Israel Matzav

He beats up allies and is soft on enemies

President Obama likes to beat up on allies but he doesn't know how to handle enemies. Elliott Abrams rips him to shreds for his inaction on Syria.

First, where is the President? This statement carefully avoided using the word “I” and was handed out by the White House. The President’s appearance on camera, delivering such words personally so that they can be carried into Syria on al Jazeera and YouTube, would be much more effective. With hundreds now dead in the streets of Syria, it is past time for him to speak.

Second, the Friday statement continues to appeal to Assad: “We call on President Assad to change course now, and heed the calls of his own people.” That might have been acceptable 300 deaths ago, but it is now absurd. The President called on Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, a long-time American ally, to leave; why the reticence about Assad, a long-time American enemy?

Third, the White House statement is just words. It does not promise, suggest, or announce any actions. This Administration has spent two years engaging with the Assad regime and loosening U.S. sanctions on it. “The World Trade Organization’s 153 members granted Syria observer status after the U.S. dropped its opposition in a sign the Obama administration is softening its stance toward the Middle Eastern nation,” Bloomberg reported a year ago, noting also that “President Barack Obama’s administration has already loosened export-license curbs on aircraft repairs for state-owned Syrian Arab Airways.” So this Administration, having followed a foolish policy of engagement with this barbaric regime, has a special obligation to correct its course. The first action should be recalling our ambassador to Syria, who should never have been given his recess appointment to the post last year. Second, the United States should be calling immediately for special meetings of the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council, to bring additional focus on the murders of peaceful protesters in Syria and seek sanctions against the regime, in the hope that this attention will constrain its bloody hand.

Incredibly, it's the Europeans who are pushing for a Security Council condemnation of Assad. Obama is apparently going to vote present and wait to see if Russia or China casts a veto.

There's a lesson here for Israel. Stand up to Obama. There's a much better chance that he'll back off if we stand up to him than there is if we continue to try to please him.

Labels: ambassador to Syria, Barack Obama, Elliott Abrams, Israel, Syria

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:27 PM