Category Archives: Iran

Iran, Middle East, Politics, War On Terror

No To Syria ‘Save Face’ / Ego War

1 Comment

You know what’s coming when the two French Republicans (as Mark Levin affectionately calls them), Sens. John McCain and Lindsay Graham, are summoned to The White House for a little back-scratching session. Ostensibly for President Obama to make his case for a military attack on Syria.Graham_McCain2

And what they came up with is no reason to use our military in Syria’s civil war.

A vote against strikes to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for alleged use of chemical weapons, officials argue, could undermine Obama’s standing in the Middle East as his administration seeks to deter Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians and stabilize a region already in turmoil.

“A rejection of this resolution would be catastrophic, not just for him but for the institution of the presidency and the credibility of the United States,” Senator John McCain said after meeting with Obama at the White House on Monday.

I’m not seeing any direct threat to the security of the United States, the only reason to use the military in a foreign country. That is, if you take your oath of office seriously. Besides, it’s already too late to save our standing and credibility around the world. The proper response is to suck it up and deal with it. Learn your lesson the hard way. It’s what happens when an amateur and ideologue is also Commander-in-Cheif. Aside from there being no national security threat, by their own admission now, our military men and women don’t wear the uniform to die for flippant remarks made by their Commander-in-Chief.

The United States military is not to be used as a U.N. replacement, world policeman, or custodian for countries involved in a civil war. Like I’ve said many times before, it’s their civil war. And the only way it will end is if one side wins and the other side loses. Only then will we know what kind of State we’re dealing with.

McCain and Graham must have allowed themselves to either be hypnotized by Obama, or they are among those Republicans that reflexively cave under fear of the demagoguery to come if they buck the President. I’ll go with the latter. Demagoguery that is coming to the party no matter what they say.

It’s yet another example of caving for the sake of the party of being liked, and for appearing bi-partisan with the most partisan president in history. The Constitution be damned. A foolish behavior that never advances the interests of Republicans and, a lesson never learned.

Link: Analysis: Obama lobbies personally for Syria vote

[polldaddy poll=7366481]

Egypt, Iran, Middle East, Politics, Religion, War On Terror

President Fails To Make His Case On Syria

After weeks of saber-rattling and ego boosting, and statements on Syria from everyone but the Commander-in-Chief himself, President Obama finally speaks to the question everyone is asking. What is our national security interest that necessitates attacking Syria?

And to that question, the President fails to make the case. He said . . .

This kind of attack threatens our national security interests by violating well-established international norms against the use of chemical weapons by further threatening friends and allies of ours in the region, like Israel and Turkey and Jordan, and it increases the risk that chemical weapons will be used in the future and fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us.

Might use them against us? There are no national interests of ours where Syria is concerned. They haven’t attacked us. They have telegraphed what they’d do to Israel if they were attacked by the U.S. But predicated on the United States attacking them first. To pin our national security interests on what might or could happen means there are no boundaries or limits to a trigger happy President. President Obama also failed to explain the end-game to his limited “smack in the face” attack on Syria.

The Syrian government is doing bad things, but it is doing them to their own people. Not to the United States. They are involved in a civil war now, and most of Assad’s opposition is coming from the alQaeda and Muslim Brotherhood types. Launching any kind of attack will only improve the chances that alQaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood will take over.

Syria needs to fight their own civil war. It’s as if nothing has been learned from the last 60 years of history in the Middle East. Let’s not repeat history. No one interfered with our civil war. And after it was over, we had a unified country. Their civil war needs to play out to its conclusion. Then, and only then, will the world know what kind of country remains. Friendly to the west, or not. At least, it will be a known entity. Not a mess like the rest of the Middle East.

Bottom line, we’re not the world’s policeman nor are we a civil-war-country’s custodian.

Egypt, Iran, Middle East, Politics, Religion, War On Terror

Obama Losing Coalition Support On Syria

britains_parliament_special_session_on_syria
British Parliament In Special Session

Great Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron called a special session of Britain’s Parliament to discuss growing tensions in Sirya and President Obama’s call for military action over the use of chemical weapons, ostensibly used by the Syrian regime on its own people.

U.S. Congress On Vacation
U.S. Congress On Vacation

President Obama, on the other hand, demonstrating his lack of leadership in not calling Congress back from vacation for a special session, is now talking about going it alone. Without a coalition of willing partners and without involving Congress. And so far, without addressing the American people as to what our security interests in Syria are that justifies us getting involved militarily on our own. And also without explaining to the American people the possible consequences of a slap-in-the-face cruise missile attack.

