Category Archives: Middle East

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

Egypt, Middle East, Religion

No Women’s Day In Egypt

I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that the second-class status of women extends beyond Egypt, to wherever fundamentalist Muslim people live. The United States being the possible exception.

Women in Egypt, celebrating International Women’s Day, were met with angry mobs of men telling them to go back home where they belong.

The N.O.W. gang has a new task ahead of them. Should they choose to accept it.

Link: Egyptian Women’s Rights Protest Marred By Hecklers |  Female Genital Mutilation Creeping To America

Middle East, War On Terror

Wussification Of U.S. Navy

For days now we’ve head the story about Somali outlaws that pirated a boat with 4 Americans on board. The Americans were trying to live out their retirement sailing off of the East coast of Africa, and passing out bibles along the way as missionaries. As an aside, merely having bibles can get you killed in Islamic extremist circles.

While being shadowed and finally approached by the U.S. Navy, the Somalis shot and killed all of their hostages several hundred miles south of Oman.

Here’s where the plot thickens. According to The White House . . .

President Barack Obama was awakened to news of the deaths at 4:42 a.m. Washington time Tuesday. He had authorized the military on Saturday to use force in case of an imminent threat to the hostages, said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

And the headlines are US condemns pirate killings, Navy holding suspects. And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement that the killings were “deplorable” and that they underscored the need for international cooperation on fighting the scourge of piracy in waters off the Horn of Africa. Like that’s going to have any consequence.

The remains of the four were taken aboard the USS Enterprise, as were 15 suspected pirates now facing charges in the deaths.

What’s wrong with this picture? If the Navy was authorized by the Commander In Chief to use force, why would there be 15 ‘suspects’ in custody? After all the history of these pirates, using our military to be constables is an abuse of the military. Forget the ‘suspected pirates’ angle, they are confirmed murderers on the high seas.

Just another case where President Obama cares less about protecting and defending Americans than the Islamic goons who murdered them. The Navy should let those prisoners go immediately. And I don’t mean in a boat. Take no prisoners. For their crimes, letting them go 600 miles out at sea is the best place for them.

Egypt, Iran, Media, Middle East, Politics

Who Toppled A Dictator?

Only president I know that toppled a dictator recently was George Bush taking down Saddam Hussein. At that time, the same protesters that took to the streets in Egypt these last two weeks were the same ones that protested the taking down of Saddam Hussein in favor of a democracy. And they were joined by most Democrats and the media.

Today, however, it’s a totally different picture. Today some of the media, like a University of West Florida professor (I’m still trying to find out her name)  that was interviewed by the Florida News Network as an ‘expert’ on Egypt and the Middle East, are trying to attach the overthrow of Mubarak to President Obama. Giving him ‘credit’ for Mubarak’s ouster. As if Obama had anything to do with it. She said it regains America’s trust in President Obama. Well isn’t this rich? Obviously, Obama has lost whatever trust and respect he may have had, as evidenced by this so-called expert, and as confirmed by Oprah yesterday. And for any number of reasons, not the least of which was his and his advisors’ handling of the uprising in Egypt.

And while we’re on the topic of toppling dictators, lets see what side Obama supports this time in Iran. Young people (same as in Egypt) there want to demonstrate in Iran again, this time to support the democracy push in Egypt, but the Mullahs and Ahmadinejad are warning them not do take to the streets. Will President Obama come down on the side of the youths wanting democracy, or on the dictator’s side like he did in 2009?

“I have made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not interfering in Iran’s affairs,” Mr Obama said.

Link: Demonstrations not encouraged in Iran

Egypt, Media, Middle East, Politics

Oh Wait, It Gets Worse

Since yesterday’s embarrassment, apparently numb to his impish behavior on the world stage, President Obama felt it necessary to amp it up even more. Too bad he doesn’t treat America’s enemies with the same audacity as our allies.

On this audition for Saturday Night Live, here is AP’s account of what President Obama said . . .

