Obama staying the course set by Bush...discuss

[Ron]

Seems to me that President Bush started increasing troop levels in Afghanistan a year before he left office.

Obama has kept many if not all the senior military guys from the Bush administration on board.

Obama talks about withdrawal dates but really, does anyone believe the guy when he makes such statements?

Not to say he isn't bad for the union or that Bush was as dangerous to the union as he is, Obama is truly worse.

Yet there seems to be some continuity in some aspects of our military adventures that I find surprising.

[Monkeyleg]

Never mind.

[MicroBalrog]

I expect this year will see the Israeli's bomb Iran, thanks in no small part to Obama cutting Israel off at the knees.

This is the same Obama that increased our aid funding by 250 million dollars?

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Obama doesn't want to win the wars, but he really doesn't want to be blamed for losing them.  So he puts on a show of continuing to support the war efforts, even to include risking more servicemen, but he's not in it to win it.  He delays, he dithers, he projects weakness, he denies the military what they need to do a proper job.  But he looks like he's trying, so he gets exactly what he wants.  War is lost, he isn't blamed.

[RevDisk]

This is the same Obama that increased our aid funding by 250 million dollars?

Hey, who do you think you are to interject in this discussion?  And how dare you question the popular political analysis of Obama's foreign policy in regards to Israel!  Most board members are much more knowledgeable about Israel that you could ever be!   




 

(If anyone's sarcasm meter is broken, yes, I am being sarcastic and not launching a personal attack against MB.)

[French G.]

I think the trying to make nice with Israel's avowed enemy is more important than some aid money. Now of course Iran has told everyone who hammered out that uranium agreement to go pound sand and of course scheduled the obligatory military exercise to demonstrate their resolve to defeat the great Satan.

Maybe Obama can talk out of both sides of his mouth until he gets us out of this. 

[Perd Hapley]

So giving Israel an extra 250 mil is supposed to negate anything else Obama has done/not done with regard to that nation?    Some expertise on Israel, that. 

[MicroBalrog]

What has Obama done for/against Israel?

The one major problem you can mention is that Obama has not bombed Iran. But that hardly qualified as "cutting us off at the knees".

[Monkeyleg]

Huh. I guess the stories we're reading over here are wrong about Obama pushing Netanyahu for a freeze on settlements, orders for our troops in Iraq to shoot down Israeli planes headed to Iran, Obama trying to get friendly with anti-Israeli leaders in the Middle East, and polls showing that Israelis consider Obama to be anti-Israel.

Ya can't believe everything you read.

[Perd Hapley]

Did you forget you're talking to an expert?   

[Monkeyleg]

Am I? I'm only reiterating what I read. I can't be over in Israel, and I certainly can't be over in Israel in Netanyahu's office to get the real skinny.

All I know is what I read here in the US, and what I've read has indicated that Israel is pretty much without the US as an ally.

Besides, Obama gave Hamas a big chunk of money as well.

[MicroBalrog]

Huh. I guess the stories we're reading over here are wrong about Obama pushing Netanyahu for a freeze on settlements, orders for our troops in Iraq to shoot down Israeli planes headed to Iran, Obama trying to get friendly with anti-Israeli leaders in the Middle East, and polls showing that Israelis consider Obama to be anti-Israel.

And a freeze of settlements is the most excellent thing that happened to Israel this decade.

As for what "most Israelis think", this is the first time I've heard of this poll, as well as of those "orders to shoot down ISraeli jets."

As for Hamas... you do realize that Israel continues transferring money to Hamas, even under the Netanyahu cabinet, right?

[grey54956]

Really, $250 million is a pretty small sum of money.  Seriously, I have seen bigger lotto jackpots.

Not that I wouldn't love to be the recipient of $250M, but it isn't as much as everyone thinks.

[MicroBalrog]

Really, $250 million is a pretty small sum of money.  Seriously, I have seen bigger lotto jackpots.

Not that I wouldn't love to be the recipient of $250M, but it isn't as much as everyone thinks.

As compared to what?

To the American government budget? Sure.

In Israel, though, $250 million is a giant pile of cash.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

$250 mil is not going to help Israel one little bit in the grand scheme of things.  All it does is buy Obama the right to say he's doing something for Israel, without actually having to do anything at all for Israel.

[MicroBalrog]

$250 mil is not going to help Israel one little bit in the grand scheme of things.  All it does is buy Obama the right to say he's doing something for Israel, without actually having to do anything at all for Israel.

Well, technically, the aid system is harmful to Israel in the grand scheme of things, but I don't think Obama understands that.

[MechAg94]

The Fort Benning terrorist and the underwear bomber have already shown us that Obama can't be trusted to protect this country. This year will only be worse.

Agreed.  I am concerned about the total political response we got right after that underwear bomber hit the news.  That one official got up there trying to say everything worked when it was obvious to all 300 million Americans that it didn't.  IMO, what was said shows a high level of stupidity and lack of foresight that doesn't give me confidence that we will prevent future attacks. 

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Agreed.  I am concerned about the total political response we got right after that underwear bomber hit the news.  That one official got up there trying to say everything worked when it was obvious to all 300 million Americans that it didn't.  IMO, what was said shows a high level of stupidity and lack of foresight that doesn't give me confidence that we will prevent future attacks. 

Re: The Martyr in PETN Panties, I seem to recall (not positive) that he didn't actually touch down on US soil until he soiled broiled his drawers with the bomb. Aside from somebody putting him on the no-fly list, we don't have much say as to how furrin airports do their business, right? Laying blame for that on BO seems a bit of a stretch.

[makattak]

Re: The Martyr in PETN Panties, I seem to recall (not positive) that he didn't actually touch down on US soil until he soiled broiled his drawers with the bomb. Aside from somebody putting him on the no-fly list, we don't have much say as to how furrin airports do their business, right? Laying blame for that on BO seems a bit of a stretch.

He was turned in by his father and he had a multiple entry visa to the US.

The airline security failed in Amsterdam, yes. Airline security is the last line of defense against these terrorist threats.

The largest problem is NOT our lackluster security protocols (or, in this case, Netherland security.)

The largest problem is a failure of intelligence, communication and cooperation between organizations.

[MechAg94]

Re: The Martyr in PETN Panties, I seem to recall (not positive) that he didn't actually touch down on US soil until he soiled broiled his drawers with the bomb. Aside from somebody putting him on the no-fly list, we don't have much say as to how furrin airports do their business, right? Laying blame for that on BO seems a bit of a stretch.

I wasn't blaming them for what happened so much as blaming them for the nutty remarks of the Obama appointee. 

[Tallpine]

Fort Benning terrorist

Was there something that happened at Fort Benning, as well as Fort Hood 

[Perd Hapley]

Was there something that happened at Fort Benning, as well as Fort Hood 

I heard somebody failed to register their weapon!!!   

[Monkeyleg]

Sheesh. I think I should just delete my entire post.

[taurusowner]

orders for our troops in Iraq to shoot down Israeli planes headed to Iran

I don't believe I've heard that one.

[De Selby]

I don't believe I've heard that one.

It probably isn't true, but it would be the smart policy for American interests.  An attack on Iran would instantaneously un-do every bit of gain that's been had in Iraq over the past two years. 

Obama's policy is identical to Bush's policy on these matters.  I'm predicting that this policy will make him a one-termer, once the scope of the disaster that is Afghanistan begins to feature more in the press.