A proposed attack with the potential targets being revealed to the world, including the Assad regime. A military strategist, he is not. Nor, apparently, are the people advising him.

It is this lack of leadership and President Obama’s vague, if not non-existent, strategy in the end-game with Syria that has caused all the coalition partners he had last week to drop out. Add NATO to the list of the unwilling. Instead of following the blind, they’ve taken the position to wait and see what the U.N. inspectors conclude about who it was that used the WMD’s outside of Damascus. So far, most people in the U.S. aren’t convinced that we are being threatened by Syria to the extent that we need to act unilaterally against them, not only at the expense of our credibility in the world, but at the expense of our ally Israel, who both Iran and Syria said will attack if the U.S. attacks Syria. And certainly not before knowing who will be taking over in Syria. Common thought now is if Assad goes down, alQaeda and company takes his place.

We’ve already seen it happen in Libya with alQaeda and their affiliates, and in Egypt with the Muslim Brotherhood. Is Obama’s ego worth turning over the rest of the middle east to radical Islam and possibly sacrificing the state of Israel?

The time to act militarily has long past. We’re not the world’s policeman and civil-war-country custodian. They’ll have to fight it out on their own, and kill each other until someone wins. Then, and only then, will we know who it is we’re dealing with.

Link: U.S. ready to go it alone on Syria after stinging British defeat  |  Obama strike plans in disarray after Britain rejects use of force in Syria  |  NATO CHIEF: NO PLANS FOR ALLIANCE ACTION IN SYRIA

Iran, Media, Religion

Islam, Catholicism, Irrelevant In 21st Century?

You would not believe how bad the Iranian mullahs have their shorts in a wad over this picture. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Elena FriasWord coming out of Iran is this picture shows that Ahmadinejad has violated Islamic tradition. Apparently comforting a grieving mother is a sin. Islam forbids men from touching women who are not members of their direct family. What’s up with that?

According to The Telegraph, Mohammad Taghi Rahbar, the Friday prayer leader of Iran’s second city, Isfahan, told Mehr news agency that Ahmadinejad had “lost control”.

Some observers say this is attack is politically motivated because elections are coming up this summer. It may be politically motivated. Is it Iran being idiotic, or Islam being idiotic? Or some of each?

“Islam is on the way to irrelevancy if they don’t start including women, and certainly people of other color, and ultimately homosexuals.” Yeah, this according to Sally Quinn of the Washington Post. There is this one caveat. She was referring to the Catholic Church and Catholicism, not Islam. Do you think she, or any member of the news media for that matter, would ever say that about Islam? Christianity, that’s fair game.

Link: Iran’s Ahmadinejad blasted for consoling Chavez’s mother

Iran, Middle East, Politics, Russia, Venezuela

Chavez Dead At 58

hugo_chavezfireworks1Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the ruthless communist dictator and master over poor people, has succumbed to cancer at 58. Affectionately referred to here as the hemisphere’s idiot, the good Venezuelan people will now at least have a chance to change Venezuela from the impoverished communist nation that he built, into an economic power that the oil and mineral-rich country can be. Whether the reform party can actually have a fair election with the state-controlled media is another matter.

Venezuela has been the socialist/communist anchor in South America, and an ally to countries hostile to America like Iran, North Korea, Putin’s Russia, and Syria. His death just makes a sea change in attitude and political philosophy now possible. If there are block parties in celebration of Venezuela’s new-found potential in Venezuela, you won’t see them reported. There is one here.

2012 Election, Iran, Media, Middle East, Politics, Race Relations, Religion, War On Terror

Obama ‘Widened The (Islamic) Gap’

The recent killing of our Ambassador called a lot in to question. Lack of security at the Embassy and at the ‘safe house’ being only one. What is it about these murdering Muslims? Why do they continue to hate us now? President Obama told us he’s got this under control. Elect him and they will like us. Hope & Change. All that.

Jean Aziz, columnist for the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, believes it’s all our fault. That “the repeated mistakes of U.S. policy in the Middle East and vis-à-vis the Islamic world could lead to another 9/11.”

Continue reading Obama ‘Widened The (Islamic) Gap’ →

China, Egypt, Iran, Middle East, Politics, Religion, Russia, United Nations, War On Terror

Another Diplomatic Disaster For The Unites States

Leave the upcoming military confrontation with Iran aside for a moment. And put Russia and China on the back burner as countries hostile to humanity for condoning Syria’s murdering of their own citizens. Which at the same time highlights the uselessness of the United Nations and its Security Council.

Set that aside for now so you can concentrate on how Muslim Brotherhood-controlled Egypt is sending 19 American NGO (non governmental organization) workers to trial for ‘crimes’ like promoting democracy and human rights and for receiving funds to support them and their mission.

