Syria, Iran, and Turkey Openly Defy Obama, as Russia Regains Mideast Influence
Obviously, bringing Hamas into negotiations or melding it together with the existing Palestinian Authority would guarantee the failure of any talks, and possibly result in Hamas takeover of the West Bank, anti-American Palestinian leadership, and the renewal of war with Israel.
Why is Russia doing this? Clearly, there are commercial considerations involved. Russia is desperate for money and export markets, including the ability to sell its weapons which — being inferior to those of the United States — only have a market of countries ineligible to buy American.
Yet commerce is only part of the picture. The current Russian leadership sees the United States as a rival, is jealous of its power, and is angry about losing the Cold War. The shrinking of their country from a mighty superpower to an impoverished wreck makes them steam, and they blame their fall on U.S. machinations. Building up Russian nationalism and returning the United States to enemy status is a way to mobilize popular support for the government.
And finally, there is a genuine ambition to rebuild the old Russian/Soviet empire and spheres of influence.
In short, this is a problem for U.S. leaders that isn’t going to go away. On her first visit to Moscow, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously declared that the Obama administration was going to “reset” U.S.-Russian relations. Now, Russia has defined that reset as to be largely — of course, not fully — a return to the pre-1991 era.
A false issue is the idea that Russia is going to have a problem with the Islamism of its new partners because of its own internal Muslim problem. On the contrary — this alliance is a way to reduce the domestic threat.
By giving Turkey, Syria, and Iran an incentive to be friendly with Russia, Moscow is ensuring that they won’t intervene by backing revolutionary Islamist groups. Indeed, Iran has stayed away from such involvements — Tehran even supports Russia’s ally, Christian Armenia, against Muslim-majority Azerbaijan.
Of course, there is no way that the United States can truly compete with Russia (and Iran) over Syria’s loyalties. The Russians are prepared to fully back Syria’s policies of allying with Iran and returning Lebanon to the status of colony. Russia is happy to sell Syria arms (paid for by Iran).
Presumably, the Russians would encourage Syria not to launch even a Lebanon-based war against Israel, but that is one of the few positive notes.
The situation with Turkey is a bit more complex, since even the Islamist regime is wary of Russia. Yet here too, the Russians have sizable influence with a Turkish regime that has already moved much closer to Iran and Syria.
The big picture? The United States is being edged out of the position of primacy it has enjoyed in the Middle East for twenty years, which dates — and this is no coincidence — from the time of the USSR’s collapse.
With Iran on the verge of nuclear weapons, the strategic balance will shift even more. This outcome also makes Tehran even more attractive as a partner to Moscow.
The situation is very bad, heading towards worse, and made all the more worrisome by the failure of the current U.S. government even to realize what’s occurring.
Good analysis–and it think the current Russian and Soviet before them mirrors an even older czarist push for warm water ports to the south.
A second issue concerns the perception that Mr Obama is (charitably) too inexperienced in foreign affairs–a valid charge IMO–to understand the dynamics of international relations and national will.
At some point, I hope Mr Obama turns his attention to the one area where his constitutional position gives him some latitude–but I am not optimistic on that issue.
“At some point, I hope Mr Obama turns his attention to the one area where his constitutional position gives him some latitude–but I am not optimistic on that issue.”
Sorry, but I do not think he is capable of that. He is too shallow. His understanding or rather misunderstanding of Geo-political situation and inability to get correct analysis makes it practically impossible. I truly hope it’s just an ineptitude. Too many mistakes with great consequences.
Barack Obama is a poorly educated man. He is too far behind the curve to get his act together in a reasonable amount of time. Our best hope is his continued marginalization. Harvard provided him with a phony degree behind his name—and that’s the beginning and end of the matter.
Hold on now, gents.
Obama’s not all that inexperienced, or shallow, or behind the curve, as you all think he is. He’s out to weaken America, is doing jes’ that one little thing purty gol’durned well, and on many a front, and he keeps gettin’ away with it, too.
