Winning Friends – Losing Allies
Conservative Blog Post for September 30 – advance copy
Winning Friends – Losing Allies
President Obama made a triumphant speech to the UN last week setting forth His vision for the role of the international body. Several other speechmakers also provided their vision as well. Lunatic dictators from Libya and Iran took turns disgracing the UN podium with incoherent diatribes. But, since no nation is better than another, President Obama surely took notice of their comments. Then when it came time for friends to speak, Obama took a powder.
Benjamin Netanyahu – Israel’s PM – gave the speech most Americans wish a US President would give – calling out the UN for its tolerance of observable nut cases and world terrorist leaders. And French President Sarkozy gave US citizens a reason to start eating real French Fries again – informing the US President that there are immediate nuclear crises to be dealt with and reminding the slogan President that we still live in a real world – not a virtual one. Obama took notice and announced His trip to Copenhagen.
Nations constantly shift alliances. The current turn is concerning. Obama, in His naïve attempt to engage lunatic terrorist leaders has alienated reliable friends and made European democracies shake their heads in disbelief. That disbelief was palpable to anyone listening to Sarkozy’s delivery. If the French can’t believe in US resolve, they must make preparations to stand on their own in the face of potential radical Muslim attacks. Should Iran acquire an atomic device, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine Iran ginning up threats to Paris based on securing power for Muslims already living elsewhere in France. They have done this with Palestine; they will do it in Europe. And without a US missile shield, the French are left wide open.
Israel of course, is quite concerned about Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb. Iranian leaders have repeatedly expressed their belief that Israel should be wiped off the map. Unlike Obama and US liberals, Israel has learned to take lunatics at their word. The Jewish state has got to be planning for some kind of military operation of its own to prevent the inevitable Iranian acquisition of weapons that could wipe out its entire population.
It must be lost on the Obama administration that any Iranian attack with a nuclear device would result in Israeli destruction of a great deal of the Middle East and Central Asia including probably Damascus. Why the Obama administration isn’t taking Iranian threats more seriously is a dangerous mystery. Talking – the preferred Obama methodology for handling terrorists – is also the preferred Iranian method. This gives them time to complete their work.
The only option Obama and the US have is to threaten immediate military action to execute regime change. But since the Mullahs believe Obama will never act proactively; this won’t carry any weight without an immediate naval embargo. The Iranians can ship oil to Russia and China if they want, but all sea-borne imports/exports should be forcibly ended. This kind of unilateral action would at least get the lunatic’s attention. It would also get the attention of the Iranian resistance and the attention of the Revolutionary Guards – many of whom don’t want to face a trained and experienced military force. A credible threat of force would stiffen the spines of those wanting to overthrow the oligarchy.
The only real hope for ending the Iran crisis short of a military confrontation is not in some foggy sanction policy that Russia and China are sure to make ineffective. Rather it is in making the Iranians believe that the US is serious. Unfortunately, President Obama has perfectly laid the groundwork for exactly the opposite opinion.
Receiving terrorists at the UN and now agreeing to high level talks with the Castro regime in Cuba has freed Libya, Iran and any other medieval terrorist group from the threat of serious American reaction. Sure, the President signed the execute order to take out a couple tents and a terrorist in Somalia a couple weeks ago, but those are small potatoes. Obama’s outreach to the world’s terrorists – without precondition – has enabled the terrorists and made them stronger, while causing our allies to plan for their own safety independently – leading a much more dangerous situation with multiple nations acting in their individual self interest. This is what happens when the superpower abdicates the role of moral world leadership. The world isn’t made safer – it is now much more dangerous.
Israel should do what it can to save itself in advance of its arch enemy acquiring the ability to destroy the Jewish state. Israel should also forge a new military alliance with as many European neighbors as it can – as those neighbors are likely to be more supportive should another Middle East war break out.
The 1968 Six Day war was fought with French arms and aircraft – after the French had cut off arms re-supply. Israel must re-form that bond in the interest of self and European defense. The French at least seem to understand that Israel is the front line of defense for western civilization. Muslim radicals don’t want to overrun only Jerusalem – they want Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome and London as well. As much as the radicals would like to knock off America, they will target Europe first.
Obama seems to be paving that road for them.