Pakistan

Does Osama Bin Laden Success Guarantee Second Presidential Term For Barack Obama?

Ronald 1 Comment

As a result of the successful raid into the Osama Bin Laden compound in Pakistan, the first thought would be that it gives President Obama a tremendous edge in the contest for re-election as President in 2012.

But before we conclude that, we need to look at history, whether military success insures a political victory.

In at least three cases, two American and one British, exactly the opposite occurred.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was the great hero of World War II and the struggle against Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. And yet, when the British people voted months after the end of the European war, they chose to vote out the Conservative Party of Churchill and put in as Prime Minister the Labour Party leader, Clement Attlee, who served from 1945-1951.

In 1975, President Gerald Ford mounted a successful rescue mission of 39 US Navy personnel from the ship Mayaguez, which had been seized by the radical Khmer Rouge government of Cambodia. While 41 military personnel died in the successful rescue mission, two more than the number saved, it was still seen as a victory to be able to release the hostages unharmed. But in 1976, President Ford lost to Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia for a full term in the White House!

And in 1991, President George H W Bush was able to mount a UN offensive which defeated Saddam Hussein in six weeks, the very brief Gulf War! Bush’s ratings hit an all time high for any President, 91 percent, but a year and a half later, only 37 percent voted for Bush against Bill Clinton, the second worst defeated President in American history, despite the great and quick victory over Iraq!

So while it would seem likely that Obama gains a great edge for next year’s election by the death of Osama Bin Laden, there is no certainty in any sense of what the future holds!

Adolf Hitler And Osama Bin Laden: Two Most Hated Tyrants Die A Day Apart 66 Years Apart!

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Without any question, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was the most hated man in American eyes in the 20th century, and when he died by suicide on April 30, 1945, the nation celebrated!

Now, 66 years and one day later, Osama Bin Laden, the most hated man in America in the 21st century’s short history, has been killed in a joint operation with the assistance of the Pakistani government, and his body was claimed by the Americans as proof through DNA testing that it was, indeed, the mass murderer who was responsible for the September 11 attacks and the ongoing War on Terror, the greatest threat since Nazism on American national security!

Evil exists in the world, but one has to believe that justice will be served, and that good will ultimately wins out against the forces of darkness. This worked both against Hitler and Osama Bin Laden, and the thrill felt on V-E Day in 1945 is now spreading throughout America as we celebrate a great moment in American history, which helps to heal the wounds of our losses.

We must remain united against any other evil terrorists who might wish to attack us! This is not time to let down our guard!

PS.  I  have just learned that the German Government announced the death of Adolf Hitler on May 1, the day after his suicide, so at least the announcement of the death of Hitler and Osama Bin Laden were exactly 66 years apart!

The Middle East Headaches Of Barack Obama

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Now in its fifth day of intervention in the Libyan Civil War, the Obama Administration faces a whole series of headaches in the Middle East, many more problematical than Moammar Gaddafi!

The biggest problem of all is the Afghanistan War and the instability in next door Pakistan, which could blow up any time and affect the security of next door India, with the growing threat of Al Qaeda and Islamic terrorism in the region.

Iran is also a problem that will NOT go away, with the growing dangers presented by the radical theocracy of that nation, and the movement ahead on development of nuclear weapons capability.

Third issue is Iraq, where the last 50,000 troops are supposed to be withdrawn by the end of this year, but Iran is gaining more influence by the week in a country which once fought an eight year conflict against Iran from 1980-1988.

Bahrain, where the US naval fleet is housed, and Yemen, which has an active Al Qaeda cell, both are undergoing revolutionary activities against then established governments, endangering American security interests.

Egypt and Tunisia have to adapt to their revolutions and evolve toward democracy, something they have never experienced before.

The Israeli-Palestinian struggle continues, and new violence has now erupted, leading to new possibilities of widespread bloodshed and turmoil.

Libya is less significant comparatively, but it is a reality that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates and others involved in the execution of foreign policy must be having sleepless, or at the least, restless nights!

In the Midst Of Domestic Political Debate, Growing Concern About American Foreign Policy! :(

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It is evident that the Tucson, Arizona tragedy of last week has been dominating political discussion and debate in the past few days, but it has become obvious in the past two days that American diplomacy is at a possible crucial moment that might affect the long term future of American foreign policy.

At the same time, we have the following realities:

Vice President Joe Biden went on an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to take stock as to what is being accomplished there, in what is now the longest foreign war in America’s history.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting the Gulf States, and warning the Arab nations of the need to unite against the possible deployment of nuclear weapons by Iran in the near future, which would endanger them, as well as the nation of Israel. At the same time, Iran is gaining more influence in Iraq after all of our nation’s sacrifices there.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is now in China, just as they demonstrated a stealth airplane model for the first time, and he has expressed concern about US-Chinese relations, a week before the Chinese President is due for a visit to the United States. Gates has also expressed concern that North Korean development of nuclear power is a potential threat to the security of the United States.

When has a Vice President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Defense all been overseas at the same time, pursuing foreign policy issues? Without being certain, the author would tend to think it has never happened.

So it is clear that foreign policy issues are starting to come back toward being the key problems that President Barack Obama must deal with, in the midst of an environment in which there is no civility or cooperation between the political parties and with elements of the media.

How this nation is to deal with Afghanistan, Iran, China, and North Korea are crucial to the future of America. And this is without thinking about relations with Russia, Pakistan, Venezuela and other nations that we must not take our attention away from, as they all represent challenges to the United States!

What If The Republicans Had Won The Presidency And Control Of Both Houses Of Congress In 2008? :(

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Let’s just imagine for a moment that the Republican Party had won back both houses of Congress in 2008, and that John McCain and Sarah Palin had become President and Vice President on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009.

