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Obama’s Middle East Disaster

By Larry Johnson on August 18, 2011 at 11:05 AM in Current Affairs

Feckless. Futile. Foolish. Three descriptors that capture the abysmal state of Barack Obama’s misguided, rudderless Middle East policy. While the White House will try to blame Hillary for this mess, the reality is that she is carrying out the policy laid down by the White House. Boy, what a turd it is.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air offers his typical snappy rundown:

Hosni Mubarak got eight days of protests before Barack Obama demanded his resignation in a speech. Libyan thug Moammar Gaddafi got 16 days before Obama called for him to leave power, and eventually went to war to push for his removal. Today, one hundred and fifty-six days into Syrian protests and brutal crackdowns that have left hundreds and possibly thousands dead, Obama finally got around to demanding Bashar Assad’s ouster as dictator of Syria … in a written statement:

I suppose there is one bright side to this latest move.

The Sunni world (e.g., the Saudis and the rest of the Gulfies) see this as the United States finally moving against an Iranian proxy. It is overly simplistic to portray the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad as a hand puppet of the mullahs of Tehran. Assad and his alawite compadres are pursuing their own interest, namely, hanging onto power. Like his father, Bashar is not shy about using brutal force against unarmed civilians. He is not about to trust his fate to some group of outsiders who pledge to facilitate a transition.

One thing is clear–the Obama Administration has squandered US influence in the region. We are now widely perceived as reactive, and late at that. This kind of uncertainty foments more chaos and raises the likelihood that violence and instability will spread.

Let’s hope that Israel keeps its powder dry. US military officials privately have worried that Israel might launch an airstrike against Iran to try to take out its nuclear capability. Such an attack in the midst of the ongoing turmoil in Iraq, Syria and Egypt would be akin to dumping a swimming pool of gasoline on a bonfire. It could turn explosive and deadly.

So, while Syria continues burning sparky Obama is packing up for his special Martha Vineyard vacation. At least we know where Obama’s priorities reside.

  • Anonymous

    Well, when Obama utters the fateful words: “The situation in Syria is unacceptable.  Assad must go,” we know Bashar’s days will be numbered.  Unfortunately, the number will probably be quite large.

    Thank you for this assessment, Larry. Seems like Thee One has a lot on his plate. It’s a good thing he is on vacation, and has some quiet time to digest . . .

    • Anonymous

      Smart diplomacy my ass. Obama and Clinton both called him a moderate as late as this spring.

    • Anonymous

      Smart diplomacy my ass. Obama and Clinton both called him a moderate as late as this spring.

    • Anonymous

      BO says he won’t impose democracy on the Syrians…

      • Anonymous

        Not much evidence of him imposing it on Americans either.

        • Anonymous

          Exactly!

  • Anonymous
    • Anonymous
      • Anonymous

        Hamas intentionally targets civilians.

        Israel tries to retaliate only against military targets.

        Hamas hides behind civilians and claims Israel targets civilians.

        The U.N. tries to pass a resolution condemning Israel for massacring civilians, ignores the initial act of terror by Hamas and demands Israel leave all “occupied” territories.

        And so goes this ongoing saga that has existed for decades.

        • Anonymous

          Hamas=cowards

  • Anonymous

    Message from Ghadafi to Assad……..Don`t worry…..Be happy.

    • Anonymous

      I wonder how that KMA is going….”days not weeks”..

  • HELENK

    how long is Israel going to put up with this? Attacks through the Egyptian border.

    http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/seven-killed-in-series-of-terrorist-attacks-in-southern-israel-1.379309

    • Anonymous

      Where are the main anchors from the networks to cover this like they did the “Arab spring”?

      • Anonymous

        They’ve got a highter priority to attend to: vetting Perry….

        • Anonymous

          It’s cowboy Bo practicing his “stink Eye” at Martha’s Vinyard-Notice the smoke in his hand, all other sources show the photo taken above that point so the cig doesn’t show.
          http://biggovernment.com/files/2011/08/obama_phony1.jpg

          • Ferd_Berfle

            Brings a whole new meaning to the word, “dude”.

            • Anonymous

              a yep, dood, as in doodie.

            • Wbboe

              In the case of Obama, the letter “e” is silent in the word dude.

          • Anonymous

            could be a pen…

          • Anonymous

            I have no doubt he still smokes but this is a picture from last year.  There seem to be a lot of vacation pictures emerging from previous escapes from the White House.  Another one on Michelle’s Mirror yesterday.  However, I’d love to see this one used in comparisons with a real Texan, Perry.  He always comes across as the little weasel he is when up against an authentic cowboy.

