Obama on Middle East Policy

Obama granted his first interview as America's first half-white President to Al Arabiya. Of note in the AP News article and Yahoo News article is his opinion on America's past involvement in the Middle East. Obama would like to have "that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that." Obama believes this can happen as long as we listen "because all too often the United States starts by dictating." He also believes this can be achieved through "mutual respect and mutual interest" and goes on to list his upbringing in Indonesia and his relatives that are Muslim.

Let's first ask ourselves, what type of relationship did we have with the Muslim world in the last 30 years. In 1979 Islamic radicals disposed the Shah of Iran and held 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days in the US Embassy. In 1983 Lebanese Terrorists bombed a barracks in Beirut killing 241 American Servicemen. In 1993, 18 U.S. Servicemen were killed in Mogadishu, Somalia. Also in 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed, killing six people. In 1996 the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia were bombed, killing 19 U.S. Servicemen. In 1998 our Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed killing 12 Americans and hundreds of foreigners. In 2000 the USS Cole was bombed in the Yemeni port of Aden, killing 17 U.S. Servicemen. Culminating with the September 11, 2001 Terrorist attacks that brought down the WTC, and the attacks in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. killing in all approximately 3,000 Americans. This list of attacks on American targets doesn't even begin to take into account the attacks on Western targets in general.

Does one infer that "mutual respect" is one sided like it's always been, in that we make sure to never offend the Muslims and just transfer our wealth via buying their oil and allow them to carry out attacks on our installations and do nothing like during the Clinton Administration? After all, we practically have the same Administration under Obama and I'm sure the advice will be similar. Even his Middle East Envoy, George Mitchell, is the same guy appointed by Bill Clinton to find out what caused the Intifada in 2000. George Mitchell equally blamed both the Israelis and Palestinians. Big surprise in this Anti-Semitic world.

Which brings up one last statement from Obama regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "'I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people,' he said, calling for a Palestinian state that is contiguous with internal freedom of movement and can trade with neighboring countries."

In every Israeli-Palestinian conflict we witness indiscriminate killing of Israeli Civilians and Israeli reprisals against Palestinian Terrorists like Hamas and Fatah. The ones who desire "prosperity" and "peace" are not the ones indiscriminately killing Civilians. Actions speak a thousand words, and when the Palestinians continually walk away from Palestinian Statehood, it's obvious they don't want "prosperity" and "peace" but temporary breaks in violence in order to continue their attacks against Israel at a future time. Also, I can't believe that Obama would want a Palestinian state that is contiguous. I hope that's a misstatement, or Bushism, because the West Bank and Gaza are not connected, therefore how does he propose creating a contiguous state without Israel dividing itself in half?

I believe this interview was just another taste of the naivete of this Administration regarding anything beyond Community Organizing and making sure that Abortion is available to everyone, including foreigners. I have a solution though, if Abortion is a good thing like Democrats want us to believe, then bring it to Gaza and the West Bank, and help fight future Terrorism at the same time.