So far.
In all truth… let them(russia) have them…. The main problem I see here is we keep funding these 3rd worlds russia(and the EU) included. Let russia fund the fools if the US withdraws foreign aid many of these countries will fall apart. A few key strikes using cruise missiles will keep the nuke problem under control for the time being while the US gets back on its feet.
While its great that we should worry about what russia is planning…. having/keeping the ability to stop them is far more important then stopping their “planning”.
Right now the US is barely keeping it together. If we don’t get the US back on its feet it will be powerless if this alliance takes place or not. If we can get on our feet even if an alliance is formed at best it will fall apart after the money runs out(much like the USSR did the first time) and be less of a threat.
In the real world you can’t win every battle… and you can’t help everyone… at this point obama has made sure that both iraq and afgan are on the verge of failing… if pushed out in 2012 maybe they can be saved but frankly I think at this point obama has made it impossible to win there(and to a lesser part the dems from 2007 congress). A long failure only hurts the US in the long and short run… if obama is removed in 2012(or hopefully before then by SCOTUS) whoever takes over is going to have a hard choice in if we can save iraq in afgan or let them fall to pieces and give them back to the middleast….
We are seeing the first fruits of “smart diplomacy”. Much more to come.
We are going to start reaping the “fruits” of having Obama at the helm of our nation. I do not believe there is enough respect for the USA to care what we think or do.
I belive our presidant is too weak to do us any good.
The country’s is in the very best of hands…..
and we give billions to the Israelis and they tell our president and vice president to take a hike.. be nice if you mentioned this
Pardon me ? Who told who to “take a hike?” Did you put your glasses on backwards today ? Think about who our ally is in the region. It used to be “allies” but Turkey is going the way of the Islamists and Egypt will probably be not far behind if Mubarak’s son can’t hold power. We have one reliable ally and Obama is trying very hard to drive them away. A cornered Israel is very dangerous because, once they feel they are alone, they have nothing to lose by striking Iran alone.
Ridiculous.
Read the article you are commenting on.Everyone tells Obama and Biden to take a hike.That is largely because they are morons
Ah, another one who thinks giving aid (actually, since 2007: defense loans and nothing more than that) to a country gives the benefactor the right to tell the recipient where to build on their own land.
When it was given in sincere good faith, in the day of LBJ, Nixon and Reagan, then kudos to the USA. But now as in the days of the Israel-hater James Baker, now that it’s being used as an extortion lever, it amounts to nothing but a spit in a sovereign state’s face. You can take it back.
It always surprised me how the same people who are against the abuse of money by corporations are for this abuse of aid money; how the same people who blame American interventionism for all terrorism against the USA are for this particular case of interventionism.
On a side note: Every Israeli Independence Day, US flags could be seen alongside the Israeli ones. It’s been frowned on by those who have claimed it’s a sign of lack of patriotism, but it’s grassroots. Patriotism in Israel has been in surge ever since October 2000 (when the local Arabs decided to have a general uprising even in the pre-1967 territories), but the presence of the US flag hadn’t diminished. Until the past year, that is. Much fewer US flags could be seen last Independence Day in Israel. Why’s that? My guess is, it may have had something to do with the election to the US presidency of someone whose middle name is “Hussein”. And, of course, policies that live up to that name.
Look for Medvedev’s, Erdogan’s, and Ahmadinejad’s divorce papers to be mysteriously unsealed any day now.
Read Russian history and you will immediately calm down. Russia, no matter its endeavors, always ends up a failure. If it wants to reconstitute the Soviet Union, so what; it will just crumble again.
If Turkey is an ally of Ahmadinejad, then it is apparent that Turkey is no ally of ours. Whatever foreign aid we send should be immediately cut off and, if they are part of NATO, they should be removed. If Turkey wants to come under the Soviet umbrella, it is their death wish.
Why should we care or worry that other countries have death wishes. Once Obama is booted from office the next administration can get back to pursuing our interests instead of licking the boots of our enemies.
