Israel Matzav

Who will lead the free world?

If any of you has any doubt that President Obama gave up the United States' leadership with his UN General Assembly speech last month, please consider this from Fox News (Hat Tip: Atlas Shrugs).

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with the Obama administration. A Reuters analysis piece says Sarkozy is shifting his focus from the U.S. to other international allies.

Didier Billion of the Institute of International & Strategic Relations says: "Sarkozy has clearly been thrown off course in his relations with America." Another foreign affairs expert, Bruno Tertrais from the Foundation for Strategic Research, adds: "There is an annoyance about what the French see as naivety in the Obama administration."

One major sticking point has been President Obama's softer stance on Iran, while President Sarkozy prefers a more hawkish approach. Sarkozy said last month: "I support America's outstretched hand. But what has the international community gained from these offers of dialogue? Nothing but more enriched uranium and centrifuges."

Pamela mentions another world leader who may be annoyed with Obama: Germany's Angela Merkel. I can think of two more: Israel's Binyamin Netanyahu and possibly even England's Gordon Brown (who sided with Sarkozy against Obama's waiting to announce the nuclear plant at Qom until the beginning of the G-20 instead of announcing it at the General Assembly).

I guess the Europeans have decided they'd like a little more substance from America after all.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:07 AM