Feinstein: 'World Would Very Much Respect' Obama's 'Increased Attention' on Crises Abroad

The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said it would be nice if President Obama stepped up his attention to the foreign policy crises crashing down around him.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) stressed “the eastern part of the Ukraine is essentially controlled by Russian partisans who are run by Russia.”

“I agree with those who see former fighters, Russian fighters amidst them. Russian equipment, Russian training, Russian practice. And I think Putin ought to own up in the sense that do what an objective, responsible leader would do,” she told MSNBC today. “…I think it may well be that the United States should take its solid intelligence, which I believe is solid now, and declassify it, and let the world see what went into this and why the belief is so solid that this, in fact, was a Russian Buk that unleashed this missile.”

“…What action is the world going to take? Are we just going to sit by and see this all happen? What action is Europe going to take? Will they become a participant in a sanctions regime that will say to Russia, the West condemns this act?”

Feinstein said she believes “that America’s reputation is somewhat diminished, but I think there are people that still believe that we want to do the right thing.”

“This is a very hard time. With ISIS and its caliphate in the middle of Syria and in the middle of Iraq, with them marching on Baghdad, with what’s happening with Iran and the P-5-plus- 1, Gaza,” she said. “…Now, look, I’m not gonna tell the president what to do. But I think the world would very much respect his increased attention on this matter. And I think there ought to be increased attention.”

“And I think the leader of the free world has to be strong and this is a time where strength is necessary. And this, our president, has to convince Europe to stand up and be part of this so that the world can speak out with one voice of condemnation.”

Feinstein added that it’s important current events don’t “just slide from the viewers’ screen.”

“I think people have to understand the kind of world we live in today, with this kind of expressly high-tech technology and what it can do and how it’s controlled and who has access to it,” she said. “This is as important as keeping people from a dirty bomb, in my view.”