@ Dave M. Russia always ends up a failure.
This time, we may need to save them from themselves,
both to avoid collateral damage when they crash, and
because _somebody_ has to administer the area, and
better them than us (as long as we have the hammer).
Turkey reneged on an agreement to allow US forces passage into Iraq;
It would have been nice if they had given us reason to forgive that,
but if they want to compound their error…
because we are unprepared for this. We get the BULK of our energy medium from Arab countries. Yes, we pay dearly for it, about 800 billion dollars (US Dollars). If Putin, Erdogan, mad Ahmed take hold over energy, entire western world will fall apart. And obama is working very hard to demolish our own industry.In that regard, I feel, Alaskan Lady is absolutely correct. Look at Venezuela, Chavez is doing everything he can do undercut US. We get around 20 – 30% of oil from there, South of the border. The above mentioned treo are working in tandem to bring USA down. And our government is clueless.
Russia always ends in failure? I think you must be joking. Somehow you have forgotten that Russia won war with Napoleon and was one of the Great European Powers between 1812 and 1914. After WWI kept all their “colonies” in Asia and after WWII extended their imperium to the West, taking under their “wing” all the Eastern European states. And for many years held sway in Africa and Asia (remember Vietnam War?). If that is a failure I wonder what do you call a success.
Also “we” don’t need to save them from themselves. The situation is such that for them their strategy is win-win. They get most of their revenue from oil/gas and from selling of weapons. So first of all if the US does nothing about Iran and Syria and the whole mess over there the Russian will gladly sell weapons to all these countries and will have money to repair/improve their economy. Further with the sales and “good relations” with these countries + with Palestinians nobody in the Arab world would ask what they do in Chechnia. Fine so far?
Now if the US will does “something” about Iran than they will get a lot of money from the sales of oil/gas to Europe and to elsewhere because, lets face it, the price of oil/gas, in any instability in the ME, will grow exponentially.
So the situation is good for Russia, unfortunately situation is not good for US, because what US is doing now is, in effect, nothing much.
“The world is getting into the habit of making Obama look inept.” Not a hard thing to do.
Obama is getting into the habit of making Obama look inept.
Boy, I’m really glad we didn’t elect McCain and his “I can see Russia from my house” inexperienced VP. This is MUUUCH better. /sarc
This guy is a complete fool in regards to foreign affairs. Insulting our allies, bowing to our enemies and apologizing to everyone. He just doesn’t understand the Peace Through Strength Mantra passed down from Reagan.
Hopefully we’ll survive long enough to vote this guy out.
“Boy, I’m really glad we didn’t elect McCain and his “I can see Russia from my house” inexperienced VP. This is MUUUCH better. /sarc”
Well said!
You do realize that the statement quoted is from Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live?
You do realize that? Right?
But I guess you prefer presidents who argue that pledge no new taxes means prefer no new taxes and former presidentsa who argue what ‘is’ is
Palin actual quote was: “They’re our next-door neighbours and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.”
The summary from Fey had a lot more humor.
The mention of Palin brings up another idea: yes this oil rig thing is a disaster!
So why don’t we go ahead and drill in Anwar where we don’t have to worry about the problems of oceans, drilling miles deep and miles off the coast??? It makes more sense then ever now if you are worried about these oil rig disasters.
If Iran manages to go nuclear Netanyahu will have failed at life.
I would openly defy Obama if I could. I don’t blame any country for putting their interests before other nations. We should do the same, start with the southern border, then the northern then deport, deport, deport!
Obama and the Senate are just inept and negligent when it comes the the countries security and interests.
I don’t see it as inept or negligent…I see it as being done on purpose by Obama, Bush etc…open borders , new world order etc
I really hope the rest of the world realizes that the American people think Obama is a loser also. Usually it’s the whole country that is hated, but we want to be distanced from this guy also.
