
For over forty years young men from the religion of peace have been murdering innocent civilians in the name of their god. These innocent people were killed not because they were trying to take land, goods, food or water from these murderers. They were killed because they were easy targets. And if they could get their hands on a nuke and set it off in New York, LA or even your town John, they will do it. Your stupidity will put us all at risk.
irish19| 6.18.12 @ 12:45PM
Actually, they've been murdering innocents in the name of their moon god for over 13 centuries.
irish19| 6.18.12 @ 12:46PM
And that includes saracens of the Persian persuasion, Jackie-boy.
Shadow| 6.18.12 @ 9:28AM
John, do you keep rattle snakes as pets?
Crassus| 6.18.12 @ 10:28AM
John, you might want to move to Wisconsin and look up Jack. You might be pleasantly surprised.
TrueBlue | 6.18.12 @ 12:07PM
That's a good idea John, let's start with Iran. They declared war on us and keep screaming how the Great Satan needs to be destroyed (and they weren't talking about Israel).
Occam's Tool| 6.18.12 @ 12:30PM
786, how nice of you to support child rape to start the day. Let's try NUKING Iran. We WILL be pleasantly surprised.
John786| 6.18.12 @ 2:26PM
Occam the unhinged,
Peace based on mutual respect is the way forward. With fruitcakes like you things can only get worse. I pray that peace comes to us all for war has been tried and shown to have failed bankrupting once mighty states.
Boar Hunter| 6.18.12 @ 4:45PM
Killing them all down to babies being raised as martyrs to Allah is the only way.
Nuke them, wait ten years to see who survived and then nuke them again.
Islam is a disease.
Skippy| 6.18.12 @ 6:34PM
"Like!"
John786| 6.18.12 @ 6:50PM
You make Occam sound sane. Thats no mean feat.
Von Mises Jr| 6.18.12 @ 7:56AM
Never accept a premise without question. Perhaps the Stuxnet Worm was completely an Israeli invention, or perhaps the Obama regime was only tangentially involved and not making the decisions.
Israel cannot and will not disclose their classified information to Iran, so they cannot and will not correct the Obama regime if it is fabricating our involvement in the successful attack. The regime may simply be offering propaganda to bolster his re-election chances. Moreover, this leak for political gain has undermined the security of Israel since now they are ousted as either the author of the Stuxnet virus or complicit in the attack.
Stuart Koehl| 6.18.12 @ 8:59AM
By definition, if the authors and executors of a military action are know, it is not covert. But that does not mean such actions are useless.
In the Spring of 1941, Franklin Roosevelt began a covert war against Germany, first by extending the U.S. Neutrality Zone several hundred miles out into the Atlantic, then by escorting British convoys partway across the ocean.
The Germans soon became aware of the American policy, because they spotted American destroyers escorting British shipping. Hitler instructed his U-boats not to engage American ships. So the policy paid off in deterring German attacks at least in the Western half of the Atlantic.
Roosevelt then upped the ante in the fall by ordering American ships to "attack on sight" all German naval vessels--putting the U.S. Navy at war with Germany. As the depth charges rained down on the U-boats, the only ones who didn't know about this "covert" policy were the American people. Hitler still prohibited U-boats from shooting back at U.S. destroyers, but accidents do happen: U.S.S. Kearny was torpedoed and damaged, the old Reuben James sunk. Since the American people did not know we were shooting at U-boats, these seemed like unprovoked attacks and did much to prepare the groundwork for America's entry into the war, even though the covert fig leaf was quite transparent.
CJW| 6.18.12 @ 12:30PM
Are you saying FDR lied to Americans to involve us in the war?
Occam's Tool| 6.18.12 @ 12:36PM
Stuart: you are assuming subtlety and skill with the Obama administration to pull this one off. I see no signs of this.
CJW: The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor got us into WWII. Hitler then declared WAR ON THE US within the week, and we only reciprocated after that.. We did not initially go to war with Hitler's Gemany following Pearl Harbor. There was no "lie" by FDR that got us into war with Germany. As we were sending, openly, lend lease to Britain, our cargo ships deserved protection.
