Obama rode into the Oval Office determined to demonstrate that the countries comprising the Bush administration's "axis of evil" were merely misunderstood and could be won over with tolerance and a kindly outreach program. More specifically, he believed that Israel was the fount of all tensions in the Middle East, and if a peace agreement could be imposed upon a purportedly intransigent Israel, tranquility would prevail throughout the region.
In keeping with this sea change in foreign policy, Obama promptly sent new year's ("Nowruz") greetings to Iran's tyrannical theocratic leadership in March 2009, referring to the "true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization" and making clear that the US did not seek regime change. Moreover, Obama sat on the sidelines as Iran's population rose in revolt and was slaughtered in the streets following the country's fraudulent June 2009 presidential election.
What has this restraint earned Obama? Iran has continued undeterred with its program to manufacture nuclear weapons. This week, we have also learned that Iran sought to murder the Saudi ambassador to the US and bomb the Israeli Embassy in Washington and the Saudi and Israeli Embassies in Argentina.
Regarding Syria, after repeated visits by Senator John Kerry with Assad, Obama appointed a new ambassador, Robert Ford, to Damascus, without Senate confirmation, for the first time since 2005, when Lebanese Prime Minister Rafi Hariri, a friend of the West, was murdered by Hezbollah at the behest of Assad. Obama barely said a word when earlier this year Assad mowed down protesters, but grew uneasy when the number of dead spiraled over 2,000 (now closer to 3,000) and the number of missing also moved into the thousands.
What has this restraint earned Obama? As reported by The Washington Post on October 10 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/syrian-rights-group-clashes-between-soldiers-and-defectors-leave-dozens-dead/2011/10/10/gIQAZPDbZL_story.html?hpid=z4):
"In a speech late Sunday, Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, a state-appointed cleric and Assad loyalist, issued a clear warning to the West.
'I say to all of Europe, I say to America, we will set up suicide bombers who are now in your countries, if you bomb Syria or Lebanon,' Hassoun said in a speech late Sunday. 'From now on an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'”
Keep up the good work, Barack, and compliments to the chef, Samantha Power.
Jeffrey, the NYT Mackey is back commenting on the Iran plot clearly setting the stage for blaming Israel and posting only one comment stating "It's Mossad."
ReplyDeleteI know from experience that Mackey doesn't publish comments opposing to his antisemitic propaganda.