We’ve managed to elect POTUS a man who is weak, shallow, pretentious, monumentally conceited, inexperienced and who, in Nat Hentoff’s words, is the most dangerous and destructive ever to hold that office. The Russians, Syrians, Iranians and Turks sized up this mark a year ago and are playing him to their advantage. Santayana, poor man, had it wrong: even those who remember history will relive it because of the ignorant bastards who don’t.
There are the words I was looking for! Yes, I am an American.
The lowest form of stupidity is weakness. Obama is weakness. But, it is intentional. Every day in every significant way he makes us weaker and poorer and makes the climb to recovery all the more difficult.
Even if you have to hold your nose when you do it, vote for the republicans. If you can, vote for a real republican.
What a Freudian slip that one of the commenters referred to ‘the Soviets’ and not the Russians.
It’s not the Cold War anymore, and it’s not 1973 with respect to Israel.
Israel has been a destabilising force in the Middle East since the first invasion of Lebanon. Hezbollah only exists as a response to Israeli aggression.
George Bush did remarkable things in Iraq, but he was too soft on Israel. Their deplorable conduct in Lebanon was a huge setback to Middle East and world peace. Being too close to Israel doesn’t serve American interests; and the thought that American might support Israel in a military attack can only be a hinderance to liberalisation in Syria and Iran, and a support to anti-democratic illiberal forces.
Support for Israel also undermines progress in Iraq, as Israel’s enemies will try and destabilise that project in order to keep Israel off balance.
Can you blame them? Every country has the legitimate right to self-defence; and by its actions in Lebanon, Israel has shown it will treat Arab states with reckless disregard.
Obama is an interesting president; quite Left Wing, but unusually independent of the Jewish American constituency. Perhaps this gives him the ability to see things those who are too sentimental or too stuck in Cold War history can’t.
I don’t say America shouldn’t support Israel at all, but now that Arafat is dead and Syria is liberalising, it’s in Israel’s own interests to reach detente with it’s neighbours; and the opportunity exists as never before. There’s simply no need for the hyper-aggressive approach they have always taken.
Israel, neo-cons and ill-informed members of the US Right are ‘stuck on stupid’ – a little US pressure on Israel is not a bad thing.
Russia (which is NOT the Soviet Union, neither in reality nor spirit) can only be a positive influence in the region. The Arab states will feel more secure, and there will be less reason for them to destabilise Iraq to get at America, and through her at Israel.
Intelligent members of the American Right would do well to calm down, too – and prevail on the less intelligent ones to cease their violent and warlike rhetoric.
Chris W, YOU need to read something to the right of The Nation. Syria is liberalizing? If so, perhaps they could start by recognizing the State of Israel instead of maintaining a state of war to reclaim Palestine. Syria is determined to regain their lost province of The Lebanon through Hezbollah. Read up on how Nasrallah is the new power broker of Lebanon. Nice reward for the thousands of missiles Hezbollah launched into northern Israel before Israel took that military action in 2006 you call “deplorable conduct”.
Are there ANY intelligent members of the American Left who can be open-minded enough to study real history? btw, I am still a registered Democrat, but the close-minded left (a mob of brainwashed screamers) has been scaring me far more than anyone on the right since the rise of Obama.
I don’t say America shouldn’t support Israel at all, but now that Arafat is dead and Syria is liberalising, it’s in Israel’s own interests to reach detente with it’s neighbours; and the opportunity exists as never before. There’s simply no need for the hyper-aggressive approach they have always taken.
HAHAHAHAHAH, where to start…
First, Israel has offered a two-state solution on many occasions and the answer has always been “No, we want to destroy you.” Netanyahu even offered the Palestinians their own state. Get told, “No, we’re going to kill you” a few times and you start to take it seriously.
Russia (which is NOT the Soviet Union, neither in reality nor spirit) can only be a positive influence in the region. The Arab states will feel more secure, and there will be less reason for them to destabilise Iraq to get at America, and through her at Israel.