CJW| 6.18.12 @ 1:19PM
OT
That was not my question. I know about Pearl Harbor and the declarations of war. My question to Stuart is based on his statements about FDR's actions to "prepare us for the groundwork for America's entry into the war." What does this mean? There was no need to prepare Americans for entry into the war given the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Stuart Koehl| 6.18.12 @ 4:39PM
Roosevelt had already tilted in favor of China, greatly influenced by the China Lobby staffed by Methodist missionaries. Aside from the economic sanctions imposed on Japan, FDR was already providing covert military aid to China in the form of the First American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers. This was a force of 100 P-40 Tomahawk fighters diverted from Lend Lease to Britain, shipped to China where they would be manned by pilots covertly recruited by China with the connivance of the U.S. government, supported by ground crews similarly recruited. Under the legal definition of the appropriate UN Treaty, the Flying Tigers were an illegal mercenary organization.
Less well known was the Second American Volunteer Group, which would have consisted of 100 B-17 bombers (at a time when the U.S. barely had that many of its own), again operated and supported by U.S. personnel covertly recruited by China. The 2 AVG would be used to launch fire bombing raids against Japan from Chinese bases, it already having been established that Japanese cities, with their "paper houses", would make great fire traps.
The war intervened before the 2 AVG could deploy; its aircraft were diverted to India, its personnel absorbed into the nascent 10th Air Force.
Stuart Koehl| 6.18.12 @ 5:35PM
In the spring of 1941, FDR and Churchill met in St. Johns, Newfoundland, where they wrote what became known as the Atlantic Charter. They agreed that in the event the United States had to enter the war, and was faced with the prospect of fighting both Germany and Japan, that the U.S. and Britain would defeat "Germany first"--and this became a cornerstone of Allied strategy to the end of the war.
War with Japan was a real possibility in light of Japanese aggression in China, the strong China Lobby in the U.S., the attack on the gunboat USS Panay, and the deployment of the U.S. fleet to Pearl Harbor (a strategic error of monumental proportions, since a vulnerable deterrent invites preemptive attack).
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, it created fury in the United States, but it also presented FDR with a problem: public opinion was all for war with Japan, Germany not so much. Hitler solved the problem by (typically) declaring war on the most powerful manufacturing country in the world. If he had not, I doubt Roosevelt could have gotten Congress to vote for war against Germany.
nathan| 6.18.12 @ 10:55AM
The writer's history here is highly selective. In 1954 in an unprovoked act of war against Iran Ike overthrew the Mossedegh government using STREET THUGS and replaced it with the kleptomaniac human rights violating shah. Not because Iran attacked us or threatened us, all over who controls the oil. VERY NOBLE. People have long memories.
When Iraq attacked them at a cost of 500,000 lives using poison gas, we backed Iraq. After 911 when Iran supported us against the Taliban giving us an opening to mend fences, "saint" George threw them under the bus in that ghastly "axis of evil" speech.
Now, for all of you, if were them what would YOU do? After been attacked once by the Americans without ANY legitimate provocation, you would feel no need to defend yourself against another possible attack?
He's wrong by the way. Can the people prevail against the government? Who knows? But TJ says they have both the right AND the obligation to make the effort.
Finally again the day after the attack, the straits close indefinitely, oil goes to 6/700 a barrel, the market drops to 700? and unemployment goes to officially 12 or higher. You Beach Boy fans need to understand that.
TrueBlue | 6.18.12 @ 12:20PM
What you seem to have forgotten regarding the overthrow is that Iran had nationalized their oil industry and confiscated British private assets. Can't imagine why on earth the Brits (and then us since we are allies and still treated our allies as friends back then) might have gotten rather peeved at outright theft of private property and equipment by another government. They did not get asked to leave, did not get time to remove their equipment, there was no negotiation at all, it was seized. Would you not want your government to do something if you had your property seized by another country, regardless what country the property was in?
We backed Iraq because at the time they were still somewhat friendly with us and it was a year after Iran had declared war on us. People still paid attention to that at the time... Also, it was over long disputed territory and a fear of *gasp* Shia insurgents from Iran!