          • Docelder

            Some of the men in that photo look smitten with Obama… maybe he did a brainectomy by touching their knees.

          • Wbboe
            • Anonymous

              good movie, but still weird seing Yule Brenner on a horse.

          • Wbboe

            Kat, this picture of Obama in a cowboy hat gives new meaning to the old Texas expression “ALL HAT–NO CATTLE.”  It is only right that it be a black cowboy hat rather than a silver belly.

      • Anonymous

        Covering Martha’a Vineyard?

        • Anonymous

          Oh, and speaking of Martha’s Vineyard, guess who is having a conference there?  PBS and others’ annual conference on race — focusing on the deplorable state of the lack of minorities in media and so on.

          http://www.black-and-right.com/2011/08/18/boneheads-of-the-day-97/

          • Anonymous

            That is hysterical

          • Anonymous

            The best way to recruit lots of minorities in a hurry is by summoning a flash mob on Twitter. It works great in Philadelphia–ought to try it out on Martha’s Vineyard….

            • Anonymous

              Ohh worse yet a flash mob of angry rich people; Obama is hoping they will pelt them with coin s and hurl 100′s at them. Vicious!

          • Ferd_Berfle

            lack of minorities in media and so on.
            ==============
            Perhaps if they actually learned the English language, they might make some headway. Oh, expecting minorities to learn the language of the man is racist of me. I’ll just take myself to the woodshed.

            • Anonymous

              I’ll do it for you, honey!

            • Ferd_Berfle

              In the words of oowawa, “I can take it and I deserve it”.

            • candymarl

              Dear Ferd,

              I will speak in the vernacular.

              Say beeyotch you ain’t down wit the homies?  You onea those racist don’t speek the languig?  Word up to lacka unnerstandan.

              We gotta scools ya.

              Dis da street yo.

              We do wat we do.  Git wit the progrimme.

               

          • Anonymous

            Proportionate to the population there is no lack of representation; what a made up bunch of media poop.

          • candymarl

            Too bad AbigailA they don’t focus on the record unemployment among black youth. Worse than under GWB.

            Custis says I should quiet down. 

            Go fishin’ I says.

      • Anonymous

        It may be harsh, but in their mind like the early days of World War II, ”what’s some more dead Jews.”

      • Anonymous

        There is a sale on knee pads at Big 5. Also CVS is running a sale on K-y; just sayin….

        • Anonymous

          Has anyone alerted Reggie Love?

          • Anonymous

            Has PINO and Reggie got to Martha’s yet? I saw the Mooch and family took a seperate flight?

            • Wbboe

              PINO has been there is spirit for six months.  Physically, he arrived only today.  With Reggie Love pulling up the rear– so to speak. For we loved with a love that was more than a love– I and my Annabelle Lee–I mean Barack.

          • Anonymous

            “Has anyone alerted Reggie Love?”

            I think Jughead warned him . . .

    • Anonymous

      Just who wanted to get rid of Mubarek?   

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HGANMGQB7HNZG62RMJSQH4BVGQ Puma GSD

    Who paid BO off, maybe contributions during the election??
    The Muslim Brotherhood will be in controll of the whole
    Middle East.  There is no way to wash those hands clean.
    Sad America the country will be blamed for it.

  • Anonymous

    Here is Obama’s Arab Spring (big surprise):
     
    “Seven people were reported dead and at least 25 injured in a three-stage terrorist attack along Israel’s border with Egypt on Thursday.

    IDF forces were still searching the area around Eilat and the Egyptian border out of concern that there may be terrorists still in the area. Sources said that it is possible that there were as many 20 terrorist in the area, both in Israel and on the Egyptian side of the border.”
    http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234334
     
    “The attacks demonstrate the weakening of Egypt’s control over the Sinai peninsula and the expansion of terrorist activity there,” Barak said, adding “These attacks originate in Gaza and we will act against them with full force and resolve.”
    http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=234333
     
    This was inevitable and Israel is preparing for far more attacks as this so-called Arab Spring proceeds. Unfortunately they will be unable to keep their powder dry because of attacks like this on their people which they will have to respond to in force.
     
    It is evident that the peace Israel had for so many years with Egypt is all but gone. The new regime in Egypt has no interest in maintaining the stable relationship with Israel that Sadat and Mubarak maintained.
     