Positive for whom? Certainly not for the United States, as Comrade Kommisar Vladimir Putin is interested in restoring the former Soviet sphere of influence so much as possible. For very good historic and strategic reasons. Chris, you might want to check out STRATFOR’s analysis of the Russian Resurgence.
As for violent and warlike, the sawed off runt president of Iran, seems to have violent and warlike down pat. He hosts Holocaust Denier conferences, threatens Israel with destruction on an almost daily basis and is seeking nuclear weapons. We’re not supposed to feel threatened by the possibility of a regime with a history of attacking American interests with the bomb? A state sponsor of terror?
Pull your head out of the sand or where ever else you may have it stuck Chris. These people are Not Our Friends, and never will be no matter how much you kiss their arses.
“I don’t say America shouldn’t support Israel at all, but now that Arafat is dead and Syria is liberalising, it’s in Israel’s own interests to reach detente with it’s neighbours; and the opportunity exists as never before. There’s simply no need for the hyper-aggressive approach they have always taken. “
“I don’t say America shouldn’t support Israel at all, but now that Arafat is dead and Syria is liberalising, it’s in Israel’s own interests to reach detente with it’s neighbours; and the opportunity exists as never before. There’s simply no need for the hyper-aggressive approach they have always taken. ”
Hiper-aggresive – Oh dear, how…….ignorant can you get? Are ALL lefties that…ignorant?
BHO is a fool. (<.<)
As McCain showed in the election campaign, and as others have shown since, this genius can be rumbled. No other way to put it.
His political cover and media cover might make him think he is strong, but this treatment from the Russians, Syria et al. shows that he is weak.
He can be rumbled. My worry is: what happens when Iran gets that nuclear weapon? Will they rumble BHO into selling out Israel? YES.
Folks also see Debka.net for this type of analysis.
This stuff happens when leader of the free world is an undeclared muslim.
Gonna be trouble, big time, the man wants America riven amongst itself and enemies..
Why is anyone surprised by this turn of events? Syria and Iran are grubby, corrupt dictatorships run by grubby, corrupt men who know that when they cosy up to another grubby, corrupt dictatorship – Russia – their grip on power won’t be threatened and they won’t be lectured and leveraged on the issues of human rights and nuclear proliferation. Much more congenial, if you were Ahmadinejad or Baby Assad, than dealing with the Americans.
The US, and the west generally, have lost their collective nerve in dealing with these sorts of regimes and problems. The infantile naivete of Secretary Clinton and her “reset button” is a wonderful metaphor for the child-like delusions of the United States on these issues. Diplomacy, and life, learned from mawkish Hollywood movies.
The west is not about to regain its nerve. There is nothing to be done; it will probably take the explosion of a rogue nuclear device for there to be any hope of a change. Even that may only hasten the slide.
Unthinkable, tragic.
Obama is NOT inept; he is NOT stupid; he is NOT a fool. Obama is an articulate, intelligent radical leftist. The primary political goal of the radical left is the destruction of American power and influence anywhere and everywhere in the world. Obama will not effectively oppose Iran’s nuclear program because he, in effect, supports it. Obama’s only worry about Iran is that they may achieve their nuclear goals too soon and through a foolish and impertinent display of bravado undermine Obama’s base of support in the US while simultaneously giving the Republicans a powerful issue to use against him and the Democrats. Obama’s primary goal in the Middle East (to be fair this is also the goal of America’s leftist elite) is the expulsion of the US from the region. The destruction of the state of Israel will serve that goal very well. Like it or not, Israel is viewed in the world as America’s little brother. The destruction of Israel will have dire and catastrophic consequences for US influence world wide.
This is Brilliant, what you missed is that Obama’s goal is to convert the US to the New York City model. When he achieves this, he will be Chief for life.
A friend opined that if Israel were the only one to clean up the mess caused by Iran, the clout of the US in the Mid East would be shrunk. It looks like there are other ways for the clout of the US in the Mid East to shrink.
