Chalk up another bad guy for the Obama Administration as reports indicate yet another terrorist leader bites the dust as the result of an American drone attack. While no one sheds any tears over one more extremist taking a well-deserved dirt nap, the administration’s policy of almost exclusively fighting the War on Terror using aerial drones does little to protect us, and has little effect on leading us to victory over our terrorist enemies. Nor does it instill fear or respect in our other adversaries Iran, Russia or China.
Much of the intelligence that leads our efforts against the difficult terrorist enemies we face is obtained from the capture and interrogation of terrorist fighters. Fortunately or unfortunately all that’s left behind from a drone strike are body parts, and very little of real intelligence value is ever recovered. So while a successful drone strike may provide some short term satisfaction, in the long run it is generally counterproductive.
Barack Obama’s refusal to conduct a more aggressive campaign against our ISIS enemies in Iraq, as well as the Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine continues to send the message to them that the president will not respond with strong military force in any confrontation, or vigilantly protect American national interests. A message also well received and used to their advantage by the Iranian negotiators in Geneva.
With roughly a year and a half left in the Obama Administration it’s becoming more and more apparent that our adversaries in the world intend to take advantage of this time to achieve some of their own goals before a new administration comes in. Perhaps a new Republican administration that may be more inclined to forcefully protect American lives and interests than the current one in Washington, D.C.
Vladimir Putin’s resurgent Russia continues its military build-up and combat operations in Eastern Ukraine, exhibiting no apparent reluctance to impose their will on the former Soviet satellite. It’s more than obvious to even the casual observer that Putin holds little regard for his counterpart in the White House, and completely dismisses any strong language emanating from Washington as nothing more than empty rhetoric.
He seems to have read the Obama playbook and has determined that he has a free hand to do as he pleases, while he presumably smirks and chuckles to himself when Barack Obama seems more interested in painting the White House rainbow colors than in countering Putin’s aggressive moves in Europe.
Putin has openly threatened our NATO allies in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and he is attempting to capitalize on and create dissention between the NATO alliance and Greece, using the Greek financial crisis as a wedge. Considering Barack Obama’s response to Russian moves so far, our European allies must surely question how committed the president really is to the NATO alliance that has kept Soviet and Russian aggression in check now for over sixty years. Most certainly Vladimir Putin questions our commitment.
During comments she made over the July 4th weekend Hillary Clinton, the presumed Democratic nominee for president in 2016 remarked that regardless of any deal we achieve over the Iranian nuclear program, “Iran will still be the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism”.
Those comments beg the question “Why then are we even negotiating with Iran in the first place” ? Why waste our time signing any accord when we know that Iran has no intention of abiding by any agreement, and will continue to create havoc around the world through their sponsorship of terrorism? Their quest for a nuclear weapon will go unabated regardless of any piece of paper they may sign as a result of these so-called negotiations. A strong America is needed to counter Iranian adventurism around the world.
And with international sanctions lifted as part of any agreement Iran will be flush with new funds and much more able to support terrorist organizations in every hemisphere. Including here in our own Western Hemisphere.
Unfortunately things don’t look to improve much should ‘Obama III’ continue with Hillary Clinton in the White House. Our nemesis Iran and Russia’s Putin will see Hillary Clinton as nothing more than novelty, viewed with scorn and ridicule. And considering her history and the personal baggage she will bring with her into the Oval Office, our enemies will view her with low regard and little respect.
As she drones on about completing the social agenda and “fundamental transformation” left unfinished by her predecessor Barack Obama.
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