    The same will hold true for Syria once Assad is gone as well. He was bad but the replacement will be worse.
     
    The Arab uprising is resulting in emboldening radical Islam because the West and whatever forces of moderate Muslim may exist have not filled the void left by the overthrow of old regimes. Obama has sat back and watched the parade rather than overtly try to influence outcomes.
     
    What we are seeing is a new Pan-Arab Nationalism that was the goal of former Egyptian President Abdul Nasser but under the banner of a theocracy will likely prevail now. I don’t know how much Iran has influenced these events and not sure they will benefit that much. The fact is that radical Muslim movements have been a major force in the Middle East for a century and the names of movements or leaders are incidental to the fact that Arab Muslims have always been brought up to hate the West and hate the Jews.
     
    Somewhere in Chicago Obama’s spiritual advisor, Jeremiah Wright, is celebrating the Arab Spring and maybe the attacks on Israel yesterday.

    • Wbboe

      Arab Spring . . . which clueless Obama welcomed with open arms. . . calls to mind a haunting poem which was written in World War I  . .  by a poet who never survived it:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ksgq3HRNTY&feature=related

      • Anonymous

        The Arab Spring IS a rendezvous with death. 

  • HELENK
    • Anonymous

      How long before we see Israeli military efforts to cut off the arms supply line in the Sinai to Hamas that Mubarak had shut down?

      How much you want to bet that Obama “balances” U.S. condemnation of the terror attack with another swat at Israel for building housing in disputed areas of East Jerusalem.

      • Ferd_Berfle

        How much you want to bet that Obama “balances” U.S. condemnation of the
        terror attack with another swat at Israel for building housing in
        disputed areas of East Jerusalem.
        ====================
        No taker here.

        I do hope the Jews of the liberal persuasion in this country get a clue and support and vote Republican in ’12.

        • Anonymous

          In 1980 the Jews broke ranks with Democrats and only 46% voted for Carter.

          I would expect that Obama will be lucky to get 50% of that vote when traditionally Democrats get about 75% of the Jewish vote.

  • HELENK

    Prime Minister Netanyahu to comment on #Israel #Eilat attacks at 1:10 p.m. EDT
     

  • Wbboe

    An excellent assessment in keeping with the prior analysis by Niall Ferguson.  Your grasp of these issues is really superb.

  • HELENK
  • HELENK

    Israeli leader says Israel won’t reconcile itself to stepped-up
    attacks from Egypt, says anyone attacking Israel will pay ‘a very heavy
    price’ -

    Israel knows they are on their own, they can not trust backtrack to help and not hurt them. They are not going to play when their survival is at stake.
     

  • HELENK
    • Anonymous

      “We realised, not for the first time, those we speak with like Dennis Ross, Dan Shapiro, [George] Mitchell… and so forth are not in the inner circle.”
       - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
      Hillary Clinton should be added to that.

      Obama has been anti-Israel probably his whole life which is why he why he found a religious home in the pews of Jeremiah Wright.

      Obama’s inner circle of advisors have long standing anti-Israel credentials and his false pretense of caring about Israel has been proven to be without any credibility.

      I am still of the belief that Obama wanted the Middle East to be in the situation it is and supports the spread of radical Islam and anti-Israel fervor.

  • Anonymous

    I am sure Assad has his bags packed and is shaking in his boots….rotflmao

    “Say What You Will…It Feels So Good”
    http://www.saywhatyouwill.proboards.com

    • Anonymous

      He has to realize that what he has been doing, I mean gunning down his own people in the streets, is liable to be “totally unacceptable.”  Watch out Assad!  Can I call you “Ass” for short?

      • Anonymous

        I think if obama thought he could get away with it, we would be seeing the same thing here….just sayin’

        “Say What You Will…It Feels So Good”

  • politicsisdirty

    Give our President a break. He is busy planning for an improved economy at the Vineyard.

    • Anonymous

      Is he picking grapes with the rest of his amigos?

  • HELENK

    twitter update on Israel bombings from BBC

    http://twitter.com/#!/pdanahar

  • HELENK
  • HELENK
  • HELENK

    At least 12 jets leave base in Turkey, witness tells Reuters
     

    • Anonymous

      Attacking Kurdish rebels in Northern Iraq.

      NIce to see Obama takng credit for solving Iraq.

    • Anonymous

      Whose jets, prey… er pray tell ?