As predicted, Barry Obama is Jimmy Carter on steriods. What kind of fool thinks that a “community organizer” who spent most of his time giving ACORN seminars would have any type of clue about foreign policy? Oh that’s right the dumbest people in America, the teleprompter readers at the MSM networks. Give me a break just because Katie Couric and Matt Lauer put on their “professor eyeware” the lunatics on the left think they are so brilliant.
Only the true dunces on the left thought that Obama’s “We hate America as more than you” foreign policy was ever going to be anything but a joke to the grownups leading these dangerous countries.
Voting rights should be suspended for any of the retards which voted for this simpleton.
I am so glad that the Onesey is on your team and not mine.
The hostile foreign interests competing for the favor of the world’s superpower, America, hitherto benign in its hegemony, generous with its resources, parsimonious with its wrath, and freedom seeking in its intentions, now recognize in our CinC an ideologue on their side.
Our historic first Islamic apostate president resorts always to his simplistic tribal mentality of “the enemy of my enemy is my tactical ally to gain advantage in these circumstances”–his enemy being, at home, the American way of life; abroad, the British, and every other erstwhile colonial power or opponent to Soviet aggression.
Not ignorance, incompetence, nor neglect from a lazy disinterest in the complications of foreign affairs, it is a deliberate lust for payback from a lifelong seething hatred of existing order and his burning will to humiliate the West for its longtime successes.
Charles I think I will pretend my teacher just gave me an assignment and that is to memorize Three Paragraphs.
Wow, boating season starts this weekend, where hours are spent discussing politics. Gosh you summed up my thoughts but “poetically’. Beautiful, Brilliant
Can you explain though what is CincC (sorry) .
My parents came from a former commie country in 62 dad always said America fed the world and all anyone ever did was crap all over them. My mother remembers American soldiers in her village during the 2nd WW, giving her chocolates and candy, they used to fill her skirt and she would run home,she said they were such dear men.
Dad always wondered where the chapters on Stalin were in our history books. Always pointed out the “American” aircraft and “USA” bags of food being dropped in war torn and starving countries.
I’ll keep an eye out for your comments from here on in.
MaryAnn:
“CinC’ =’s “Commander in Chief”.
Why should the US have clout in the Mid East? http://guidoromero.wordpress.com/2010/05/08/the-skinny-on-who-owns-greek-debt/
When a country is known more for its mistakes, than for what it accomplishes, its clout is invariably revised downwards.
Thank you Prof. Rubin for a truly insightful analysis. It is so rare to read something that goes beyond the obvious and manages to pull together scattered news items into a coherent explanation of what is happening.
Our hyperfocus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a flashpoint has left us blind as to the larger context of changes in the region. One thing I hope you or someone of your caliber will look further into is the fact that the three main Middle eastern players looking to overturn the existing order, Iran, Turkey and Syria are not Sunni Arab. Is this a significant feature?
Barry Rubin has his own site http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/, and a small think tank with a few other people here http://www.gloria-center.org/. It was a revelation when I found his column, he clearly recognizes that contrary to the rhetoric, the Arabs relationship to Israel is not even their primary concern. All of the Arab countries leaders know they don’t have to worry about Israel and they can say anything. Too many dismiss the Arab tone as simply propaganda and extreme rhetoric in Europe and US because it seems crazy. But only because we fail to reorient ourselves to their current situation in order to see how evil many of them are.
Rubin’s credentials are a mile long yet he seems to be the most ignored, best academic on the region there is. Even better, my university had a number of his books available both in dead tree and electronic form.
“Presumably, the Russians would encourage Syria not to launch even a Lebanon-based war against Israel, but that is one of the few positive notes.”
What is the evidence for this presumption?
