The World from Berlin: 'Obama's Middle East Policy Is in Ruins'

[sysop]

US embassies in the Muslim world were on high alert Friday following days of violent protests against an anti-Islam film. Germany, too, closed several embassies in fear of attacks. Some German commentators argue that the violence shows that Obama's Middle East policies have failed.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...855835,00.html

[StanM]

"Some German commentators argue that the violence shows that Obama's Middle East policies have failed." You think so, Sherlock? What was your first clue?

Actually, BO has no real foreign policy. He has little understanding of events, and little interest, unless it advances his Marxist domestic goals.

[aubreyfarmer]

34). "We shall drive the Christians into war by exploiting
their national vanity and stupidity. They will then massacre
each other, thus giving room for our own people." (Rabbi
Reichorn, in Le Contemporain, July 1st, 1880)

[arhooley]

As an American, I can tell you that these words are essentially wasted except as a warning for how the next four years will go and probably many years beyond. NONE of this matters in the upcoming election, where most Americans will consider one thing and one thing only as they vote: Obama's RACE. They are guilt-tripped into voting for a Black man. In fact, our mainstream press is not even covering his foreign policy shortcomings; they are calling Mitt Romney a racist for criticizing Obama's foreign policy, which will doom Mitt in the polls.

[buckeylee]

Originally Posted by sysop

US embassies in the Muslim world were on high alert Friday following days of violent protests against an anti-Islam film. Germany, too, closed several embassies in fear of attacks. Some German commentators argue that the violence shows that Obama's Middle East policies have failed.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...855835,00.html

I don't know if the policies have failed (and I am NOT an Obama fan at all), I can tell you, as an American, I'm tired of being shit upon by people who's freedom I supported and applauded. The inability to grasp the concept of freedom of speech is appalling. This from the same peoples that were demonstrating for such freedom just a few months ago. The silence for the rest of the the Arab world has, in general, has been deafening. Why should I continue to support change if this is the result. Why support change in Iran if the result will be more of this. Who is there to educate the newly freed Arab masses to the rights and responsibilities of Democracy? Those voices need to speak up now and speak up loudly! I realize that for America to withdraw from the Middle East leaves a vacuum that Russia or China may be happy to fill but either countries want to affiliate with us or they don't. If they don't then don't ask, expect, request or look to America for support.

[mae]

It appears the anti-American habit kicked in immediately.

Now with news coming these mobs were pre-planned for Sep 11 and not spontaneous as it appeared, this article appears to be as bad as the discredited anti-British article about the London olympis before the games even started.

There is a reason why schadenfreude is a German word.

Instead of doing an indepth educative article on the Al Quaeda elements and the extremists Salafists who whipped up this so mob, Der Speigel did its usual lazy journalism to take a swipe at America.

The islamists only won a few seats in the Libyan elections and the secularists got the most number of seats.

And this latest mob attacks are their attempts to get into power through other means. Create unstability, kick the Americas out so that the secular Libyans will be too weak to resist the extremists's violence.

[weggieboy@gmail.com]

As alarming as the scenes shown endlessly on cable television are, and as tragic as the loss of life is, a couple things seem understated: The Libyan consulate attack appears to have been a premeditated action that made use of the controversy stirred up by the ridiculously amateurish and obscene anti-Muslim video, and, the protests look horrific close up for the television, but involved very few people.

The "rule by mob" scenario is a familiar one, as are the obligatory US flag burnings (even if they have to make a comedic facsimile out of a bedsheet!), the combination of which always stirs up American patriotism, that urge to go cowboy on those ungrateful Muslim a*******!

Obama did the right thing, however. Get the facts first, then act. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks. There is a considerable strength of character NOT to take military action every time citizens of unfriendly or unstable countries express their opinions (freedom speech, eh!?) in general mayhem on the streets and against American diplomatic posts and citizens. They soil their own nest.

America will survive a little tweak, maybe even a well-deserved one, from time to time. Murder of our diplomats and diplomatic staff rest on the souls of those responsible, as do those of the demonstrators killed in protests that are so misdirected and unfocused that they condemn the actions of an Egyptian conman and some anti-Muslim moneymen as actions of the US Government and 312,000,000 Americans, most of whom would laugh at this stupid little film (it's so poorly produced and so obviously the product of ignorant and intolerant people) if it hadn't had such terrific and tragic results.

Earlier comments suggest a smug satisfaction that this happened to American interests. (Shadenfreude for sure!)The right wing supporters of Romney see Obama as a bumbler; I see Romney as "not presidential" in the way he barged in to condemn Obama before he- Romney- knew the facts. Shoot then aim: You Europeans ALWAYS have problems with US presidents like that, the Ronald Reagans, the George Bushes, our "cowboy presidents", so I was surprised Obama didn't get a little credit for his measured response to this mess. Seriously, you don't want to have to deal with a Romney presidency, do you?!

[titus_norberto]

The US goes to war too easily without thinking on the consequences and worst, with a clear definition of objectives, pragmatic criteria of failure and success and a get-out strategy in both cases.

Take for instance the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, the immoral aim was achieved at the cost of a virtual war with Pakistan, neither a clever planning nor execution to say the least if we compare taking into account the relation of forces and difficulty with Otto Skorzeny's rescue of Mussolini.

When Kissinger was asked in a famous interview about the reasons for invading Iraq for the second time considering that Saddam Hussein was not connected with Sep 11, he cynically answered: “because Afghanistan was not enough”.

Well, a major war in the antipodes needs a better reason than that, vendetta, Kissinger’s explanation was not enough… Especially considering that he is an experienced “trouble-shutter” sorting-out the major American disaster post WW II, Vietnam…

Another problem is that one president starts a war, Bush Jr. for instance and another has to finish it, Obama.

This is not a minor issue, the delicate process of finishing a war successfully is far more difficult that starting it. Note that Bush Snr. adopted a well calculated balanced strategy after invading Iraq the first time, especially considering the ending of the war. Bush Jr. started a full blown conflict with no true motives and no exit strategy even in the case of complete victory.

The conclusion is that the “world leader” in weapons is totally irresponsible in both military and also financially, and the prospect is even worse, Obama have shown that he cannot even close Guantanamo Cuba, let alone finishing wars responsibly, and Romney thinks that John Wayne’s “wanted dead or alive” will magically sort-out all the problems…

Not a pretty picture to say the least.

[Gold4]

Getting Christians put away is the plan for the next four years. The psychology does not like God. They teach to deny for love. God is not that way. You need to realize America does not hire in God's name any longer. We are in a new management.