Rod St. Aubyn: The World Demands American Foreign Policy Leadership
The recent beheading of a second US journalist is just one more match that is thrown toward the world’s powder keg. ISIS is now saying that a British hostage is next. The video directly addresses President Obama and blames him for the beheading. While it is not fair for this blame, there is no question that the President’s foreign policies have been far from stellar or productive. The United States is shown to be weak by world leaders. With ISIS boasting that they already have members in the US, posting pictures of key targets, and all of this compounded with a very porous border, I have to wonder if we have to worry about a homeland attack on September 11.
The President continues to send mix messages. We now know that the President has been continually briefed on the growth of ISIS for over a year and yet he called them the “JV team”. When he does take action such as the first beheading, he justifies it as a law enforcement issue.
When the Ukraine begged for US arms help, the president gives them other aid, but does not provide the necessary arms help that the country desperately needed to battle the Russian-backed rebels.
When the airliner is brought down by what all experts believe was a Russian missile and Russian assistance, minor sanctions were imposed. Now Russia has advanced troops directly into the Ukraine and Crimea.
When Syria continued to commit human atrocities with nerve gas, the President issued his now famous “line in the sand” speech. At the same time ISIS continued to grow in Syria with full knowledge of our President. They then took control of a large part of Iraq and committed genocide.
Our President did nothing until he provided some humanitarian aid and finally took limited military action to protect a dam in Iraq. He stressed that we need a coalition of countries to attack ISIS. Yet, he apparently took unilateral action to bomb the al Shabaab in Somalia. Why is this different? I don’t disagree with it, but why wasn’t this done by international forces based on his previous stated standard?
Why hasn’t he garnered this international help yet? Is it because these other countries just don’t trust or respect our President?
President Obama is seen as extremely weak by other foreign leaders. We have long been respected as the world’s foreign policy leader. The European Union fears that Russia will curtail oil and gas to the EU countries. Why doesn’t our President propose exporting more oil to the EU and open up more production in the US. This would be good for our economy with more jobs and emphasize to our European allies that we have their backs in their fear of the Russians cutting off oil to the EU. That would enhance the possibility that we could in fact establish an international force to attack these terrorists. These terrorists have declared war on the US and yet we treat it like a law enforcement issue.
If the President wanted to show true leadership, he would have brought together all Congressional Leaders to discuss all these issues and become united in a course of action.
That message would literally be heard around the world that as a country we are united in addressing this powder keg.
When the Benghazi incident occurred, the President made a quick trip out west for some fundraising. The president cut short his recent vacation for another fundraising event. After the President’s press conference on the first beheading, he rushed out for another urgent priority which is spelled out and disguised below:
Gaza conflict and souring our relationship with our ally, Israel
Organized attacks by ISIS
Lack of military support for the Ukraine
Failure to protect staff in Benghazi
Increased encroachment in the Ukraine by Russia
News organizations belittle the White House transparency
Going it alone in Somalia
The US and the entire world expect strong foreign policy leadership from our President. Let’s hope he is finally listening.
