Just when you think there's nothing left president Obama could do to further hurt US/Israeli relations, Obama surprises you. Today, we have the warning from the USA to Israel not to use "excessive force" in the response to the wave of terror attacks by Palestinians that are hitting Israel. It seems that the Obama administration is upset that so many of the attackers have been killed by police or security guards after the attackers begin stabbing innocent civilians. Somehow, it seems that Obama has confused his storyline on terrorism with the one pushed regarding Ferguson or Baltimore. One has random innocent civilians being attacked by a knife wielding terrorist and the other has a supposedly unarmed minority teen set upon by evil racist police. Now, however, Obama has mixed the two.
Let's look for a moment at the way that the USA under Obama handles potential terrorists. It really boils down to two words: Predator drone. Just think how many terrorists or potential terrorists have been killed by missiles launched from an unseen drone that swoop down and blow up the target and anyone else in the house or car that gets hit. For Obama, that's fine and not "excessive force". I assume that's the result because there is no video of the attack which gets shown on American TV. Indeed, Obama changed the tactics of US forces against terrorists to "all drones all the time" because he did not want to take the chance of capturing any additional terrorists who would have to be sent to Guantanamo. Better to kill them than to have to put them in the "inhumane" Guantanamo.
In Israel, however, we are talking about terrorists who are in the middle of an attack. This is not the police bashing down the door hours later to capture a suspect. This is not Israel launching a covert kill strike on a suspected terrorist (like the American predator drones.) This is a young man stabbing a mother, father and two small children who were just walking down the street. The idea that shooting the attacker is using "excessive force" is just plain crazy.
What we are actually seeing is the compulsive need for Obama to try to take a position between Israel and the Palestinians without favoring either side. The problem comes, however, when one side is carrying out terror attacks on the other which is defending itself and its people. Taking a middle ground between the two is not a good idea. When it comes to the Arab/Israeli conflict, however, Obama does not have a clue what to do.
Let's look for a moment at the way that the USA under Obama handles potential terrorists. It really boils down to two words: Predator drone. Just think how many terrorists or potential terrorists have been killed by missiles launched from an unseen drone that swoop down and blow up the target and anyone else in the house or car that gets hit. For Obama, that's fine and not "excessive force". I assume that's the result because there is no video of the attack which gets shown on American TV. Indeed, Obama changed the tactics of US forces against terrorists to "all drones all the time" because he did not want to take the chance of capturing any additional terrorists who would have to be sent to Guantanamo. Better to kill them than to have to put them in the "inhumane" Guantanamo.
In Israel, however, we are talking about terrorists who are in the middle of an attack. This is not the police bashing down the door hours later to capture a suspect. This is not Israel launching a covert kill strike on a suspected terrorist (like the American predator drones.) This is a young man stabbing a mother, father and two small children who were just walking down the street. The idea that shooting the attacker is using "excessive force" is just plain crazy.
What we are actually seeing is the compulsive need for Obama to try to take a position between Israel and the Palestinians without favoring either side. The problem comes, however, when one side is carrying out terror attacks on the other which is defending itself and its people. Taking a middle ground between the two is not a good idea. When it comes to the Arab/Israeli conflict, however, Obama does not have a clue what to do.
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