Without naming Mubarak directly, Obama issued a written statement on Thursday night in which he criticized the leader for a lack of clarity and direction. That assessment came after Mubarak surprised those protesting in Egypt’s streets by saying, in a broadly watched speech, that he would shift powers to his vice president but remain in charge of the country. {emphasis added}

Isn’t it odd (not really) that the AP doesn’t see the irony? Here is what he said . . .

Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world.

If our president is going to criticize Egypt’s president for not putting out a clear message, and for not listening to his citizens, lets at least recognize that in that respect they are twins with one difference. One of them knows what he’s doing.

Link:  Losing Patience, Obama Challenges Egypt’s Leaders

Egypt, Media, Middle East, Politics

Obama Uses Google To Politicize Egypt’s Uprising

While searching for the transcript of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s statement today, which turned out not to be his resignation, I came upon one of the Obama administration’s targeted Google ads in the story of Mubarak’s statement. Which does show perfectly well where our president’s priorities are. Instead of Egypt, they seem to be more in salvaging his radical agenda and poll numbers. 

How does the Obama administration buy ad space on Google to undermine the will of the people? Look at this screensave on the Times of India website.

Official Obama Website : www.BarackObama.com – Barack Obama needs your help to change Washington. Sign up today!

Just another crisis that he is not letting go to waste.

Responding to Obama’s several statements about Egypt, without naming him,  Mubarak said . . .

“I am not embarrassed to listen to the youth of my country and respond to them,” he said. But he added that he would never “accept diktats from abroad” – referring to increasing international pressure for him to quit.

Which makes this post even more relevant: Should The President Resign?

Link: Defiant Mubarak refuses to resign

Egypt, Middle East, Politics

Obama Stumbles On The World Stage

If anyone thought that President Obama had his finger on the pulse on the happenings in Egypt, his performance today should put that notion to rest.

I just saw the media waiting for over six hours for Egypt’s President Mubarak to announce that he is ‘stepping down’ today. While this was going on, people at The White House were saying that President Obama was going to have a statement on Egypt. The presumption was that it would be a response to President Mubarak’s stepping down.

Well, I guess the President must have had something better to do than to wait and see what Mubarak had to say, because Obama beat Mubarak to the cameras. Boy, talk about a diplomatic blunder. Obama showed, in case there was any doubt remaining, that the United States, at least under this president, can not be a trusted ally to anyone.

It’s bad enough that, to this date, Washington is still sending out mixed messages on Egypt’s troubles.  It is painfully obvious that voting ‘present’ on Egypt has not worked. And now President Obama again sticks his nose into Egypt’s business before he even knows what Egypt’s business is. One can only speculate whether Mubarak set up the whole drama which Obama fell for, hook, line, and sinker.

In his statement, which came after Obama’s, Mubarak chastised countries ‘abroad’ for not being helpful in the matter. Saying that he would never “accept diktats from abroad.”

Yesterday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit said in an interview with Al-Arabiya TV . . .

“The question is not whether or not the latest American position pleases me. Ultimately, they have realized the need to conduct these major transformations gradually and on the basis of a roadmap with clear goals, guarantees, and phases. They were using the word ‘now.’ They said: You must do it now! But they changed their position… When someone says to me ‘now,’ ‘immediately,’ and whatever, I say to him: ‘Boy, go play somewhere else.’ We will do everything according to the interests of our people and country.”

So how is that whole improving our ‘image around the world’ thing going?

Economy, Egypt, Energy, Media, Middle East, Politics

Should The President Resign?

1 Comment

Why did tens of thousands of Egyptians take to the streets and demand regime change? High food and energy prices, high unemployment, economic stagnation, and a government un-responsive to the people. That’s why they, and President Obama, are demanding and asking for President Mubarak to resign. So when we see hundreds of thousands, cumulatively millions, of people take to the streets in America for much the same reason, and then some, shouldn’t we (the media included) be asking the same question?

While our nation languishes amidst record food and energy prices, unprecedented underemployment (including those excluded from the workforce) and economic stagnation, crippling regulations, and an administration in contempt of two court decisions, . . . . there is one salient question that we should excogitate from Obama’s handling of the Egyptian insurgency. If Obama is willing to listen to the protesters of a foreign country due to their grievances from high food and energy prices and an unresponsive government, shouldn’t he accede to the similar demands of his own citizens and resign immediately?

