It has become painfully clear that the Obama administration is inept on foreign affairs. I wondering where the Obama administration stand on the uprising in Egypt? Are they still standing with the terrorist group Hezbollah or has something changed? Maybe if he bowed to them or badmouths American foreign policy some more it will all go away? I'm still trying to figure out what Obama's foreign policy is? If you ask me he has just adopted the Bush foreign policies and added some weak groveling and submissions of American greatness. It seems that the Obama plan isn't working so well if you just look at the state of the world today. Since we don't have a clear idea of where the President stands on Egypt I'd like to know what you think he should do and where he should stand on this unraveling friend of ours? How would a strong leader act under this defining moment? Just remember what G.W.Bush's foreign policy did to his approval rating.
Lebanese and foreign media labeled the incident a “show of force” by Hezbollah, the Shiite political party and militia that brought down the Lebanese government two weeks ago. While Hezbollah’s media office coyly refused to confirm that the group had dispatched the black-clad men, one party official told a Lebanese newspaper: “This was just a small message to show that the time for talk is over.”
ReplyDeleteA day earlier, an international prosecutor issued the first indictment in the case that has set off Lebanon’s latest political crisis: a United Nations tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. While the charges remain sealed, Hezbollah leaders have acknowledged that they expect several party members to be indicted.
For months, Hezbollah has tried to discredit the tribunal, casting doubt on its evidence and witnesses. The group also pressured Saad Hariri — the slain leader’s son who was named prime minister in November 2009 — to end Lebanese cooperation with the tribunal and publicly reject its findings. Backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, the younger Hariri refused to disavow the investigation.
As the indictment neared, Hezbollah and its allies withdrew from the cabinet on Jan. 12, leading to the government’s collapse. Hariri became a caretaker prime minister, and Lebanese President Michel Suleiman was required to consult members of Parliament before appointing a new premier. Hariri’s supporters, who thought they had a slight majority in Parliament, vowed that they would only accept his return as prime minister.
But Hezbollah outmaneuvered Hariri and undermined his parliamentary majority, partly through the militia’s “show of force” last week. Hezbollah’s message was clear to most Lebanese: the tribunal has international support and the authority to issue indictments, but the real power lies on the streets of Lebanon — and Hezbollah dominates that arena with its overwhelming military superiority. The group was also sending a signal to Hariri, that support from the United States and other Western powers will not translate into a new reality on the streets.
In May 2008, Hezbollah proved its military might when it dispatched hundreds of heavily armed fighters into the largely Sunni areas of West Beirut. They quickly routed Sunni militiamen, seized their political offices and shut down media outlets owned by Hariri. At the time, Lebanon was in the midst of another long political stalemate, and Hezbollah acted in response to a government decision outlawing the militia’s underground fiber-optic communication network.
In recent weeks, Hezbollah has used the implicit threat of force and renewed sectarian conflict to persuade some Lebanese leaders that only it can offer stability. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a mercurial politician who had been allied with Hariri since 2005, announced last week that his parliamentary bloc would support Hezbollah’s candidate for prime minister. Jumblatt’s decision doomed Hariri.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah’s candidate — Najib Mikati, a Sunni billionaire who served as premier for three months in 2005 — secured a majority among lawmakers. Mikati won 68 votes, compared to 60 votes for Hariri. Mikati will now be tasked with forming a government, which could take weeks or even months. His selection set off protests across Lebanon by Hariri supporters, who called for a “day of rage.”
Each Lebanese faction accuses the other of serving external masters. Indeed, Lebanon is part of an ongoing proxy war in the region — pitting Iran and Syria (which support Hezbollah and its allies) against the United States, Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab regimes (which back Hariri and his coalition of Sunni and Christian parties).
This should come as a warning to all those leaders that has chosen to give their country's people fake instead of real leadership. The Tony Blair's and George Bush's type of leadership days are over. "You can fool some people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all of the time." Viva the people of Egypt. Viva the people of Lebanon an Tunisia. Viva Hezbollah. Viva Barack H. Obama. Viva world wide anarchy.
ReplyDeleteViva freedom from greedy scumbags pretending to be leaders. - Willem Mulder, Cape Town, South Africa
Oil and Gold prices surging. You better fill up your gas tank today. Viva America.
ReplyDeleteThis could be a good story line. "Obama apology speech at the University of Cairo Egypt lights the fuss of decent to bring a key US ally to the brink of collapse".
ReplyDeleteFire Coming Out Of Egypt's Ruling Party's Headquarters
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu3Ya2tVy3U
Egyptian Military Moves Onto The Streets Of Cairo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O8Q4s-3FgA
Tanks On The Streets Of Cairo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5h1mBJmkz4
Egyptian Protesters Ignore Military Curfew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNsdbyITK-s
Mark Adams, this is more bush's fault then President Obama's!
