Obama and the Arab Winter

by Sam Huntington

The very last thing we need at this stage is a president who demonstrates an astonishing lack of understanding about terrorism and the so-called “Arab Spring.” Very close to the last thing is a CIA Director who is an admitted convert to Islam, which was part of a campaign by foreign agents to infiltrate the U. S. government.

But, that’s where we are … thanks to a grossly uninformed voting public.

While it is true the president is capable of mouthing the words, his words have a hallow ring. Contrary to what Obama told us during his State of the Union speech, no one appreciates the courage and sacrifice of those who serve when one embarks on policies that embolden terrorists to try harder, or to exude patience that will ultimately allow them to win the war. The Benghazi terrorists must be laughing themselves silly, and there is every indication that al-Qaeda is gaining in power and influence in Libya and in Mali. What may have begun as a fight against injustice—which pretty much describes Islamic life, has now transformed into a power grab. President Obama and his inept Secretary of State deserve most of the credit for this; Little Commie Kerry is no improvement.

By all means, let us place this discussion into a proper context. Tunisia has a secular tradition. It boasts a well-educated population and economic stability through a notable middle class. One would think that Tunisia was far better equipped to handle the quest for justice; anyone thinking that would be wrong. The election of the fundamentalist al-Nahda party illustrated what we might have anticipated in Egypt and Libya. Well, I suppose there is a caveat: when might have anticipated it under other than an incompetent president and Secretary of State.

No one in this administration can regard Egypt a foreign policy success. We essentially supported a regime that guaranteed instability in government, we have compounded the problem by kissing the not-so-rosy derrieres of the Moslem Brotherhood, and we have even guaranteed future failures by offering up our most sophisticated military technology to a regime of terrorists. It is almost comic that in spite of Obama bending over for maximum effect, Mohammed Morsi is now in bed with China and a designated terrorist organization: Hamas.

Well, okay —so is John Brennan, but …

The only way to describe Libya is “utter disaster.” America’s diplomatic incompetence in this nation has Libyans muttering to themselves, “Well, I suppose Muammar Gadhafi wasn’t that bad…” Did Obama or Clinton do a single thing to help stabilize the country after propelling it into revolutionary uncertainty? No. In fact, we are torn between these two possibilities: either American diplomatic incompetence assured us of Libyan instability, or it was all part of America’s long-range plan.

If left untreated, cancer spreads … which adequately describes Obama foreign policy. Now we are confronted with more instability in Mali and Algeria; if Morocco has any sense, they will place their entire army on its eastern border and shoot anyone approaching their border that speaks Arabic.

Meanwhile, Syria continues to thumb its nose as the “free world,” and we have not seen a single enlightened Moslem stepping up to the plate to propose a solution to this problem. Why should they? The desert tribes have been at one another’s throat for the past 3,000 years. Still, we wonder if any of the sheiks have asked, “Why does Russia and Iran think it is in their interests to support Bashar al-Assad?” Possibly because even in the midst of all this carnage —some 60,000 dead so far— Russia and Iran understand that al-Assad is a useful tool against regional stability. Within the morass of Syrian civil war, terrorist organizations such as the al-Nusra Front and al-Qaeda ensure Syria’s instability and the success of their agenda.

The Syrian civil conflict is a war for the hearts and minds of people devoid of hearts and minds; it is a perfect situation for both Russia and Iran, particularly with an Obama presidency. Mr. Obama is content to stand in the background; one of his thumbs is unaccounted for.

So here we are now, in the Arab Winter. And by golly if Secretary Clinton didn’t present Commie Kerry with the gift that keeps on giving. All he has to do for the next four years is shrug his shoulders and proclaim, “Hey … I inherited all this crap from Hillary Clinton; she bunged it up so bad, there is no solution.”  And, as a demonstration of how little regard the Russians have for the Obama administration, Russia's foreign minister steadfastly refuses to return Commie Kerry's phone calls.

Which brings us to this conclusion: the United States does not have a viable foreign policy for the Middle East. Even worse, our maladroit diplomatic leadership guarantees that every single event during the post-Arab spring era will be a disaster for American interests in that region.  The proposition offered by Hal Colebatch appears correct: our ship of state is being driven by Phillip Queeg, a man who has no business being placed in command of anything so important as the American presidency.