It’s a good thing that 54% of the public took Rosie O’Donnell’s advice when they entered the Polling Station in 08.Otherwise we wouldn’t have the community organizer and his Obamunists in charge to handle things now
Here is something else that the Kremlin would use to curry favour with the Sons of Allah: http://www.worldthreats.com/?p=2436
This is just one small (though it is major) aspect of Obama’s failure. China, too, is invested in these moves to diminish our influence and interests — and isn’t discouraging North Korea from their nuclear program aimed at blackmailing us. A free Taiwan and possibly South Korea are slated to become memories. Russia is building a nuclear plant in Venezuela … Drilling for oil 50 miles off our coast …
The utter absurdity of Obama’s “plans” to wait for China and Russia to join us in “sanctioning” Iran was on obscene display when poison A’Jad threw a party and everybody came — humiliating Obama and his claims of “isolating” them. And right here on our own territory. Amazing that the little pig restrained himself from pulling down his pants and “mooning” the One.
Dark days are coming soon — before the 2012 elections. It’s after that there will truly be a devastating and likely nuclear World War.
If there were only a way to impeach him and Biden together — but so far, not.
He is a total fool or a total traitor.
Truly an abomination for us and the world.
You all have such hatred toward President Obama and are so critical of the current events that you have all forgotten how the Middle East hated Bush, worse than with President Obama. You think that only Pesident Obama and Hillary Clinton are in this all by themselves, never mind his Gates and the miliary minds, no it’s entirely on Obama and Hillary. Let’s refresh your minds with this ‘tidbit’:
Foreign perceptions
Bush with President Pervez Musharraf of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in late 2006Bush has been criticized internationally and targeted by the global anti-war and anti-globalization campaigns, particularly for his administration’s foreign policy.[317][318] Views of him within the international community are more negative than previous American Presidents, with France largely opposed to what he advocated.[319]
Bush was described as having especially close personal relationships with Tony Blair and Vicente Fox, although formal relations were sometimes strained.[320][321][322] Other leaders, such as Afghan president Hamid Karzai,[323] Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni,[324] Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero,[325] and Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez,[326] have openly criticized the president. Later in Bush’s presidency, tensions arose between himself and Vladimir Putin, which has led to a cooling of their relationship.[327]
In 2006, a majority of respondents in 18 of 21 countries surveyed around the world were found to hold an unfavorable opinion of Bush. Respondents indicated that they judged his administration as negative for world security.[328][329] In 2007, the Pew Global Attitudes Project reported that during the Bush presidency, attitudes towards the United States and the American people became less favorable around the world.[330]
Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pope John Paul II during a visit to the Vatican, June 2004A March 2007 survey of Arab opinion conducted by Zogby International and the University of Maryland found that Bush was the most disliked leader in the Arab world.[331]
The Pew Research Center’s 2007 Global Attitudes poll found that out of 47 countries, a majority of respondents expressed “a lot of confidence” or “some confidence” in Bush in only nine countries: Israel, India, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda
___________________________________________________________________________
So what has changed since Bush left office? What do you all expect, miracles in these short 16 months that President Obama has been in office? Hatred has made you all blind and negative.
Muslim countries and groups – i.e.Syria, Hezbollah, may have hated Bush, but they feared him until he put his tail between his legs after 2006 (except for the winning Surge).
Obama is not “hated,” he is despised and looked down upon as weak and stupid — which he is.
After the 3 weeks it took to destroy the Iraqi defenses, we should have turned right around and taken out the Mullahs and A’Jad.
Then we wouldn’t be facing a nuclear Iran, and the “world” who “hated” us would have been a lot safer.
All of your anti-Bush stuff is pure crap. It’s meaningless. First of all what Arabs say publicly and what they believe privately are 2 totally different thoughts. Publicly they say they hate Bush but privately they’re thanking him for standing up to the ME’s bad guys. Iran wants to DOMINATE the ME. That is a threat to all the GCC states including Saudi Arabia. Sorry but the President doesn’t have enough power in this game. The real power brokers will undoubtedly get lefty Obama back on the right track. Obama isn’t as stupid as he looks. Sure his car veers left but he makes corrections and manages to stay clear of crashes. I expect that sometime within a year Turkey will distance itself from Iran and Russia as the US announces more aid to Turkey. Is Turkey strategic? Personally I don’t know but the experts do. Go ask Ledeen what he thinks.
