Obama’s show of weakness
Obama’s show of weakness, Israel Hayom, Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi, October 1, 2015
The U.S. has been relegated to dragging its feet in a trail blazed by the Russian leader, as Washington is left to practically beg Moscow for a seat at the table where Assad’s fate will be determined.
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U.S. President Barack Obama’s address to the U.N. General Assembly on Monday was his worst and most embarrassing yet. Despite the fact that it has been seven years since he was elected president, it seems Obama has yet to learn anything from his growing list of failures, especially when it comes to foreign policy.
Obama continues to naively preach about the importance of traditional diplomacy and broad international cooperation as a prerequisite to conflict resolution; and he does so despite the fact that his decision to prematurely withdraw American troops from Iraq, compounded by his aversion to putting boots on the ground in Syria, have done nothing but breed violence, fanaticism and radical Islamism in the Middle East.
Against the backdrop of the bloody conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Obama delivered a disconnected and utterly surreal speech before the U.N., lauding democracy and international agreements, even deficient, hollow ones, like the nuclear deal with Iran.
Beyond the sanctimonious sermon to nations and movements without any loyalty to the principles of Western democracy, Obama’s speech lacked any new message. On the contrary — he essentially legitimized Russia’s military presence in Syria, and the pivotal role Moscow has appropriated in the region due to American inaction against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
This inexcusable failure, which followed Washington’s acquiescence in allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin become the new mediator in the chemical warfare crisis in Syria in 2013, has afforded Moscow a coveted opportunity to become a major player in the Middle East, one shaping a new political and security reality.
The U.S. has been relegated to dragging its feet in a trail blazed by the Russian leader, as Washington is left to practically beg Moscow for a seat at the table where Assad’s fate will be determined.
Indeed, if you strip the envelope of democracy vs. dictatorship from Obama’s speech, it becomes more than evident that he is not only willing to foster partnerships with tyrants and oppressive regimes, but also that the dispute between the White House and the Kremlin over Syria is marginal, as it focuses on Assad’s status in the new political order that will be forged in Syria once the fighting subsides.
The American Gulliver, it seems, is coming to terms with the end of the single-world power hegemony. While the Russian military airlift to Syria continues in full swing, Obama is content with philosophical reflections on the desired nature of the new world order, yielding to the new balance of power emerging in the war-torn country.
One can only lament the fact that the U.S. president’s incomprehensible weakness only undermines the very democratic dream he himself has outlined.
This was evident in the meeting between Obama and Putin following their respective U.N. addresses. Despite Obama’s desire to give his Russian counterpart the cold shoulder, the fact the he declared before dozens of world leaders that the U.S. has “no desire to return to a cold war” took the sting out of his message.
This was nothing but an attempt at damage control over the harm caused to the U.S.’s prestige and status in the global theater by drawing new red lines to limit Russia’s operation in the Middle East. The problem is that we already know how blurry those red lines are when it comes to Syria.
Explore posts in the same categories: Assad, Diplomacy, Dishonor, Foreign policy, Iran scam, Iranian proxies, Islamic State, Obama - Middle East, Obama's foreign failures, Obama's legacy, Putin, Russia, United NationsTags: Assad, Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, Iran Scam, Iranian proxies, Islamic State, Obama's foreign failures, Obama's legacy, Putin, Russia, United Nations
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WarSclerotic 
October 1, 2015 at 7:03 PM
Forget Obama.,..look at the entire UN:
Chilling, for lack of a better word. – LS
October 1, 2015 at 7:50 PM
Blame not President Obama solely- the American electorate voted for him and his political promises and message.Voted for him twice.I would hazard to guess Obama is not the only one calling the shots on his supposedly foreign policy.There are also very powerful interests behind the scenes as well that are not necessarily from the government.
October 1, 2015 at 8:37 PM
Carlos, 58.2% of eligible voters voted in the 2012 presidential election. Of that, 51.1% voted for Obama. Therefore, only 29.74% of the registered voters in the US voted for Obama in 2012. Many factors came into play in that election, but the biggest was the fact that the GOP conservative base felt alienated and did not vote. Obama’s perceived popularity was not so pronounced and played a much smaller role in this election than the media would have you believe.
October 1, 2015 at 10:22 PM
still a voters problem .,
And would that change in 14 months ?
And what are the miracle alternatives under the sociopaths running for president ? ?
October 1, 2015 at 11:03 PM
Agree.
October 1, 2015 at 10:30 PM
‘Russia kills US-backed Syrian rebels in second day of air strikes as Iran prepares for ground offensive’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11903702/Russias-Vladimir-Putin-launches-strikes-in-Syria-on-Isil-to-US-anger-live-updates.html
Iran moving up its ground forces in Syria in preparation for an attack under the cover of Russian air strikes. Hizbollah is being prepared to capitalize on the strikes. – LS
October 1, 2015 at 11:02 PM
If the axis of evil succeeds with the offensive denoted above-the next stop will be Jordan,Saudis,and the rest of the Gulf states.They will leave Israel for last contingent upon their successes.
October 1, 2015 at 11:19 PM
Good point Carlos, but I wonder, will their soldiers be willing to die in defense of their respective countries?