Tuesday, March 4, 2014

President Obama's National Security Council Met Saturday on Ukraine: Oh?

President Obama’s National Security met Saturday on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We know that because President Obama told us so and the Administration released a photo of the NSC. We have no idea what decisions or recommendations they reached, if any, but let’s look at the NSC membership. First, we have Susan Rice, the President’s National Security Advisor. She still can’t figure out Benghazi. The Deputy National Security Advisor, Ben Rhodes, was a political speechwriter for the President. He penned President Obama’s 2009 Cairo Speech, “A New Beginning.” How did that work out? He advised President Obama to withdraw the United States support of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. How did that work out? The Secretary of State is Senator John Kerry is outraged: “It is not appropriate to invade a country, and at the end of a barrel of a gun, dictate what you are trying to achieve.” He emphasized “That is not 21st-Century, G-8 major nation behavior.” The Secretary of State is right. It’s real world. The President said President Putin “is on the wrong side of history.” Only history will tell. The President asserted President Putin violated international law. So? The Director of National Security is Senator James Clapper, who couldn’t get his story straight on the NSA before Congress. He would seemingly have little to add to the conversation since apparently the CIA, DIA, and the NSA all missed calling the Russian invasion of the Crimea. The Secretary of Defense is Senator Chuck Hagel, whose fellow Republicans opposed his confirmation. They viewed him as a dim bulb. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is General James Dempsey, who has aptly proven himself to be a political general. Let us not forget Vice President Joe Biden, whose advice is usually wrong. The Director of Homeland Security is Jeh Charles Johnson, who between stints in private practice, served as General Counsel to the Air Force and General Counsel to the Department of Defense. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency is James O. Brennan, who served 25 years in the CIA and is a terrorism expert. With a few exceptions, this is an unexceptional National Security Council with little expertise. So far, out national response is to cancel the delegation to the Paralympic Games in Sochi this Friday, but the 80 athletes will still compete. President Obama “wishes them great success.” The NSC met on Saturday. President Obama is not in the photo. Saturday’s meeting was so insignificant that President Obama missed it, AWOL so far as we know. Susan Rice provided updates to the President. Oh? President Putin is hardly shaking in his boots.

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