Op-ed: Great promise turns into catastrophe as Obama leads world into abyss; can we have Bush back?

Yigal Walt Published: 08.23.11, 21:47 / Israel Opinion
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A disaster called Obama

Barack Obama is solidifying his status as the worst president in American history. The leader who promised us a bright future of peace and fraternity is leading the American empire – and the rest of the world with it – into a dark abyss. Ever since he settled into the Oval Office, Obama has been hopping from one disaster to the next, making every possible mistake, boosting enemies and disregarding allies while ruining everything he touches in the process. To our regret, the heaviest price – for the time being at least – is being paid by residents of the Middle East.

When the masses hit Iran’s street and threatened to topple the Ayatollah regime, Obama was silent. Why should he support a struggle waged by freedom-hungry citizens against a radical Islamic dictatorship and chronic human rights violator? And so, a rare opportunity to change the face of a state that today constitutes the gravest threat to world and regional peace slipped away.

Instead of supporting the brave Iranian protestors, Obama chose to nurture his relationship with a new buddy, Bashar Assad, while portraying him as a US ally. When the same Assad started to heartily butcher his own people, while ignoring his “American friends,” Obama again chose silence, until finally breaking it with meaningless, vain declarations. For the time being Obama keeps muttering, Assad keeps murdering, and the world keeps watching and doing nothing.

So when did Obama act? Mubarak! The Egyptian ruler, possibly the wisest, most moderate Mideastern leader safeguarded the peace treaty with Israel, hunted down Islamic radicals, counter-balanced the Shiite Iran, steadfastly maintained his ties with the US and turned our crazed region into a slightly saner place. He was no angel, certainly not towards his own people, but was or is there a better realistic option?

Yet there of all places, Obama the brilliant diplomat opted to intervene aggressively, openly humiliated Mubarak and ultimately presented him with an explicit threat while the latter was struggling to maintain his rule. When the president’s “security experts” declared that the Muslim Brotherhood is a “moderate movement” and admitted they need more time to ascertain its attitude to Israel, we knew we were in for trouble.

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