A short time ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, making what Al Jazeera called the United States "strongest statement" to date, spoke about the uprising in Egypt and its government's harsh crackdown on its people:
ReplyDeleteClinton's statement comes on a day where protests are escalating across Egypt. A country-wide curfew has been imposed (and ignored), the ruling party's headquarters were engulfed in flames, tanks are rolling after President Mubarak ordered the army into the streets, there are nearly constant "massive explosions" and the sound of shots being fired.
Follow the situation via the Egyptian/Middle East Protests Mothership Diary.
For more information, Nick Baumann at Mother Jones has a good rundown on the issues that led to the events we are seeing today.
And for continuing live coverage -- as long as they're allowed to stay on the air anyway -- from Al Jazeera. This is from the Daily Kos.
Remember this?
ReplyDeleteThe Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Oops! Egypt is anarchy now. That was fast. And Obama didn't even have a clue that this would happen. Oops again!
14:58 post Bad Kool Ade again!
ReplyDeleteYour last sentance I agree with "Obama didn't even have a clue this would happen" Oops again!
Didn't Obama want the power to take control of the internet? I wonder why that is? It's the same thing that Egypt is doing now.
ReplyDeleteHere is Obama response. Pretty pathetic.
ReplyDelete"immediately" address the "legitimate grievances" of protesters surging through the streets, saying it's not too late for President Hosni Mubarak to respond to the unrest with needed political reforms.
OK where was this Obama clown when Americans were yelling in townhalls and at protest rallies, at the Hill when Nancy Pelosi marched past them with that smirch on her face and the gavel in her hand....... We didn't get violent but would that have been the difference?
JHC!
We have to rethink our MIDDLE EAST policy what ever it is when this event comes to a conclusion. Dealing with the Muslem Brother hood will be Quite a trick for Regime and just my opinion they aint going to listen to us.
ReplyDeleteSuez Canal,Oil,Iran,Saudes and Stability in the Middle East is Poof!
Isreal good luck you are going to need it you will more than likely as always be on your OWN! Just my opinion.
Don't forget that Obama called for President Hosni Mubarak to turn the internet back on, while at the same trime he asked for the power to shut ours off. That's got to leave some egg on his face. When else would you ever need the power to take away free speech if not during time like that?
ReplyDeleteYour right AL. I feel bad for Israel right now. It went from being outright scary to terrifing
ReplyDeleteI have watched the demonstrations and so far I have not YET seen OUR flag being burned. Might have just have not seen it. Hell some protest over here the first thingy that goes up in Flames is OUR flag.
ReplyDeleteIf Democracy is the OBJECTIVE I certainly wish them the BEST. Egyptian Citizans will have all TYPES attempting to pull them the other way. If I recall correctly IRAN started out as Demonstrations for Democracy and how'd that work out. Extremist will raise there UGLY head!
Does anyone here have any legitimate gripes, or is it all just partisan talking points?
ReplyDeleteChris, as for a strong leader on foreign policy when has there been one in our lifetimes? Nixon?
Carter was weak, Reagan ran from the middle east, H.W. Bush didn't show much. Clinton was stronger than both Bush's but had his failures too.
I'm personally troubled by what is happening, because we've supported a anti-democracy government out of fear of a potentially more unstable Islamic regime that is elected by the people. And while the current government is a better ally in keeping our interests in order, along with our own safety, it is clearly anti-American to openly support a dictatorship.
Chris, Mark what would you do? I would have to push Mubarak (sic) to create democratic processes that allow more freedoms for all even if that emboldens the anti-American Islamic groups. Better to suffer under what you believe in than succeed under false pretenses i guess.
Joe first off Obama did a speech in Egypt. They have spoken out of both sides of their mouths on Egypt and the Middle East. At this point the Egyptians are turning against Americas stance on standing strong with a dictator and then staying silent when thr riots started. It is odd that right after the Obama admin spoke to Mubarak he went after the rioters with the military and police. The Egyptian people are pissed about that and they should be. It's a trick bag to say the least. But the Obama admin didn't get anything done right yet. Somehow they have managed to make it look like they made things worse not better. The Obama admin. has been in Egypt since day one. To say they had no effect is to only limit the power of the office. The influence of the Obama admin. should be all over this and we will see to what extent later.
ReplyDeleteChris, do you think that doing a speech makes him some how responsible for any of this? Presidents make speeches all over the world.
ReplyDeleteOf course the rioters are pissed. Who wouldn't be. We've supported a dictator for what 30 years.
I'm not sure what you want? If he comes out to hard he castrates Mubarak and allows the Islamic fanatics a free run to legitimacy. If he stays too silent he risks pissing off the rioters because we support a dictator. Either way the fundamentalists won't change their mind about us.
I think the measured tones has been the best approach.