Since 2009, when president Obama took office, many (including me) have criticized him for having no overall strategy in his foreign policy. It is now clear that we were all wrong. Obama does have a strategy that he is following (at least in part of the world). The problem, however, is that Obama's strategy is, at best, a delusion. Obama is setting up Iran as the regional ruler of the Middle East in hope of forming some sort of peace keeping alliance with the Islamic Republic. It's the rough equivalent of Franklin Delano Roosevelt forming an alliance in 1940 with Japan and Germany in the hopes of pacifying those pesky British and Chinese.
Let's start with what has happened.
1. Obama moved America away from its close friendship with Israel, a nation that the Iranians want to destroy. He positioned the USA against the Israelis by pre-empting the issue of settlements. In the past, settlements were an issue that was the subject of negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians. Obama required Israel to give up the issue as a prerequisite to any further talks. As a result, the talks were completely unsuccessful even though Israel did stop work on its settlements for about two years. The Palestinians recognized that the USA had moved to their side of the dispute, so they waited for Obama to exact more concessions from the Israelis. Obama next did his best to show contempt for Israel. He treated the Israeli prime minister in a way to which the leader of no other nation would be subjected. Obama also interfered blatantly in Israel's elections.
2. Obama also went to the Middle East to apologize for America. He made clear that US policy was going to change.
3. When the Arab Spring uprisings began, Obama rushed in to help overthrow Gaddafi in Libya. It was a crazy policy which overthrew the Libyan government but had no plans to deal at all with the consequences of that move. In Egypt too, Obama helped oust America's long time ally Mubarak. When the Moslem Brotherhood took control and began moving against Egypt's large Christian minority, Obama did nothing. And then when the Egyptian people ousted the Moslem Brotherhood and president Morsi, Obama came down hard on Morsi's successor, president Sisi, because ...well just because. It is worth noting that these moves weakened both Libya and Egypt (both of which are stridently opposed to Iran) and unsettled the entire Sunni area of the Middle East.
4. Meanwhile, Obama took all US forces out of Iraq. The government which was left was controlled by Shiites who were close allies of Iran. That's right, Iran was a principal supplier of arms and even men to the forces that fought America in Iraq; many of our dead were killed by bombs made in Iran. Even so, after American forces won the war in Iraq, Obama raced out of the country so as to hand control to Iran.
5. When ISIS came to Iraq and the government of that country proved unable to defend itself even with Iranian help, America returned forces to Iraq in a rather haphazard way. Obama has now allied America in Iraq with the Iranian forces there. The two countries are even sharing some bases. Obama has also made clear that only Iran will be America's ally in Iraq. The Kurds, America's long time friend and ally, have been abandoned by Obama. The Kurdish forces are in urgent need of modern weapons to fight ISIS, but Obama will not send them any help. Iran wouldn't like that.
6. Then there's the nuclear talks. Obama has now made clear that he is going to sign an agreement that will give Iran a green light to develop nuclear weapons. It won't be couched in that language, but given the terms of the agreement, there is no other possible conclusion. Iran will get hundreds of billions of dollars as well as the bomb.
Why would Obama try to build up Iran? Does he really think that the nation which for nearly forty years has chanted "death to America" is going to become our friend? Remember, the Iranian mullahs do not look at the USA as just an adversary. For them, America is a devil, the "Great Satan". They are theologically opposed to the USA. They have made it an article of their faith. That is not a view which will easily be changed. So why does Obama think he will alter their view?
The question is very hard to answer. In my opinion, Obama is delusional. He thinks that the leaders of Iran are like him. Obama believes that Iran's leadership does not really believe what it says. When the Ayatollah chants death to America, Obama thinks it is just a talking point like the many things he has said over the years without meaning it. Obama thinks that if he gives the Iranians what they want, they will be satisfied and will become friends. It's just crazy.
Let's start with what has happened.
1. Obama moved America away from its close friendship with Israel, a nation that the Iranians want to destroy. He positioned the USA against the Israelis by pre-empting the issue of settlements. In the past, settlements were an issue that was the subject of negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians. Obama required Israel to give up the issue as a prerequisite to any further talks. As a result, the talks were completely unsuccessful even though Israel did stop work on its settlements for about two years. The Palestinians recognized that the USA had moved to their side of the dispute, so they waited for Obama to exact more concessions from the Israelis. Obama next did his best to show contempt for Israel. He treated the Israeli prime minister in a way to which the leader of no other nation would be subjected. Obama also interfered blatantly in Israel's elections.
2. Obama also went to the Middle East to apologize for America. He made clear that US policy was going to change.
3. When the Arab Spring uprisings began, Obama rushed in to help overthrow Gaddafi in Libya. It was a crazy policy which overthrew the Libyan government but had no plans to deal at all with the consequences of that move. In Egypt too, Obama helped oust America's long time ally Mubarak. When the Moslem Brotherhood took control and began moving against Egypt's large Christian minority, Obama did nothing. And then when the Egyptian people ousted the Moslem Brotherhood and president Morsi, Obama came down hard on Morsi's successor, president Sisi, because ...well just because. It is worth noting that these moves weakened both Libya and Egypt (both of which are stridently opposed to Iran) and unsettled the entire Sunni area of the Middle East.
4. Meanwhile, Obama took all US forces out of Iraq. The government which was left was controlled by Shiites who were close allies of Iran. That's right, Iran was a principal supplier of arms and even men to the forces that fought America in Iraq; many of our dead were killed by bombs made in Iran. Even so, after American forces won the war in Iraq, Obama raced out of the country so as to hand control to Iran.
5. When ISIS came to Iraq and the government of that country proved unable to defend itself even with Iranian help, America returned forces to Iraq in a rather haphazard way. Obama has now allied America in Iraq with the Iranian forces there. The two countries are even sharing some bases. Obama has also made clear that only Iran will be America's ally in Iraq. The Kurds, America's long time friend and ally, have been abandoned by Obama. The Kurdish forces are in urgent need of modern weapons to fight ISIS, but Obama will not send them any help. Iran wouldn't like that.
6. Then there's the nuclear talks. Obama has now made clear that he is going to sign an agreement that will give Iran a green light to develop nuclear weapons. It won't be couched in that language, but given the terms of the agreement, there is no other possible conclusion. Iran will get hundreds of billions of dollars as well as the bomb.
Why would Obama try to build up Iran? Does he really think that the nation which for nearly forty years has chanted "death to America" is going to become our friend? Remember, the Iranian mullahs do not look at the USA as just an adversary. For them, America is a devil, the "Great Satan". They are theologically opposed to the USA. They have made it an article of their faith. That is not a view which will easily be changed. So why does Obama think he will alter their view?
The question is very hard to answer. In my opinion, Obama is delusional. He thinks that the leaders of Iran are like him. Obama believes that Iran's leadership does not really believe what it says. When the Ayatollah chants death to America, Obama thinks it is just a talking point like the many things he has said over the years without meaning it. Obama thinks that if he gives the Iranians what they want, they will be satisfied and will become friends. It's just crazy.
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