      • HELENK

        couldn’t find out but Hokma says they are Turkish jets attacking kurds in Iraq

        • Anonymous

          Well, the Turks have had lots of practice with the Armenians.  The Kurds should be no problem.  Oh, was that politically incorrect?

          • Ferd_Berfle

            Are they going to show the Kurds the way?

            Ouch. My bad.

  • Ferd_Berfle

    Disaster? Did someone say disaster?

    Everything this (mal)administration touches becomes a disaster. Even Jimmy Carter could at least purchase a clue from one or two of his advisers. Barky can’t even rely on his because, with the exception of a scant few, they’re just as ignorant, arrogant, and dogmatic as he is.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4L4GL7QOPBASIVI53K2VEQZOY4 Hank

      This administration is like our digestive system.  

    • Anonymous

      What’s the best thing I can say about Jimmy Carter?  He meant well.  Can’t say the same thing about This President.

      • hc123

        God save us from idiots who mean well.

        • Anonymous

          Yes, but I prefer “idiots who mean well” to idiots who would like to destroy us . . .

          • hc123

            I will take an honest evil idiot out to destroy any day of the week!

  • Anonymous

    Why is CBS News Selling Barack Obama Merchandise in its Online Store?

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/why-is-cbs-news-selling-barack-obama-merchandise-in-its-online-store/

    • HELENK

      he has pictures , negatives and knee pads and wants a cut of the money?

      • Wbboe

        Are they also selling nqisfun squeeze dolls?

        • Anonymous

          ROFLMAO

        • nqisfun’s polyvinyl troll

          I am not a squeeze-doll. I am an anatomically correct polyvinyl troll.

          • Anonymous

            Yeah, but do you come with the Kung-Fu grip?

            • Ferd_Berfle

              LMAO.

          • Wbboe

            Mea maxima culpa.

    • candymarl

      HARP2

      They claim they took it down.  However, if you go to said website and type in democrat it’s all still there.

    • Wbboe

      Perhaps, because CBC is owned by Westinghouse and Westinghouse like General Electric is a major contractor in the nuclear power industry, and Obama is a big supporter of nuclear power regardless of the risks.

  • Anonymous

    FROM COMMENTS
    @blaze:disqus .com:

    Let’s not forget, Pelosi undermined the Bush Administration and visited Syria, telling us all that Assad is a reformer.

    Today…Obama’s calling for Assad to step down…after Hillary, Obama and Nancy in wonderland all wanted to prove Bush wrong…here’s the link..enjoy the laughs…

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17920536/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/pelosi-shrugs-bushs-criticism-meets-assad/

    • Anonymous

      I had forgotten about that incident. I recall why she was not arrested and prosecuted for interferring with what is the President’s exclusive role of running foreign policy.

    • Anonymous

      Good recall FlBreeze, thank-you.

    • Wbboe

      Excellent point FlBreeze.  Maybe we should send Pelosi over there as a good will ambassador to straighten things out.  I am sure they would listen to her.  And  as far as I am concerned they could keep her.  No bail money permitted.

  • HELENK

    this is very thought provoking. How many fast and furious guns here.
    Mexican drug and Iraqi crime bunch in California

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/08/60-arrested-bust-iraqi-mexican-crime-rings.html

    • Anonymous

      Hannity’s program Friday night will relate to “Fast and Furious”

      • Anonymous

        Will be watching it tonight, thanks sowsear1!

    • Anonymous

      Yikes…

  • Anonymous

    obamadinejad sez Assad is slaughtering his people…

    http://news.yahoo.com/syria-holds-hundreds-stadium-u-n-eyes-tribunal-013129681.html

    obama failed to mention he has slaughtered both America’s economy and her spirit…Many Americans are dying deaths by a thousand cuts…

    “Say What You Will…It Feels So Good”

  • HELENK

    here is the english speaking version of Israel/ Gaza bombings today
    I do not know if it will be the same to the arabs

    http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/08/201181893519247218.html

  • Anonymous

    Larry, you forget another “F” word….FUBAR.

  • Anonymous

    Oh MY GOODNESS!  (completely off topic):

    Did anyone else see Laura Ingram (sp?) take Rangel completely to task tonight?  When he couldn’t answer her questions about West’s assertion that Democrats and specifically black party leaders (like Rangel) have created the liberal plantation for blacks, he referred to her as Bill O’Reilly’s “secret weapon — a pretty woman.”  She seriously responded by admonishing his condescention.

    She had him so rattled he finally admitted that obama has done nothing for the inner cities of this country.  Nice sound bite.

    • Anonymous

      -

      Something is wrong here.

