The killing of tens of thousands as a "crime"

In the annals of the Obama foreign policy, there have been many moments when mistakes have been made. Today, however, president Obama made a statement that is perhaps the worst mistake ever. Indeed, it is such a shocking mistake that it calls into question Obama's ability to make rational judgments.

Obama spoke to the VFW convention today. During that speech, Obama brought up the subject of the chemical and biological weapons that the Assad regime in Syria now admits to having. Indeed, in the last 24 hours, the Assad regime has said that it will use these weapons against any foreign intervention in Syria, a formulation which is code for the current rebels in that country. Assad has long maintained that the rebels are really foreign terrorists attacking Syria. Here is what Obama told the VFW:

“The world is watching and [the Assad regime] will be held accountable if they make the tragic mistake of using those weapons."

Think about that. The president of the United States says that if the Syrian regime uses weapons of mass destruction they will be held accountable. In other words, Obama is threatening Assad and his generals with criminal trials at the Hague if they use chemical weapons.

Let's put this in context. If Assad decides to hit the rebel stronghole of Homa with chemical missiles, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. If Assad decides to hit multiple sites with these weapons, it would be easy to imagine 250,000 dead and many more horribly injured. If Assad decides to try to bring the Arabs together and end the uprising against him, he might be deluded into launching the same weapons at Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities. Many hundreds of thousands of innocents would die. And all that Obama can say is that the perpetrators will be held accountable.

Chemical and biological attacks are not things to be handled in some world criminal court. Assad needs to understand that the moment he uses these weapons, his regime and his life are over. Obama ought to have said that in the event that the Syrian regime uses chemical or biological weapons, the United States will respond by destroying the regime and all its forces. It will then hunt down and execute all of the leaders of the regime. This is something that Assad would at least understand. I am sure that other countries would join the USA in this position. Assad would be left facing his own destruction if he uses these weapons.

Obama seems only to want to downplay every possible conflict in the world. He does not want to risk upsetting his re-election campaign. In the process of running from any confrontation, he is making the world a much more dangerous place. He is increasing the tensions in the Middle East rather than helping. He is making us all much less safe.

The truth is that sometimes America's leader has actually to lead. Hiding just won't cut it. Obama just does not get this.