The oil bit wouldn't be an issue if we had been allowed to make use of what we have over here 30 years ago. Instead we get the excuse that it'd do us no good for another 10 years, over and over and over.
CJW| 6.18.12 @ 12:34PM
What is your point? That Iran was justified in taking our embassy and hostage, and the terrorrist acts against the USA?
We removed a crazy commie in 1954 and supported the Shah who was modernizing Iran away from the crazy mullahs. Iran was our ally until your boy Carter withdrew our support and allowed Khomeni to take over.
You seem to approve of Khomeni and the mullahs as representative of a demoratic movement described by Jefferson.
Whose side are you on?
Who Knows?| 6.18.12 @ 11:02AM
Covert? You want covert?
Here’s what’s covert, in America, and equally as importantly, in Europe and other civilized places---
Awareness of clitorectomies.
Nine out of ten Muslim women in Egypt have had their clitoris mutilated. I imagine a similar fate has ALREADY befallen large percentages of females in other Islamic lands.
Here we are, most of us, awash in an America obsessed with SEX, married with the zest for equal “rights” for OUR women, to the point that the mating roles have become somewhat reversed, as ladies can ask guys out, these “enlightened” days. How do we even barely relate to backward cultures, populated with Islamic Stepford Wives?
For all those leftists enamored of equal rights, maybe they can at least imagine a reversed condition, where most men have been castrated, and are ruled by sexually robust women, free to “get it on” with each other---while their “slaves”, the distaff weenies, sag in a total lack of ecstasy.
Yes---what’s truly “covert”, in the beginning of the beginning of this existential war with Islam, is the utter lack of awareness, for most people, of how totally alien Muslim culture is to us.
Why do I see Islam in that creature that horrified audiences in the first “Alien” movie?
By the by, “Alien” came out in 1979, the same year Iran went crazy.
Occam's Tool| 6.18.12 @ 12:32PM
But, but, if women didn't have clitoridectomies, they might like sex, Who Knows? This would make men with micropenises, like John786, not have an excuse for being useless in bed!
RAM| 6.18.12 @ 11:59AM
If Obama wanted to cripple our armed forces and our intelligence services, he'd do exactly what he's doing to both of them. Being engaged in a no-win posture can cause more harm than just bailing out. Revealing the basis of our intelligence successes can cause more harm than outright failure. Some statistician can look at the sum total of Obama's actions and maybe tell us if their effects look random or not.
TrueBlue | 6.18.12 @ 12:23PM
My opinion, it's a Scorched Earth move. He knows he's getting booted out in Jan so he's determined to leave nothing for anyone else to use after he's gone.
JimH| 6.18.12 @ 12:52PM
In another subtle covert action the president has sent a call to Dominos pretending to be from Ahmadinejad ordering 50,000 pizzas with pepperoni to be delivered to Tehran.
Bob K| 6.18.12 @ 1:55PM
I don't have much truck for the "Tom Dispatch" and it's "Dispatches from America" at Asia Times On Line, but sometimes it is worthwhile to see what they are up too. They don't like Obama's foreign policy either. Herewith a link to: "Obama's Six-point plan for Global War."
http://atimes.com/atimes/Globa.....6Dj03.html
Blind pigs can find acorns and it might be informative to go to page 2 and see their view on the Near East. "Still in the middle of the Middle East." And especially "From brushfires to wildfires."
It brings the law of unintended consequences to mind.
nathan| 6.20.12 @ 9:11AM
I do give up. Not one of you answered what I really thought was a simple question. So many of you ranted and raved about how Obama and Carter threw our WONDERFUL allies, those paragons of virtue the shah and Mubarak under camels, water buffaloes, pick a critter, and then when asked what you as president would have done differently drum roll please! NOTHING! Dead silence. Because there were no alternatives because after decades of oppression, after being abused, the people of Egypt and Iran just plain got fed up and said ENOUGH. And nothing any president of the US could say or do was going to stop that train from going down the tracks. And none of you not you president Tool or the rest of you could come up with some magic potion that would have kept those two horrible men in power.
Our parents were correct. We do get judged by the company we keep. Being in bed with people like Mubarak did nothing for our image and probably hurt us in the long run.