Tag Archives: Middle East

Iran, Middle East, Politics, War On Terror

No To Syria ‘Save Face’ / Ego War

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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

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Media, Middle East, Politics

Isolationist? How Quickly Rep. King Forgets

So far, from what President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have said about the goings on in Syria, of all the atrocities happening there, whether committed by the Assad regime or by either of his opposition, none of what they have said amounts to a direct threat to our national security. Syria is embroiled in a civil war. It is full of bad players. But it is their civil war, not ours.

Not having made the case that our national security is under imminent threat, there is no justification to get involved militarily in Syria. It’s their civil war. Let them fight it out until someone wins. Not until then will we know what kind of State we’re dealing with. No one interfered in our civil war, and it’s way too late to get involved in theirs. Paramount in our constitution is the fact that it empowers the President to use military force to protect our country and our citizens from attack or imminent attack. The actions in Syria meets neither of those tests. Kudos to my representative, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), for recognizing that.

Which brings me to comment on what Rep. Peter King (R-NY) said about his Republican colleagues that understand that, calling them isolationists.

“I’m hoping by the time next week comes around and, hopefully, the president can make his case that he will be he able to get a majority of the House of Representatives,” King said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Right now, it would be difficult.” King cited the “increasing isolationist wing” in the Republican Party as a roadblock for passage, saying “it is damaging to the party and to the nation.”

Rep. King is setting himself up to be disappointed. “Hopefully” the president can make his case, he says. He either makes it, or he doesn’t. The Constitution is your guide Mr. King. It’s not about the party, like everything that guides the President. It’s about the country and the Constitution.

Our military is not to be used for

  • ego building
  • covering for flippant comments by the President
  • enforcing international law
  • punishing bad heads of state when they kill their own citizens
  • being the world’s police
  • being a custodian for a country involved in a civil war.

Our military is for protecting our people, and our country. By your standard, the Constitution is isolationist. And that’s not by accident. Resign if you can’t see fit to fulfill your oath to defend it. But at the very least, don’t disparage anyone that takes their oath, and the Constitution, seriously.

I like Rep. King, but he’s beginning to show signs of (JMS), John McCain Syndrome.

Link: Members of Congress Doubt Syria Resolution Will Pass.

Middle East, Politics

Commander-in-Weak, Rose Garden Performance

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, Secretary of State John Kerry (who served in Vietnam) gave a bold speech about a military strike in Syria to punish the Assad regime for ostensibly carrying out the chemical weapon attack outside Damascus last week, to hopefully deter them from using them again, and to hold them accountable.  The world was abuzz about an impending attack within hours or days.

SYRIA-CRISIS-OBAMA-Walter

Today, the Valerie Jarrett wing of the White House set the stage for President Obama to perform in the Rose Garden to say how he has made up his mind to teach the Syrian regime a lesson, and now is willing to wait until Congress gets back from vacation, Sept 9, 2013, to make his case to them. This, after saying he could act without their consent. In the same 24 hour time period, the crises went from “will take” to “should take” military action. Yet, there is no urgency to call a special session of Congress to handle the “crisis.”

Keeping in mind that he still did not make a compelling case that our security interest are in jeopardy that would need military action inside Syria. Instead, he is hanging on to the notion that the United States has to be the policeman of the world and custodian of a country deeply involved in a civil war. That’s not in our Constitution.

Result? Israel and every other ally of the United States knows that we, and they, are dealing with an amateur as a head of state. One that can’t be trusted. First by the show, and that’s what the Rose Garden performance was. A show. Standing at the podium and looking over, and speaking to, trees and Secret Service Agents in a raised voice. You know, like he does in college campus auditoriums and union halls. With his trusty side-kick, VP Joe Biden, at his side.

And for all that he said, it could have been done from the Oval Office, in a calm and normal voice, to announce that he recognizes he should consult with congress and that’s why he is calling them back from their summer vacation to deal with this important matter. In fact, he wouldn’t have needed any cameras. Just a press release announcing his decision to get congress in gear. At least that way he would not have come off as a Commander-in-Weak.

Makes one wonder whether Sec. Kerry is part of the same administration? Would like to know how much “in the loop” he’s feeling today.

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

Obama’s “Intelligence” On Syria Is The Muslim Brotherhood

When Sec. of State John (Lurch) Kerry made the case for an attack on Syria, the sources guiding his judgement were that of the Arab League, the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation), and Turkey. All Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers or affiliates.

In Sec. of State John Kerry’s statement . . .

The world is speaking out. And many friends stand ready to respond. The Arab League pledged, quote, “to hold the Syrian regime fully responsible for this crime.” The Organization for Islamic Cooperation condemned the regime and said we needed, quote, “to hold the Syrian government legally and morally accountable for this heinous crime. Turkey said there is no doubt that the regime is responsible.

Right, those friends.

So it should come as no surprise why the President has lost his coalition, and why the President is still talking about a military action in Syria.

