BTC Obama Update: Obama Administration’s Ominous Vibes

Just over six weeks into the President Barack ObamaBarack Obama administration, we have witnessed more change than many feared. Some of these changes have even begun to affect the Obama voters who are beginning to show signs of buyer’s remorse. One thing about buyer’s remorse, it falls in the too little too late category. The good side is that hopefully when 2012 comes around, these people won’t be fooled again. Also from the Who’s Baba O’Reilly song, “Meet the new boss. Just like the old boss,” is only partially true. Of course, some wish there was more of a similarity with the Bush administration, as the new directions this administration is taking are very troubling.

Probably the most troubling activity of the President has been his selection for Cabinet and Advisory posts and other foreign policy decisions. President Obama’s recent snubbing of Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon BrownGordon Brown was simply embarrassing. President Obama’s attempt to elicit cooperation from the Russian government by offering to stop the implementation of our European missile defense system in exchange for their assist in preventing Iran’s nuclear weapon efforts was rejected with an in your face slam from the Russian President Medvedev. Another instance of acting like a naive, sophomoric, inept foreign policy novice. This is just more thought free actions that we are going to have to adjust to as they seem to be our new President’s forte. These gaffs are a straight line from his first weeks in office where he made his first foreign contact with a call to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his first aired interview was a pleading missive on Arab satellite station Al Arabiya.

On the appointment front, it seems a prerequisite for appointment to a Cabinet position is to be derelict in some form of tax responsibility. A slightly less obvious requirement is a preference for supporting the Muslim and Arab world against Israel. The latest of these appointments was Charles Freeman for the position of Chairman of the NIC (National Intelligence Council). One of the responsibilities of this position is to compile and edit the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) that determines the directions and priorities for our nation’s foreign policy. Some of whom have already approved by the Senate and are troubling names; Susan Rice as Ambassador to the United Nations, George MitchellGeorge Mitchell as US Middle East Envoy, Eric Holder for Attorney General, Richard C. Holbrooke to be special representative and will be responsible for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Samantha PowerSamantha Power as Senior Foreign Policy Advisor, Dennis Ross as special Foreign Envoy to the Middle East, and finally Richard Haass and Zbigniew BrzezinskiZbigniew Brzezinski have been given advisory roles. A quick Internet search will reveal the biases and alignment with troubling entities for these choices. Many are either pro-China, Pro-Saudi, Pro-Arabist, and or pro-Russia in their views. Most of these and many of the other President Obama’s picks are from the “realist” camp of foreign policy. I have personally found the “realist” view to be anything but realistic, but isn’t that the norm for titles given policies and positions in today’s political world.

The recent agitating in favor of the Kadima candidate for Israeli Prime Minister, Tzipi LivniTzipi Livni, against Likud’s Bibi Netanyahu wasn’t even disguised and simply over the top. This was followed by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s visit to the Middle East where she announced nearly one billion dollars for the rebuilding of the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip after Israel’s recent military intervention to end the missile attacks on its territory. Secretary Clinton also was emphatic in her stating that a Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its Capitol was inevitable and the Israelis and their government would just have to adjust accordingly. So much for support for our ally Israel.

The latest abhorrently misdirected policies expressed by President Obama are his desire to include Iran in meetings concerning Afghanistan, wanting for our military to find moderate representatives of the Taliban with whom we can negotiate, seemingly not all that concerned about the imminent breakout ability of Iran to manufacture nuclear weapons, lifting sanctions off of Syria along with strong indications that the United States will force the return of the Golan Heights by Israel, and the arming of Lebanon’s military with new top of the line weapons that will actually go straight to Hezballah. When putting all the events pertaining to our new Middle East policy together one finds a near total reversal of policy. This does not bode well for those Americans who support Israel as this does not seem to be anything more than superficial, empty lip service. Add this to our apparent moves to surrender through negotiations with the Taliban, avoid any definitive steps to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, disregarding that Hezballah currently rules Lebanon, and the premature abandonment of Iraq.

Beyond the Cusp