      All my posts disappear.

    • Anonymous

      Laura Ingraham is as tough as nails.  Another pit-bull in an attractive guise: Michelle Malkin. I really admire the intelligence and articulate poise of both of these women.

      • Wbboe

        I agree.  They are much sharper than O’Reilly.  I have very little respect for him given the way he molly coddles Messiah Obama.

    • Anonymous

      Yep, it was great!  Laura just wouldn’t let Rangel spin it.  But where is the National Organization for Women?  If I Republican had said that to a liberal woman, Code Pink would be sitting outside of his house.  I guess Rangel gets a pass, but I’m not quite sure whether it’s because he a liberal Democrat or because of his race.  Maybe it’s a twofer.

  • Anonymous

    Off topic-but I haven’t seen an open thread in awhile
    ———————————
    He said many students on college campuses
    support high taxes on the rich, but when put into relative terms,
    cringed at the thought of spreading around their academic wealth.

    In a video posted on Exposingleftists.com,
    one student said, “If I do give GPA points to students that don’t
    deserve it, it isn’t fair, I work for what I have.”
    Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/17/college-students-in-favor-wealth-distribution-are-asked-to-support-grade/#ixzz1VQtsMODG

    • Anonymous

      Well welcome to our world.

  • Wbboe

    I was looking for the song on the internet but it is not there.  It is a perfect way to serenade Barack.  The sky is falling in so what does he do? He flees Washington for the safety and security of the Cape.  What this says to most people is he does not care. Apropos of that his nickname should be Eva Tanguay the vaudeville star who was known as the I Don’t Care girl– as in: ” so let down the gangway, here comes Eva Tanguay, cause I don’t care.  Since I cannot find the song we will have to settle for a bio, but we do what we can.

    EVA TANGUAY—“THE ‘I DON’T CARE’ GIRL”

    “She came on like a meteor, but there is a lasting quality. What
    is that quality? Radium? Electricity? Sheer nerve? Or, as Eva Tanguay
    herself comically suggests, madness?”

    – Ashton Stevens, Chicago Examiner, 1911

    If anyone embodies the spirit of vaudevillianism, of the triumph of
    personality, originality and sensationalism, not only over discipline
    and craft but even over beauty and talent, that person was Eva Tanguay.
    She was essentially a rock and roller; one would be hard pressed to
    identify many differences outside of the lack of amplification. Billed
    as an “eccentric comedienne”, her act—essentially—was that she was nuts.
    A bad singer, and a graceless dancer, with hair like a rat’s nest, the
    homely, overweight Tanguay would put on outrageous outfits, sing
    provocative self-involved songs, commissioned especially for her, and
    fling herself around the stage in a suggestive manner.

    Her theme song
    went:

    They say I’m crazy, got no sense

    But I don’t care.

    They may or may not mean offense,

    But I don’t care.

    You see, I’m sort of independent,

    Of a clever race descendant,

    My star is on the ascendant,

    That’s why I don’t care

  • Anonymous

    Don’t forget ?

    “In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way”.
    Franklin D. Roosevelt

    “Looking at the World thru a Kaleidoscope”

    • Anonymous

      Will have to remember that one…

  • Anonymous
    • Ferd_Berfle

      Why would we want to waste any more of our blood and treasure on them? The same goes for Afghanistan. It isn’t as though those cavedwellers actually appreciate our efforts on their behalf.

  • Anonymous

    One can always count on this Clueless idiot to make matters worse.
    It is very odd looking at how BO reacts to events. I wish I was a fly on the wall and listening to the advise HRC gave this POTUS…and would appear to be given only lip service by BO…..frustrating for her as you said many moons ago HRC is “scary smart” and well briefed. Seems not a shred of it rubs of on BO.
    The other more troubling aspect is that a narcissist will for ever be in a reactive mode and never able to anticipate anything but their next ego gratification. This asshole is getting people killed with out merit, as is the case in the ME, from lack of leadership.
    You recall when Nancy (Audery Farber to some) Pelosi lead a congressional delegation to Syria? See where that got us.
    What is interesting is the line that Russia is taking as she seeks to get bases in Syria and stall anymore sanctions against Iran.
    A very different agenda and not in anyone’s interest but theirs. Our abilility to act via proxy in the region has been severely damaged by this clown, BO. The thought I have is with the proxy , direct intervention becomes a stronger possibility. Our enemies relish the thought of our blood letting made possible by the vacuum between those donkey ears of BO.