Hard To Imagine, But It's In the Times Nevertheless

Did you hear the one about president Obama's successful foreign policy?  No, really; the New York Times has an article about it today.  Here is the main point of this column written by Michael Cohen (identified as a former speechwriter for the State Department.)

It’s been a pretty good couple of weeks for American foreign policy. No, seriously.

 

On June 23, the last of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile was loaded onto a Danish freighter to be destroyed. The following day, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia asked his Parliament to rescind the permission that it had given him to send troops into Ukraine. Meanwhile, there is still cautious optimism that a nuclear deal with Iran is within reach.

 

Cohen's main point is that Obama's policy of not using the military and relying instead on threats and diplomacy is working wonders around the world.  As Cohen puts it, "No, seriously."

 

A proper analysis of Cohen's point comes in two pieces:  first a discussion of the "successes" he mentions and second a discussion of Obama's other "successes". 

 

Let's start with the Syrian chemical weapons.  Cohen tells us that the last of Syria's chemical weapons were sent off for destruction in late June.  That is not true, and the whole world knows that.  What happened in June was that the last of part of Syria's disclosed chemical weapons stockpile was put on a ship.  The difference between these two statements is monumental.  Syria, you see, did not disclose ALL of its chemical weapons; it help some back for future use.  Syria also did not destroy the facilities where it makes those chemical weapons; it is probably hard at work making more as I write this.  Further, Syria is still using chemical weapons on civilians.  In recent months, the Assad forces have dropped chlorine gas on areas with resulting deaths and injuries.  Syria says that the chlorine gas (which was used in World War I) is not a chemical weapon, but rather a product made to keep swimming pools sanitary.

 

Now, to be fair, Assad did get rid of a large amount of chemical weapons.  We can all agree that this was a good thing.  But there is no way that Syria no longer has such weapons.  Nor is there any doubt that Syria is making more right now.

 

Then there's Crimea and the Ukraine.  Cohen thinks that Putin's request to the Russian parliament to rescind the authorization to invade Ukraine is a big deal.  No, seriously.  The problem, however, is that the crisis arose when Russia took over Crimea, the southernmost portion of Ukraine.  It still is holding Crimea.  That is a major loss, not a success.  It is the equivalent of Mexico taking over Texas but then asking the Mexican Congress to rescind the authorization to take over Oklahoma while keeping Texas.  It is hardly a success.  But it gets worse.  Right now in Ukraine, there are Russian fighters who are battling the Ukrainian army.  The Russian government used similar forces in Crimea.  They are not identified as members of the Russian army, but they are.  Putin and the Russians denied that they had any involvement in Crimea, and they are doing the same with Ukraine.  In other words, the request by Putin to the Russian parliament is a rather poor deception which only and idiot would accept.  (Sorry Mr. Cohen.)

 

Next is the nuclear deal with Iran that is "within reach".  The claim that this is a success is so ridiculous, that it makes me angry that such an irresponsible statement is published even in a left wing outlet like the Times.  There is no deal.  There is no hint that there will be a deal.  There seems to be a total stalemate in the discussions.

 

Now we have to go on to those areas that Cohen did not mention.  Here's a partial list of recent foreign policy successes by Obama in recent days that Cohen seems to have forgotten:

 

1.  The major rift with Germany as a result of American spying on the German government.  To make things worse, the spying was not stopped even after it was disclosed to the German government six months ago.

 

2.  The collapse of Iraqi control of the northern half of Iraq after the attack by ISIS.  This is directly attributable to the refusal of Obama to insist on an agreement with Iraq two years ago.

 

3.  The establishment of a "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.  The ISIS forces are destroying the so called "vetted" forces in Syria who Obama promised to support but never did.

 

4.  The failure of the Mexican government to stop the hordes of illegals who are coming through Mexico to the USA.  It would not take much for the Mexican police to turn tens of thousands of these people around to force them to go home.  Obama has not been able to get Mexico the even try to help.

 

5.  The rising threats by China to all of its neighbors are causing major concern in Asia.  Obama has remained silent despite threats aimed at Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

 

6.  The loss of American influence in Egypt.  Over the course of the last four years, Obama has managed to turn a country that used to be a close ally into one that is no longer even friendly to the USA.

 

The list is much longer, but none of the items on it are actual "successes".  No, seriously.  Obama's foreign policy is better described as a "disaster".  SERIOUSLY!!!