Obama's Foreign Policy Failures

In 2011, thanks to the surge by the American military (that then Senator Obama voted against), the nation of Iraq was fairly quiet and stable. It had been so for nearly three years. The number of troops deployed to the country was being reduced and the terrorist network had been greatly diminished.

Enter Barack Obama's lack of sound foreign policy. In December 2011, President Obama made good on a campaign promise that he made to his liberal base and, against recommendations from all of his top military advisers, withdrew all American troops from Iraq.

During his 2012 re-election campaign President Obama said repeatedly that Al Qaeda had been "decimated." In an interview with David Remnick of the "New Yorker," President Obama was asked about the Al Qaeda flag is now seen flying in Fallujah in Iraq and in certain locations in Syria, suggesting that Al Qaeda hadn't been decimated after all. President Obama dismissed ISIS, calling them the junior varsity team.

“The analogy we use around here sometimes, and I think is accurate, is if a jayvee team puts on Lakers uniforms that doesn’t make them Kobe Bryant,” the President said. “I think there is a distinction between the capacity and reach of a bin Laden and a network that is actively planning major terrorist plots against the homeland versus jihadists who are engaged in various local power struggles and disputes, often sectarian.”

By early summer of 2014, ISIS had taken large areas in Iraq and Syria, including the Iraqi cities of Tikrit, Mosul, Baiji, and the Syrian cities of Abu Kamal, Tal Afar, and Aleppo. They have since moved to surround Baghdad and are slowly but surely moving toward Damascus. 

In September of 2014, President Obama was interviewed by NBC's "Meet the Press" host, Chuck Todd. To his credit, Todd actually asked the President about his comment referring to ISIS as the JV team.

Todd remarked that the way the President was now speaking about ISIS was "a long way from when you described them as a JV team."

"Was that bad intelligence or your misjudgment?"

The President decided to dance. "Keep in mind I wasn’t specifically referring to (Islamic State)," Obama replied. "I've said that, regionally, there were a whole series of organizations that were focused primarily locally, weren’t focused on homeland, because I think a lot of us, when we think about terrorism, the model is Osama bin Laden and 9/11."

Right. And if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. Even Politifact rated the statement as completely false.

Obama launched some air strikes against ISIS in both Iraq and Syria but it's not a serious campaign. On average, the U.S. air forces are flying between 7 and 10 sorties (missions) per day against ISIS. During the war in Afghanistan sorties averaged about 800 per day. That's how you defeat an enemy, particularly if you're only going to use air power. 

Air Force pilots are frustrated with the lack of tactical information they could use to locate and destroy ISIS targets. Such tactical information is only readily available when we have ground forces in the area giving targeting information to the pilots. Since Obama refuses to put boots on the ground the pilots are "flying blind" in their words.

ISIS, Iraq and Syria - failure number 1.

Failure number 2 has developed just recently in the country of Yemen. In September 2014, President Obama and Vice President Biden touted Yemen as one of Obama's success stories in the Middle East. Last month they ordered the evacuation of the American embassy in Yemen due to ongoing terrorist violence. (Marines assigned to the embassy are rumored to have been ordered to destroy their weapons before boarding the plane.) Yesterday the President evacuated the rest of  United States military troops because of continued violence in the area. ISIS is claiming responsibility for the takeovers of various Yemeni cities.

Yet the White House continues to say that Yemen is a "template" for Obama's counter terrorism efforts.

"Yemen did serve as a template for the kind of strategy that we have employed and that we did employ," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday. Right Josh - because it worked so well, huh?

Yemen - failure number 2.

Obama and his minions have been having a temper tantrum since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu came to the United States, after being invited by Speaker of the House John Boehner, and spoke to both houses of Congress. The White House wasn't happy because neither Boehner nor Bibi asked for Obama's permission for Bibi to address Congress. Not that it's required. It's a courtesy. Congress can invite anyone they wish to address them - even foreign heads of state.

The invitation brought out all the ignorant liberals who proved they know nothing about the Constitution and/or the law. Citing a Logan Act violation, many demanded that Boehner be charged with treason for "breaking the law and inviting Netanyahu without asking the President." They demanded the same thing after six Senators sent a letter to Iran about the nuclear deal the Obama administration is working on.

These Constitutional geniuses don't quite understand that despite the power grabs made by President Obama recently, we have three equal branches of government. The House and Senate have as much right and authority to invite a foreign head of state to Washington as the President himself. As does the Judicial Branch, although I can't think of an instance when they would do it.

President Obama's attitude toward Israel and their Prime Minister has always been hostile. Despite assurances from both leaders that the relationship is as strong as ever, anyone paying attention knows that's simply not the case. Obama has been angry at Netanyahu since it was first announced that Bibi would speak before Congress without Obama's permission. 

Members of the Obama administration whined incessantly because Netanyahu didn't ask permission. They also said that Netanyahu's visit would undermine the President's efforts to attain a nuclear deal with  Iran. But that was the entire point of Netanyahu's visit.

The nuclear deal currently being negotiated by the Obama administration is dangerous to Israel and her people. It barely limits Iran's nuclear development, reduces sanctions against them before they comply with the deal (a good faith effort by a clueless President) and lifts the arms embargo against Iran. Republicans, along with many Democrats in Washington, say the deal is a win/win for Iran and a lose/lose for the United States and Israel. But the President is anxious to go through with it.

Obama is livid that Netanyahu won re-election - particularly after Obama's big push to unseat him. What's truly funny is that Obama really believed Netanyahu would lose and the main stream media rallied around the President (again). They were all surprised and offended when Bibi won in a landslide. 

Obama's puppeteer chief adviser, Iranian born Valerie Jarrett, has stated that Bibi "will pay a price for spitting in the President's face." Since Ms. Jarrett was born to Iranian parents one cannot help but wonder if her heart is in the right place when it comes to relations with Israel. Iran has been threatening to "wipe Israel off the map" for decades. And President Obama is helping them gain the strength to do it.

The Obama administration, in another childish tantrum, has threatened to re-evaluate our protective relationship with Israel, saying that Israel's resistance to Obama's two-state solution is undermining negotiations with the Palestinians. Obama continues to demand that Netanyahu make peace and give up territory to the Palestinians even after the Palestinian Authority aligned itself with Hamas last year - even as Hamas was attacking Israel from Gaza. President Obama denounced Israel's defense of itself when their military moved into Gaza to take out Hamas targets and end the attacks.

So why would Netanyahu and Israel even think about trusting Obama? I certainly wouldn't.

Obama's personal relationship with Netanyahu - failure #3

Obama's relationship with Israel - failure #4

Obama's one sided (the wrong side) nuclear deal with Iran - failure #5

Despite what he says, Obama's foreign policies have been a complete failure. The world is not safer, as Secretary of State John Lurch Kerry says. The world is more dangerous. ISIS is running wild in Syria and Iraq and threatening to take Europe and then the United States. (And they're not JV anymore.) Iran is quickly developing the capability for nuclear armament and Obama is assisting them. Vladimir Putin is doing whatever he wishes including flying reconnaissance missions near Canada and the U.S., invading Ukraine, and threatening to use nuclear weapons against his enemies if necessary.

Oh yeah... Obama vs Putin - failure #6

One can only hope that the United States and the world survive the next two years of Obama. His foreign policy practices are flat out dangerous to everyone - even Iran. Because if Israel believes Iran is on the verge of having an actual nuclear weapon they will attack, in spite of Obama and his demands. A nuclear armed Iran would be the strongest threat against Israel since Adolph Hitler. And Netanyahu will not allow Iran to be that threat. And rightly so.