Ralph Peters column from New York Post...frightening scenario considering the events unfolding today in the Middle East.Obama's an unknown quantity, though. While hysterical claims that he'll be pro-Islamist from start to finish are absurd, even minor shifts away from supporting Israel's struggle against terrorists could have catastrophic consequences. And Israel's vaunted intelligence services can't tell their superiors what Obama will do, since few (if any) of the president-elect's supporters know what he intends to do.
In fact, the president-elect may not know himself. He's a babe in the woods, and the woods are full of wolves. Fighting political rivals doesn't prepare you for fighting terrorist fanatics.
For now, Israel must worry that a major ground offensive against Hamas would be halted halfway by the withdrawal of US support, both diplomatic and practical. The IDF even counts on us to replenish reserve stocks of the guided weapons that minimize civilian casual ties or penetrate tunnels and bunkers. Israel could find that it had paid a grim price in the blood of its sons and daughters, only to be robbed of the chance to hand Hamas a meaningful defeat.
As for our president-elect, his all-too-coy insistence that "we have only one president at a time" has been selective from the start. Glad to pontificate on stimulus packages and union benefits, Obama has used the one-president mantra to avoid taking stands on difficult issues that bedevil or bewilder him. Our president-elect needed to make a clear, prompt statement in support of Israel. He didn't. If I were an Israeli leader, I'd be worried, too.
Obama's notorious for avoiding firm stands that might alienate any important constituency. But you can't have it both ways in the Middle East. He needs to stand up in support of Israel. Now.
Israeli soldiers should not have to go into battle worrying about an American bullet in the back.
The point about Obama not taking a stance is indeed scary. Clearly, his "one president at a time" argument is getting old. We can't wait until January 20th, not to say goodbye to George Bush, but to see what ObamaChrist and Hillary will do with foreign policy and protecting the world from terror.
Our prediction? He is in over his head and our country will regret their decision to make him our next President.
We hope we are wrong.
Well, we'll find out in 4 or 8 years on your prediction however taking a step back the current incident seems to be timed to be done by Jan 20th and will be a fait accompli when Obama takes the oath of office. Plus I don't think this current initiative is 'being in over his head" when what Israel is trying to achieve is actually fairly straightforward even for the casual observor which is about reinstating Fatah/Palestinian Authority over Gaza thus having one unified Palestinian party which Obama knows is a good thing. Mind you Israel may not be sucessful in excuting this action, this after all the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteI think you will see parties try to bait Obama into taking rash action. However I'm not sure that is a sucessful strategy as it has been engaged before - see Clinton, Hillary and McCain, John