How would the United States be different?

1. There would be no movement toward health care coverage for more than 30 million Americans.
2. Credit Card reform would not have occurred.
3. Student Loan reform would not have become law.
4. Wall Street reform would not have been passed in any form.
5. The domestic auto industry would be gone, except for Ford Motor Company, causing miilions of job losses, both direct and indirect.
6. Unemployment would be closer to 17 percent, instead of 9.8 percent, as there would not have been any economic stimulus.
7. Two Supreme Court nominees, much more like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, would be sitting on the bench.
8. Major Food Safety legislation would not have become law.
9. The end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for gays in the military would not have happened.
10. John McCain would have been hostile and antagonistic toward the news media to a greater extent than even Richard Nixon, displaying his anger and fury on a regular basis.
11. Sarah Palin would have made so many errors in statements and actions that people would have longed for the days of Dan Quayle as Vice President.
12. There would be growing concern about the possibility of Sarah Palin as President, were John McCain to have a health crisis, reminding many of the fear of Dan Quayle when George H W Bush had a health crisis in office.
13. Relations with the rest of the world would be far more confrontational, nationalistic, and belligerent.
14. Open war with Iran and Pakistan, adding to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, would have been likely.

There are other scenarios to imagine and to discuss, but is not the above enough to make one want to wake up from this NIGHTMARE? 🙁

Tragic Passing Of Richard Holbrooke, Premier Diplomat And Peace Maker! :(

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The death last night of Richard Holbrooke, one of the greatest diplomats in American history, after the occurrence of an aortic tear while visiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department last Friday, is a tremendous loss to American diplomacy. 🙁

A career diplomat since the late 1960s, Holbrooke worked on the problems of Vietnam, Bosnia, Cyprus, Afghanistan and Pakistan.   He was also Ambassador to Germany, and also was Ambassador to the United Nations under President Bill Clinton.

Holbrooke was often considered a potential Secretary of State, and many thought he should have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for having negotiated the Dayton Accords in 1995, which brought peace to the Balkans and ended the Serbian war on Bosnia.

Also having prevented a war between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus in 1996, Holbrooke was known as a tough negotiator who would not let anyone intimidate him, and he was known for not suffering fools or villains, staring down Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic.

It will not be easy to replace Holbrooke, so American diplomacy has suffered a major loss hard to measure!

Foreign Policy Headaches Continue To Grow: A Challenge To President Obama!

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In the midst of overwhelming domestic issues, including the month long crisis over the British Petroleum oil spill and its effect on the Gulf of Mexico, and the resulting threat to the economic survival of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, and possibly the whole Atlantic coast as well, Barack Obama cannot afford to ignore burgeoning foreign policy crises!

One would think that we are referring here to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, which certainly remain areas of great challenges for the United States!

But the fact that so many of our “native” terrorists seem to have had a connection to Pakistan makes that Muslim nation the center of great attention and concern by our government as well!

Add to that the continuing problem of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and their defiance of the West! Add to that the constant challenges of dealing with two super powers, in the sense of size and influence–China and Russia!

Also, now add to that list the growing threat of North Korea, which has been held responsible for an attack on a South Korean ship, which led to the death of 46 people on the vessel, and the reaction by both Koreas, leading to a real fear that another Korean conflict could be in the offing! When one realizes the devastation brought on by the Korean War from 1950-1953, the thought of a major war, which would engulf US forces there, and would require a full scale response by the United States in support of South Korea, is totally terrifying, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility!

Then add the problem of Venezuela, Somalia, Yemen, Burma, and even Mexico and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it is enough to say: “Why would anyone want the job of President of the United States?” 🙁

The Capture of Adam Gedahn: Will Dick Cheney And The Republicans Stop Calling Obama Weak In The War on Terrorism?

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The just announced capture of American expatriate and Muslim convert Adam Gedahn, who grew up in California and became a spokesman for Al Qaeda in 2004, and is on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, is a great step forward in the war on terror worldwide!

This comes on top of arrests recently of other Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives, primarily by cooperation between the Pakistani spy agency and our CIA.

To accuse the Obama Administration of being weak in the terrorism fight, as Dick Cheney, other Republicans, talk radio, and Fox News Channel asserts, is obviously ridiculous and outrageous! 🙂

It is time to stop politicizing this threat to our security and unite around the President. However, is that likely? Don’t bet on it, as the Republicans and conservatives are only interested in promoting fear and division, rather than unity and support for our President, whose administration is doing a fantastic job, way beyond anything accomplished during the Bush-Cheney Administration!

NOTE:  IT TURNS OUT THAT ADAM GEDAHN WAS NOT CAPTURED, AND IS STILL AT LARGE!

The First White House State Dinner: India And The United States

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President Obama is hosting Indian Prime Minister Singh and his wife at the first White House State Dinner of his Presidency tonight.

It is appropriate that our government is hosting the leader of the largest democracy in the world, a country that is part of the War on Terror, and has suffered from terrorist attacks on a regular basis, including last year’s tragic events in Mumbai.

Despite the many problems India has had since its independence in 1947, it is certainly a model of what we would love to see occurring elsewhere in the world: a move away from dictatorship and demagoguery so common in the so called Third World nations.

India has come a long way, and is now seen as one of the growth nations which will have a great impact on the future of the 21st century.

So promoting closer ties is very important, a complete reversal from what happened during the war of India and Bangladesh against Pakistan in 1971, when the Nixon Administration regrettably backed Pakistan, a move detrimental to close Indian-US relations for a generation.

Now the future of Indian-US diplomacy looks assured, thanks to the efforts of President Obama!