Obama’s Problematic Middle East Policies
Editorial Commentary for Town Square Media
By Thomas P. Ostrom KROC-AM Radio 1.10.14
Obama’s Middle East Policies Are Problematic
President Bush overthrew the ruthless Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein, but the alleged WMDs. were not discovered. Bush first invaded Afghanistan, the locale of Al Qaida terrorists who attacked the United States on 11.9.2001.
The Bush plan to democratize Muslim nations has not been achieved, and as President Obama has removed U.S. combat forces from Iraq and is from Afghanistan, it appears the Muslim extremists (Al Qaeda) are reasserting their power despite the president's contention that after the killing of Osama Bin Laden, “Al Qaeda is back on its heels.”
Obama’s decision to support the removal of Khadafy, who protected Coptic Christians, kept extremists at bay, and destroyed his WMD stockpile, led to the Benghazi tragedy and cover up, and an increased Muslim extremist in Libya. Obama’s encouragement of the removal of Egyptian President Mubarak, who also protected Coptic Christians and supported Israel, paved the way for the extremist Muslim Brotherhood that the Egyptian military wisely displaced from power.
The Obama administration has subsequently, through Secretary of State John Kerry, pleaded for the Egyptian military to be “more inclusive” and include the Muslim Brotherhood in the political process. Iran continues to frustrate the West and expand its influence.
Obama’s Arab Spring seems has failed. Despite his outreach to Muslims, and condemnation of Bush’s interventionist policies, the Extremists still hate America. Obama has at least continued, perhaps excessively, Bush’s Patriot Act NSA surveillance program, used drones against extremists, and kept GITMO open.
It has now been recently asserted that a released GITMO detainee may have been involved in the Benghazi attack, which the administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have yet to explain or been held accountable for.
Clinton will have to give a better account of her State Department tenure if she is the Democrat presidential nominee. Failure to complete residual U.S. forces agreements with Iraq and Afghanistan and internal sectarian civil wars have compromised the missions, as has the fact that most Americans favor bringing U.S. forces home from these eternal Middle East conflicts.
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