I guess I am dim witted that I can only see good in what President Obama has been trying to do for the American people and yet they s*** all over him. I see him trying to make peace with the world leaders by wanting to do away with nuclear weapons. We need to diffuse the danger of Iran or Al Quada nuking a country or ours for that matter. He wanted to make America safer without hot heads trying to blow up their neighbors. What more can he do to make peace with the world and peace amongnst ourselves without racism as it is obvious since he became our President of the United States?
“The situation is very bad, heading towards worse, and made all the more worrisome by the failure of the current U.S. government even to realize what’s occurring.”
Because the current US admininstration is staffed with moronic, pigressive boobs who don’t comprehend enemies outside of the DC political beltway. It’s easier to focus hate rhetoric on their fellow countrymen that will effect the next election… beyond that they are blind and fail miserably when they make attempts to influence foreign affairs.
Regarding russia, I have traveled there on business over the years and its corruption and inflationary prices, impacting living standards, is beyond what most westerners could comprehend. Their population shrinks annually, the russian male has an average life spand of 59 years, the educated russians flee at any given opportunity, despite a flat tax the population does not have the disposable income to invest in local markets, foreign investors stay away because of the red tape and lack of finanical clarity (be prepared to bribe) etc… I could go on all day.
Turkey… the islamic party has gained power over the years by buying votes from the uneducated and poor to prop them up. (Gee, that sounds familiar). Business suffers in Istanbul at times and the purges in the Turkish military and show trials doesn’t help. They need another Ataturk.
Nothing is new here except Turkey’s possible alliance with Iran but that could be only a bargaining chip for US aid down the road. Since the cold war ended Turkey’s bargaining chip was severely devalued. Now with Russia ratcheting up its rhetoric after years of idleness Turkey feels it has a card to play in this poker game. It is doubtful Turkey will side with Iran because they still reside in Europe and they want to be looked at as Europeans even though Europe hates them. Any solid alliance with Iran puts Turkey’s Euro ideals down the toilet. It’d be a disaster for them and not very good the Rooskies either. A defensive minded Europe doesn’t help the Rooskies one bit. Some tough talk now to scare the US into concessions later. Turkey has numerous questions to answer starting with the Armenian genocide of 1915. The crisis over Cypress is another thorn in their side. Turkey’s military will not allow full Islamic political control. So forget about Obama and Biden’s ineptitude over these matters. The real power brokers will put this all right in the end.
Why is it that Muslims claim Moses was a prophet and the 10 Commandments given to Moses by OUR HEAVENLY FATHER on Mount Sinai clearly gives OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’s Commandment not to kill while they believe in killing those who will not convert, and killing for other various reasons under Shari’a Law? Do Not Kill; there are no ifs, ands, or buts. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, who created all in Heaven and on Earth, made that Commandment expressly clear. Any prophets to come along later have supported all those Commandments given by OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER is greater than absolutely everyone and absolutely everything. Do Not Kill; there are no ifs, ands, or buts. We apparently are not to kill others; that is not our purpose. Supposedly Mohammed said something different. So either Mohammed agreed with those Commandments and didn‘t actually say what he supposedly said, or Mohammed wasn’t a prophet. And if Mohammed agreed that those Commandments came from OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, then Mohammed didn’t try to argue with them or change them to fit his own agenda. Maybe that ‘Book Burning’ in the 7th century A.D. (C.E.) wasn’t just to ‘standardize’ but to ‘cover-up’ the Truth. I’m not trying to argue religion here; or trying to argue doctrine. It just does not make any sense. If Christians and Jews killed people as Muslims kill people, then most of the world would kill each other off. Do Not Kill; there are no ifs, ands, or buts. May OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’s Will Be Done.