Since taking office, Barack Obama and his foreign policy team have neglected
numerous global problems and fixated, instead, on the crescent of countries
where Asia, Europe, and Africa collide.
At this point, the results have been nothing short of disastrous. From the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, there’s barely a country in the region that hasn’t withered under Obama’s touch. Thanks to his handiwork, the United States is weaker than ever… and an already-fragile region is bordering on chaos.
Of course, Obama doesn't deserve all of the credit. His Secretary of State, John Kerry, has amassed an impressive track record of his own.
For example, Kerry’s single-minded obsession with the Israeli versus Palestinian conflict has yet to provide any results. In fact, this past week, Kerry’s dream of either a successful Palestinian state or a two-state solution officially died.
In his arrogance, he could solve the epic struggle for the land of Judea that has raged on since at least 1000 B.C. In the end, though, John Kerry joins a long list of diplomats who’ve been unable to solve this conflict.
Kerry was downbeat and depressed as he told the AP about the failure: “They say they want to continue. But we are not going to sit there indefinitely. This is not an open-ended effort. It’s reality check time.”
The Palestinian official, Yasser Abed Rabbo, countered to AFP: “Israel has a habit of evading agreements and conventions it has signed… That is why conditions for future negotiations must change radically.”
Not to be outdone, Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni denounced Palestinian attempts to join numerous UN conventions and treaties ahead of any comprehensive agreement. He said Palestine “has breached its obligations by applying to the United Nations,” and that “if they want a state, they need to understand that it will only be established on the negotiating table.”
And That’s Just the Beginning…
Moving on, let’s take a look at Kerry and Obama’s efforts to end the Syrian civil war. First, Obama drew a red line, threatening to take out Bashar al-Assad if the dictator used chemical weapons. Assad then cleverly used Russia’s protection to thwart Obama’s plans, making Obama look incredibly weak.
On the ground, Syria has become a ruin of dead civilians, refugee camps, and the sort of intense ethnic bitterness that leads to prolonged fighting.
What’s more, Russia has poured millions of dollars’ worth of weapons into Syria, and the civil war is now at a stalemate. The negotiations for a political resolution have quietly died, and Obama and his team look powerless to achieve any of their goals.
Across the Persian Gulf, Obama’s diplomatic efforts in Iran have done no better. Today, Iran isn’t any closer to giving up its nuclear weapons program than it was before the United States compromised with the radical Shia government.
Obama gave up the leverage of economic sanctions and gained no concession in return. Unfortunately, Iran now seems destined to provoke a wider war or gain entrance to the club of nations with nuclear weapons. The Iranian nuclear program has also greatly undermined regional stability.
That’s part of the reason the Saudi leadership is seeking a new partner to guarantee its safety. At this point, China and Russia are both potential patrons for the Arab kingdom.
Similarly, Egypt is looking for new friends after U.S. agreements with the Muslim Brotherhood nearly turned the country into an Islamic revolutionary republic. And let’s not forget Libya, which is slowly making the transition to a radicalized, Sharia-governed state.
Everywhere you look, Barack Obama’s attempts at peace and stability are in shambles. The people on the ground are poorer, the countries are less safe, and human rights abuses have skyrocketed.
The moderates in the Arab world need to pray for a more realistic leadership in the United States before the entire region descends into chaos.
Continue Reading...
At this point, the results have been nothing short of disastrous. From the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, there’s barely a country in the region that hasn’t withered under Obama’s touch. Thanks to his handiwork, the United States is weaker than ever… and an already-fragile region is bordering on chaos.
Of course, Obama doesn't deserve all of the credit. His Secretary of State, John Kerry, has amassed an impressive track record of his own.
For example, Kerry’s single-minded obsession with the Israeli versus Palestinian conflict has yet to provide any results. In fact, this past week, Kerry’s dream of either a successful Palestinian state or a two-state solution officially died.
In his arrogance, he could solve the epic struggle for the land of Judea that has raged on since at least 1000 B.C. In the end, though, John Kerry joins a long list of diplomats who’ve been unable to solve this conflict.
Kerry was downbeat and depressed as he told the AP about the failure: “They say they want to continue. But we are not going to sit there indefinitely. This is not an open-ended effort. It’s reality check time.”
The Palestinian official, Yasser Abed Rabbo, countered to AFP: “Israel has a habit of evading agreements and conventions it has signed… That is why conditions for future negotiations must change radically.”
Not to be outdone, Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni denounced Palestinian attempts to join numerous UN conventions and treaties ahead of any comprehensive agreement. He said Palestine “has breached its obligations by applying to the United Nations,” and that “if they want a state, they need to understand that it will only be established on the negotiating table.”
And That’s Just the Beginning…
Moving on, let’s take a look at Kerry and Obama’s efforts to end the Syrian civil war. First, Obama drew a red line, threatening to take out Bashar al-Assad if the dictator used chemical weapons. Assad then cleverly used Russia’s protection to thwart Obama’s plans, making Obama look incredibly weak.
On the ground, Syria has become a ruin of dead civilians, refugee camps, and the sort of intense ethnic bitterness that leads to prolonged fighting.
What’s more, Russia has poured millions of dollars’ worth of weapons into Syria, and the civil war is now at a stalemate. The negotiations for a political resolution have quietly died, and Obama and his team look powerless to achieve any of their goals.
Across the Persian Gulf, Obama’s diplomatic efforts in Iran have done no better. Today, Iran isn’t any closer to giving up its nuclear weapons program than it was before the United States compromised with the radical Shia government.
Obama gave up the leverage of economic sanctions and gained no concession in return. Unfortunately, Iran now seems destined to provoke a wider war or gain entrance to the club of nations with nuclear weapons. The Iranian nuclear program has also greatly undermined regional stability.
That’s part of the reason the Saudi leadership is seeking a new partner to guarantee its safety. At this point, China and Russia are both potential patrons for the Arab kingdom.
Similarly, Egypt is looking for new friends after U.S. agreements with the Muslim Brotherhood nearly turned the country into an Islamic revolutionary republic. And let’s not forget Libya, which is slowly making the transition to a radicalized, Sharia-governed state.
Everywhere you look, Barack Obama’s attempts at peace and stability are in shambles. The people on the ground are poorer, the countries are less safe, and human rights abuses have skyrocketed.
The moderates in the Arab world need to pray for a more realistic leadership in the United States before the entire region descends into chaos.
Continue Reading...
No comments:
Post a Comment