The Muslim Brotherhood used the NGO’s to help overthrow former President Hosni Mubarak. The ‘democracy’ that got rid of Mubarak is no longer needed. Now, they are holding 43 of them prisoner and moving to the oppressive Sharia law.

One of the Americans held captive is Sam LaHood, the son of Secretary of  Transportation Ray LaHood. Sam LaHood is the head of the Egypt office of the Washington-based International Republican Institute.

I don’t attribute any of that as, like Joe Biden had warned, that President Obama will be tested on the international stage. This is a result of a combination of his inexperience, naivety, and his pre-occupation with transforming the United States into some form of government-controlled society where the federal government makes all decisions for you.

Three years ago, then Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) said . . .

Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy.

And they have not stopped.

Makes one wonder if Biden made that statement because he knew what would follow when the top of the ticket is clueless on any subject besides ‘social justice.’

Link: Egypt sends American workers to trial

Iran, Media, Middle East, Politics, Religion

Why Is Obama MIA On Iran’s Threats?

As Iran continues to tweak the United States, and the international community in general, with its threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, and test firing long and short-range missiles, and showing off its nuclear capabilities in nuclear warhead technologies, the American people are wondering when President Obama will address them from behind his desk in the Oval Office. As Commander-in-Chief, he should be the one to bring us up to date with Iran’s sabre rattling, and tell us, and the mullahs in Iran, how he intends to handle the potentially disastrous course that Iran is on.

Instead, this is what we get from The White House . . .

Iran’s latest warning “reflects the fact that Iran is in a position of weakness,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters, adding that Tehran’s threats suggest “a measure of the impact that the sanctions have been having on Iran.”

It was the media, coupled with Obama’s own audacity, that made President Obama. Set him up to be the messiah. The One who would turn radical Islamists into friends and neighbors, change the climate and lower the sea level. So where are they now?

If there were a diagnostic list for the symptoms of a regime gone rogue, Iran would tick off every box. Taking hostages? Check. Sponsoring terrorism? Check. Covertly pursuing nuclear weapons? Check. Under international sanctions? Check. Repressing its own people? Check. Threatening to close the world’s oil highway, the Strait of Hormuz, in international waters? Check.

And where is our President on this? He is not found in the Oval Office, addressing the American people on Iran’s threats. He’s on the back nine. Obama’s absence on this topic shows Iran Obama’s weakness. It’s a real knee-slapper for Iran. And for Obama, it’s like ‘voting present.’

How’s that ‘improving our image” around the world and in Islamic countries working out?

Iran, Media, Middle East, War On Terror

Iraq Down, Iran Up

Guess whats been happening in Iraq and Iran? Haven’t you heard?

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta says Iran is increasingly being involved in supporting attacks on the U.S. military in Iraq.

During a surprise visit to Baghdad on July 11, Panetta blamed Iran for the spike in Shi’ite militia attacks on the U.S. military. Panetta said the U.S. military would act without Iraq Army approval to stop what he termed the Iranian campaign against American troops, Middle East Newsline reported.

In June, 14 American soldiers were killed in the deadliest month for the U.S. military since 2008 amid what officials said marked intensified Iranian training of Shi’ite proxies.

And Iraq is facing the prospect of secession by its minority Sunni community. The Iraq government “has lost control over much of the Sunni community,” particularly in the western province of Anbar.

Looks like the ‘debt ceiling’ and ‘default’ hysteria has succeeded in keeping the new trouble in the Middle East from being reported. And there is no one in the Obama administration, including the Commander-in-Chief himself, talking about it.

China, Iran, Middle East, North Korea, Politics, Russia, War On Terror

Mr. President, What Are We Doing In Libya?

Peggy Noonan wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal that perfectly lays out what Americans are thinking.

I cannot for the life of me see how an American president can launch a serious military action without a full and formal national address in which he explains to the American people why he is doing what he is doing, why it is right, and why it is very much in the national interest.

The absence of such a statement from our President, the Commander In Chief, is especially puzzling when you consider his previous position on the use of our military.

“I don’t oppose all wars … what I am opposed to is a dumb war.” – Barack Obama, 2002

For the first time, Obama is the Commander-in-Chief of a war that he authored rather than inherited. And the man who a decade ago anointed himself the arbiter of intelligent warfare is leading the U.S. into a conflict that is questionable on its merits and incoherent in its execution.

The blatant in-over-his-head behavior of our president is embarrassing. Certainly causing belly laughs in Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia.

Links: The Speech Obama Hasn’t Given |  Libya: Confusion, by Committee