I’m just saying.

Link: Hey Barack, Resign Now, and Now Means Yesterday

Economy, Egypt, Energy, Media, Middle East, Organized Labor, Politics, United Nations

Fed Policy, Govt. Policy, Egypt Burns

Here’s a little ditty that the mainstream media won’t touch with a ten foot pole. That’s because the Obama administration, environmentists, and the Federal Reserve are not insignificant players in the rioting and unrest we are seeing in the Middle East, and in the rise in prices of foodstuffs around the world. WHAT you say?

For years now, the United Nations has been complaining that they can’t continue to feed all they need to for a lack of money caused by the rising food cost. This is a direct consequence of bio-fuel nonsense where the United States is using food (corn) to put in our gas tank. This causes all kinds of food to be more expensive. Not just for foodstuffs made from corn, but meat and poultry products because it is also food for the livestock.

Compounding that is the enormous spending of the Federal Reserve. The effect of that has contributed to the increase in food prices not only here but everywhere else in the world.

Chriss W. Street at Big Government writes . . .

QE2 money quickly drove up commodity food prices around the world. This price rise is barely noticeable to Americans who only spend 10% of their personal income on food for three meals a day; but the impact of food inflation is devastating the over half the world that spends approximately 50% of personal income on food for two meals a day. The 15% QE2 induced commodity food price increase has reduced the amount of food poor people can purchase by almost 1/3.

The riots and revolutionary activity burning down Tunisia, Yemen, and Egypt are about gut-level economics. Do you think Americans would riot and throwing out our government if we were forced to cut back to eating 1 1/3 meals a day? Once riots start people in cities hoard food to survive and becomes dangerous for farmers to transport food. This is exacerbates food shortages and drives prices even higher.

When you consider how lucky we are to live in the United States, where 10% of our income goes for food for three meals a day,  a rise in food prices is not as much of an issue as it is in other parts of the world like Egypt, where food consumes 50% of their income for two meals a day. Couple that with outrageously high unemployment while the ruling class lives the high life, and you have a powder keg in the making.

UPDATE 06:50:

As if there isn’t enough evidence of how government policies were accomplices in Egypt’s revolution, new evidence points to the role of labor unions and the American Left in orchestrating it:

For all the lack of clarity on where the Obama administration stands, one thing is becoming more and more clear: Signs are beginning to point more toward the likelihood that President Obama’s State Department, unions, as well as Left-leaning media corporations are more directly involved in helping to ignite the Mid-East turmoil than they are publicly admitting.

Egypt, Middle East, Politics

Caught By Surprise, Flat-footed, Mixed Message

That is how CNN described the Obama administration’s reaction to the upheavel in Egypt today on the Wolf Blitzer show. By now, it should become painfully obvious to the administration that the media can no longer carry their water when there are such big holes in the buckets. It is quite a shift from just two days ago when Obama adviser David Axelrod told ABC’s Jake Tapper how the president has been engaged with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from the beginning. Not to worry, that he has been on top of things for the last two years.

If the administration has been so engaged for the last two years, how could this event have caught them by surprise? They didn’t see the clues? Obama voting PRESENT on Egypt isn’t working.  The media is not yet calling the administration incompetent, although I am, but the fact that they can not longer ignore the contradiction shows they are looking out for their own survival now, instead of his.

He was on the wrong side of the fence when Iran had their political uprising. Now he has to play catch up in Egypt, and the Egyptian people are not fooled.

Another story that has not been reported in the U.S. media, if you want to connect some dots, is the unrest in other poor and mostly Muslim countries like Yemen, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan. Andrew McCarthy has a pretty good idea for why we are seeing what we are seeing.

Al-Qaeda seeks to spread Islam by brute force. The Muslim Brotherhood and its American confederates – CAIR, the Muslim American Society, the Islamic Society of North America, etc. – agree with al-Qaeda on the endgame but part company on methodology.

Links: Analysis: Egypt crisis a fresh dilemma for Obama team