Then again, a lot of official Canada is still crazy

I just posted that some of Canada's official government is acknowledging it's own wrong-doing. But clearly that is a localized phenomena that the Liberal government will undoubtedly try to correct.  

Evidence? Netanyahu is 100% right in his rebuke of Canada (and France).  Embassy staff were murdered in cold blood. How can Canada's leadership be so stupid as to not give that full-throated condemnation? 

Apologizer in Chief

In case you hadn't heard, the Middle East seems to be collapsing into an Islamist utopia where Americans serve as pinatas and violence is the norm.  Tunisia, Egypt and Libya all are disturbingly ill at ease.

As Americans gathered Tuesday to mark the eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, angry Muslims stormed the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, killing four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. Similar attacks had occurred hours earlier at the U.S. embassy in Egypt and now there are reports that Muslims in Algeria and Tunisia are being called on to carry out similar attacks.

To say the president has reacted poorly, and politically to the entire situation is an understatement. The apologizer in chief, has stayed true to form and Iranian hostage crisis 2.0 is warming up.

Is it possible to learn from history? Apparently not if you are an American president determined to win the love of the Islamic world. Over 33 years ago, Islamist rioters stormed an American embassy. U.S. sovereignty was violated and hostages were taken. The immediate response from America, though, was conciliatory–as if those who had insulted the United States could be convinced to think better of their target if those who had just been attacked made enough apologies. The result was the Iran hostage crisis that helped bring down the administration of Jimmy Carter. You might think American diplomats would have learned the lessons of Carter’s Iran debacle but judging by the statement issued today by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, perhaps that chapter of history is no longer considered required reading in the age of Obama.

Whether Obama can distance himself from an embassy's apology is not as important as the fact that he has set the tone with his behavior with allies and enemies alike and even dating back to his apology tour of the Middle East.  Lost in all of this appears to be Obama's snub of Netanyahu recently vis-a-vis Iran.

Let's all pretend Obama is tough now.

Yes, I'm this great.

Let's assume for the sake of discussion that President Obama's new found toughness is real and not a re-election tactic designed to fool semi-aware voters. Even if he is suddenly a tough guy, it doesn't make his foreign policy and foreign relations effort any less inept.  But that won't stop the White House and a complicit press from trying to spin the yarn about a tough guy President - an image they feel he needs for re-election in 2012.

Netenyahu: Radical Islam is World's Greatest Danger

Speaking at the 12th world conference of Russian-speaking press in Tel-Aviv, the Israeli Prime Minister had this to say;

“Most of world terrorism originates in radical Islam,” he said, adding that the greatest danger humanity faces is if the most fanatical and violent ideology attains the most destructive tool of terrorism possible – nuclear arms.

“The greatest tragedies to befall the Jewish, Russian and Ukrainian people, occurred when they did not recognize danger in time. I expect all peace-seeking nations to join hands to stop evil,” Netanyahu said.

Contrast that with Eric Holder, who can not only not admit that, but he can't even bring himself to say "radical Islam".

Israel is right

Israel is right about settlements and the Obama White House is in a snit over an apparent diplomatic slight. Get over it guys! Israel has far greater concerns than Joe biden or Hilary Clinton, especially since the current administration has displayed animus towards Israel almost since day one.

Quick Post: Predicting the Netanyahu Speech

Next week Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, a national defense hawk, will be giving a speech on strategic direction for Israel. Will his position become more conciliatory because of Obama's Mideast trip and speeches?


Short answer - No. President Obama was overseas for 6 days and didn't bother to stop in Israel. Israel, unlike the United States is directly and immediately threatened by the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran (not that the US isn't endangered too). Netanyahu has been scolded to stop the settlements. The President has positioned himself as being a different President and more willing to impose on Israel to secure peace than any President since Jimmy Carter. Already Saudi Arabia is all over that opportunity, asking Obama to impose his ideas for a Mideast peace solution on Israel.

Obama's actions have not made existence any easier for Israel. Don't expect Israel to just roll over and suck up a beating because of an Obama pronouncement. This is not the US Senate Democrats or even the US Senate Republicans. It's a country that has always had to struggle for it's existence. It is populated by a people who are used to persecution and adversity. They are not going to be as moved by an Obama speech to take one for Team Obama just because he's said that Arabs have to recognize Israel's right to exist. They won't be swayed by the supposed messianic image as naive, insulated Americans have been.

No, don't expect Netanyahu to roll over and agree with Obama. His vision and strategic pronouncements will be very different. And if they aren't then we have to really start asking more seriously why Obama is getting his way on everything, domestically or internationally. That's not something most of us are prepared for at this point, because the answers are either not too obvious or just too sinister to contemplate.

Shoe time: Israel, Iran and America

Compare and contrast the following. Iran's leader is a racist. He wants Israel destroyed. Israel is not going to back down from the threat. President Obama wants dialogue. The U.N. has a surprise in store for Ahmedinijad.

Background: Netanyahu vs Ahmedinijad



Obama's reach out:



And Ahmedinijad's response at a UN anti-racism conference:



And a possible shoe toss moment!



Unlike the President, some people at the UN seem to have developed a sense of moral absolutism (i.e. grown a pair).