Have to give credit where credit is due.... From the Desk of Chris Stirewalt: INACTION IN SYRIA LEADS TO OBAMA’S IRAQ QUAGMIRE While President Obama is physically surrounded by water, soaking up sun and sand, his foreign policy is under heavy siege as critics pound the administration from all sides. The commander-in-chief’s limited military moves to stifle the Islamist extremists in Iraq, which many Republicans say are mere pinpricks and Democrats worry will escalate U.S involvement, can be credibly linked to the White House’s inaction in the Syrian civil war. And on that point – Syria – former secretary of state and Democratic 2016 frontrunner Hillary Clinton unloaded on her former boss’s “failure to help build up a credible fighting force,” creating a “vacuum” filled by the extremists now wreaking havoc in the region. [“This commander in chief has no strategy, he has no vision…This is just not about Baghdad this is just not about Syria. It is about our homeland. If we get attacked because he has no strategy to protect us, then he will have committed a blunder for the ages.”—Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on “Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace”] No ‘organizing principle’ - In an interview with The Atlantic, Hillary Clinton was stark in her critique of President Obama’s foreign policy doctrine. With polls showing a precipitous drop in approval of the president’s handling of numerous global crises it’s no wonder Clinton would seek to widen her distance. Lest she be painted with the same brush, Clinton told the Atlantic, “Great nations need organizing principles, and ‘don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.” She went on to jab at her former boss noting his failure to arm Syrian rebels combating President Bashar al-Assad, “…You have more than 170,000 people dead in Syria,” Clinton said. “You have the vacuum that has been created by the relentless assault by Assad on his own population, an assault that has bred these extremist groups, the most well-known of which, ISIS—or ISIL—is now literally expanding its territory inside Syria and inside Iraq.” A strategic swipe? Nah - “A source familiar with the [Atlantic] interview said Clinton’s team gave the White House a warning that it had taken place, [Politico reports]. Clinton aides described the interview as one intended to promote her memoir… and not part of an overarching political strategy related to 2016.” [WSJ: “At this rate, [Hillary Clinton] may be re-advocating Saddam Hussein’s ouster by the time primary season approaches. This all could be—perish the thought—political opportunism on the part of those who have now found the flaws in the foreign policy they once helped execute. Then again, if opportunism causes liberals to acknowledge the failures of Mr. Obama’s worldview, we’ll take it. Better that than a dogmatist in the White House sticking to his case for America’s retreat.”] [In the most recent Fox News poll 56 percent of respondents disapproved of President Obama’s handling of foreign policy matters.] Political turmoil adds to Obama’s ‘long term project’ - Fox News: “As Iraq’s government forces continue to battle Sunni militants in the country’s north and west with the help of American airstrikes, the country’s parallel political crises deepened Sunday as embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki resisted calls to step down and accused the new president of violating Iraqs constitution… At around the same time as al-Maliki’s speech Sunday evening, the Wall Street Journal reported that security forces had deployed in unusually large numbers across Baghdad. The soldiers were particularly prominent in the so-called Green Zone, which includes the prime minister’s home as well as the parliament building, crucial government offices and many embassies… The political infighting could hamper efforts to stem advances by the Islamic State, the militant group formerly known as ISIS, who have seized a large swath of northern and western Iraq in recent weeks. President Barack Obama warned Americans on Saturday that the new campaign to bring security in Iraq requires military and political changes and ‘is going to be a long-term project.’ Obama said Iraqi security forces need to revamp to effectively mount an offensive, which requires a government in Baghdad that the Iraqi military and people have confidence in. Obama said Iraq needs a prime minister -- an indication that suggests he’s written off the legitimacy of the incumbent, al-Maliki.” [Mediate highlights how Americans have hijacked a Twitter hashtag used by ISIS to spread propaganda to promote patriotism.] Iraq yet another millstone for vulnerable Dems - LAT: “[President Obama’s] acknowledgment that Iraq’s problems cannot be solved in weeks, and his refusal to outline a timetable, raised the possibility that his actions in Iraq could shadow the midterm election — creating another tricky issue for Democrats. With many Americans wary of greater U.S. involvement in Iraq and Syria, there was no rush by vulnerable Senate Democrats this week to put out statements on the airstrikes. It remains to be seen whether they will forcefully back the president’s actions on the campaign trail or try to focus more on other topics… Clinton and her fellow Democrats will undoubtedly have more to say on the Iraq crisis in the coming weeks, but her comments suggested that she plans to use Syria as a way to subtly distinguish herself from Obama as she mulls a run for president. Other Democrats will face that strategic decision even earlier as they look ahead to November.”
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 18:54:08 +0000
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