The Obama Foreign Policy Defined: Apology, Denial, and Retreat

Apology President Obama began his Presidency with the global “Apology Tour.” He never actually used the word apology, but repeatedly complained of past acts by the United States. Denial Ambassador Curt Stephens asked for increased security in Libya. It was refused. He paid with his life, as did two ex-SEALS and an embassy employee. Nothing was done to protect our people in Benghazi once the attacks were underway. Indeed, the President was AWOL for 5 hours. Yet someone issued an order to stand down. The Obama Administration knew from the beginning that it was a terrorist attack, but to admit it would undermine a critical talking point of the reelection campaign “Al Qaeda is on the run, and Osama Bin Laden is dead.” Instead, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton immediately blamed the attack on a spontaneous demonstration directed at an anti-Muslim video “The Innocence of Muslims.” Hardly anyone had scene the video prior to the attack. Ambassador Susan Rice went on the weekend TV circuit blaming the video for the tragedy. President Obama denounced the “cruel and disgusting” video before the United Nations. The President and Secretary Clinton were featured declaiming the video in a $70,000 advertising run in Pakistan. The effect of the Obama Administration focusing attention on the previously unknown video was to alert the Muslim world to its existence, and set off anti-American riots throughout the Muslim world. The Obama Administration denied the threat of Al Qaeda throughout the election campaign, even with the attack in Benghazi. Politics trumped national security and reality. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the producer of the video, was arrested and sentenced to one year in jail. Retreat The Obama Administration unilaterally pulled out of Iraq, perhaps snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It is coming close to a unilateral pullout from Afghanistan in 17 months. This past week it closed 22 embassies and consulates in the Mideast and North Africa for a day and 19 of them for a week. “Non-essential” personnel were flown out of Yemen. This action was taken in response to an intercepted telephone conversation between Al Qaeda’s chief, Ayman al Zawahiri, and Nasser al-Wuhayshi, the head of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The threat was unspecific. The nature of the threat, the timing, and location were unspecified. Yet the United States closed its embassies and consulates and issued a world wide alert in response to a non-specific threat. President George W. Bush said “My answer is bring ‘em on.” President Obama said ‘Shut ‘em down.” Al Qaeda’s not on the run. The image to Islamicists and Jihadists is that the United States is on the run. They are laughing at the impotence of the United States. Osama Bin-Laden’s view of the United State was that it runs. He misjudged President George W. Bush. President Obama is proving him right. The President showed up on Jay Leno Tuesday night and said we should “Lead our lives,” He is doing so by playing golf, visiting Camp David, appearing on Jay Leno, campaigning, and traveling, all at taxpayer expense. The dilettante President is not letting Benghazi or an Al Qaeda threat interfere with his life style. The Administration’s response a few days ago to Benghazi was to issue sealed indictments against some of the perpetrators. Al Qaeda sent in AK-47’s and mortar rounds into the Benghazi consulate annex. We respond by sending in lawyers. The Explanation The Obama Administration entered office with the foreign policy baggage of the left. President George W. Bush was a trigger-happy, unsophisticated cowboy from Texas (ignore the Yale and Harvard degrees), who has humiliated America throughout the world. He tortured our prisoners and then shipped them to Gitmo. His statements in a Texan drawl, such as “Bring ‘em on,” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” repelled them. They failed to see that after 9/11 President Bush’s overriding goal was the security of the American people. He succeeded. President Obama would bring into the White House a sophisticated, world based foreign policy. No more torture, no more Gitmo, no more needless wars, no more war for oil, no more arrogance or bullying. Turn his back on Israel and play to the Arab Street. Forget the special relationship with Great Britain; he returned the Churchill Bust. Use the Arab Spring to toss out President Mubarak and bring in the Muslim Brotherhood to govern Egypt. Draw down the military. President Obama is a citizen of the world. American would seek forgiveness from the world and thereby earn respect. America now has neither respect nor fear in the world. Not even our allies trust us. Vladimir Putin mocks us and Iran is close to the bomb. Apology, denial, and retreat sounds a lot like appeasement.