International Affairs

Keep in mind that in the midst of all this violence and uncertainty in the Middle East, a virulently anti-American fundamentalist Islamist regime in Tehran is brazenly marching toward a nuclear weapons capability.
 
President Obama has said that all options are on the table to prevent this eventuality, but does anyone really believe that? The Iranians certainly don’t — otherwise they would have scaled back their efforts rather than defiantly ramping them up. America is watching and waiting while subterranean centrifuges in Iran are spinning.  

Officials in the Obama administration were warned of a possible or imminent attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, given specific warning 48 hours in advance of the planned attacks on the anniversary of 9/11, according to the UK Independent newspaper, and were warned on Sept. 4 of possible attacks on U.S. interests in the region, according to the Jerusalem Post.

We now know that while President Obama was campaigning in Norfolk, Va., on Sept. 4, and was mugging for the cameras and getting lifted off the ground in a bear hug on the campaign trail in California on Sept. 9 — the dates both warnings came — he was also skipping at least six of his daily security briefings (now claiming to have read them, but declining in-person, face-to-face briefings), and did not even inform Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and other officials of the threat or put them on high alert in any way, shape or form.

Here’s why — politics aside — Mitt Romney’s remarks about current goings-on in Egypt and Libya were reckless and irresponsible.

There is no way to preclude some sick, violent person from going into a school or workplace or government office with a gun and a psycho grudge and wreaking havoc. We grieve for the victims, refuse to control deadly firearms, and look back wondering what we might have done. But looking back never prepares us for the next Oklahoma City or Virginia Tech or Benghazi, Libya.

Worth noting: fascinating parallels in comments on Wednesday from “Morning Joe” regular Mike Barnicle and the same day from Kadima party’s Shaul Mofaz.

BARNICLE: Who is the more dangerous player on the world stage right now, the supreme leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] in Tehran or Bibi Netanyahu?

(UNCLEAR): Don’t answer that.

JOE KLEIN: It’s not Netanyahu. The supreme leader is a fascist. And he right now is causing great pain to his people in a way that Bibi Netanyahu never would.

DONNY DEUTSCH: I understand the point of your question, but that was a silly question.

The recent attack on the United States Embassy in Libya, which resulted in the death of our ambassador and three senior staff members, is a proximate act of war that has not engendered much of a response from the White House.

Let us not forget the attack on our Embassy in Egypt this week, which is a dark reminder of the weakness of our foreign policy. Is this not reminiscent of the Jimmy Carter years? 

This would be a great day for Mitt Romney to stop playing partisan politics on matters he has no experience in, and knows nothing about. There is a tragedy this morning for American diplomats in the Middle East. In a situation that is inflamed and unstable, the ill-chosen words of the inexperienced and amateurish Romney, who is already opining on the television news about real-time tragedy in the Middle East, could cause real harm to American diplomats, American troops and American security.

Whether or not President Obama has really snubbed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel by refusing to meet with him in New York, it’s time that Bibi understood that the administration does not want to be bounced into military strikes on Iran before the November election.

For months now, it has been apparent that there are substantive differences between the United States and Israel over the so-called red lines that would trigger military action. For Israel, it comes down to Iran having a nuclear weapon “capability,” which can mean anything from having enough fissile material stockpiled for a bomb and the components to deliver it. For the Obama administration, when on message, the issue is to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

One of the big questions during Egypt’s democratic elections following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak was whether they would be the country’s last.

Muslim fundamentalists do not have a strong record as far as political tolerance goes¸ and there were widespread concerns among secular liberals and the minority Christian community that if elected, the predominant Muslim Brotherhood movement would stifle dissent.

Is the West African state of Mali, where al Qaeda fighters are well-established in the north, the next Afghanistan?

You might think so, listening to former Canadian ambassador Robert Fowler on NPR this morning. He was held hostage for 130 days by brutes from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in 2008.

The Obama administration is aware of the threat from the al Qaeda fighters; the French government is openly alarmed. There is talk of “Africanistan” among some West African government officials.

Mitt Romney wrapped up his first foreign tour as presidential candidate today in Poland.

The Republican presidential contender had a chance to shine in his swing through London for the Olympics, as well as Israel and Poland. His appearances in cities of three key U.S. allies should have been a breeze and enhanced his standing as potential commander in chief. Not only did he blow it, he left a trail of controversy behind him, with his hosts feeling obliged to contradict his message on every single stop.