When asked if the Arab League is advocating military action in Syria, Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Arabi told the BBC that they aren’t advocating it openly, but . . .

“Maybe it is in our minds that someone would do that but we would like the Security Council to take charge,” Mr el-Arabi said.

What they considered might happen “would be something of a limited scope”, he told the BBC’s Bethany Bell, in Cairo.

Using the rest of the same talking points as President Obama and Sec. of State Kerry, el-Arabi also said the strike would “hopefully” prevent future use of chemical weapons, and punish those who used them.

http://youtu.be/9RVEngLwSNQ

So who do you suppose that “someone” would be? The United States of course. The President is the only one on the planet talking about military action against Syria. He helped the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, sacrificed our Ambassador and three other Americans in Lybia to alQaeda, and still doing the bidding, or wanting to, of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria.

That chemical weapons were used is no longer a question. But watch el-Arabi squirm when asked what evidence the Arab League has that the Assad regime was the party that used them. Secretary of State Kerry says unequivocally that it was the Syrian government that used the WMD outside Damascus. OK, but look at the way President Obama said it, wordsmith that he is, when interviewed by PBS . . .

“We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out,” Obama said during an interview with PBS’ NewsHour. “And if that’s so, then there need to be international consequences.”

So what’s the “And if that’s so” all about? Nevermind that even if Syria did do it, it wasn’t upon the U.S.. It was on their own people. And sorry as that is, it does not raise to the level of harming our national interest in any way, shape, or form. Again, we’re not the world’s policeman and civil-war-country custodian.

For The White House to still, after all that’s happened in Egypt, be listening and catering to the Muslim Brotherhood says volumes on how naive and dangerous President Obama is to our national security interests.

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

Egypt, Middle East, Politics, Religion, Saudi Arabia, War On Terror

Egypt Arrests Muslim Brotherhood Leader, Obama Dumbfounded

Egyptian security forces have arrested the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, pressing a crackdown on his group. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates know who the enemy is, and have already sent over $12 Billion to support Egypt’s military, who is taking the fight to them. The U.S. position under obama_surrenderPresident Obama? Undecided.

He won’t say releasing Mubarak, who he help to overthrow, is good. But does say that Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood) should be released. Won’t say a peep about the war on Christians in Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood. Where Egypt’s neighbors have stepped up financial support to Egypt’s military to take the fight to the ‘Hood, to the tune 10 times what the U.S. was committed to, Obama finds himself on the wrong side of the fight, if for no other reason than not being in the fight.

What we have here is the Nobel Peace prize recipient who manages to make the United States the laughing-stock of the world while at the same time alienating the United States from our friends and allies in the region.

If there’s anything more the President could do to make the United States irrelevant on the world stage, I’d like to hear it. For the first time in his Presidency, he has finally come upon an instance where ‘voting present’ isn’t an option, and he hasn’t the courage to take a stand. It’s what ‘leading from behind’ gets us.

via Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader Badie: state media – Yahoo! News.

Egypt, Middle East, War On Terror

This Ain’t No Tiananmen Square

Watch as a Muslim Brotherhood dude gets shot. I think he was violating a curfew. The military, the ones in “control” now, didn’t want the “Day of Rage” going on, or the Coptic Christians from being raped, tortured, and killed and their churches burned down.

Since this nut wasn’t killing an infidel, I don’t think he qualifies for 72 virgins.

There’s roughly 600 of the Muslim Brotherhood now killed. Some by the military, and the rest by the Egyptian citizens. 2400 to go to reach parity with 9/11/2001. obama_surrender

Any bets how long it will take for 3000 Muslim Brotherhood to reach room temperature? Is Las Vegas or Atlantic City laying odds on this? Oh yeah, I feel compassion. For the victims of 9/11/2001. Not for these dirty people.

Media, Middle East, Politics, War On Terror

No “Stand Your Ground” For U.S. Embassies

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The news this weekend is all about the United States closing 22 embassies in the Middle East. Two things are clear. Make that three.

surrender_white_flag

alQaeda is on the run. But not in the direction we’ve been led to believe.

The lesson learned from 9/11/2012 seems to be, instead of defending our interests, you retreat. They win. We lose.

The third thing is, which seems to be lost in all the hoopla, is the way the administration is handling this incident that is yet to obama_surrenderhappen. An incident that, arguably, is best dealt with in private, not in public. They have signaled to the enemy that they’ve already won. Without a single shot being fired. At the same time, they’ve told the enemy that their electronic communications were intercepted, losing our intel on the two terrorist leaders. It clearly demonstrates that this administration has absolutely no will to take the fight to this enemy. Even when they deliver it to us. And is willing to sacrifice national security for political cover.

That the administration would weaken their hand with all this pre-emptive transparency to the enemy, seems more than a little politically motivated when we still get no transparency on what happened nearly a year ago in Benghazi.