Be prepared for more shocks. Bush was able to dissuade the Israelis from attacking with his believable assurance of support if the situation escalated. Obama has made things far far worse both with his rank amateurism and with his utterly juvenile view of international politics.

Not only is the change in BC attack response directly aimed at the Israelis, a warning that you are on your own, but I would not be too surprised if the administration has not already made explicit threats to shoot down any Israeli planes that overfly US controlled airspace during a attack. If Obama ever gives that order for real then the US is in for its biggest constitutional crisis since the MacArthur / Truman standoff.

The original posters observations about Sarkozy is correct. Sarkozy and others in Europe not only consider Obama hopelessly out of his depth but a dangerous fool who they are desperately trying to corral and neutralize. Berlusconis very public display of contempt for Obama is only the tip of the iceberg of what the Europeans who matter really think of Obama.