Posts Tagged ‘Barack Obama’

Fragen Sie Osama bin Laden, ob ich ein Appeaser bin.

(Barack Obama)

Richard Herzinger: Obama wird die militärische Option gegen Irans Regime nicht scheuen

And I think that anyone who would question that the perpetrator of mass murder on American soil didn’t deserve what he got needs to have their head examined.

Barack Obama

“With regard to Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Middle East, a major bone of convention during course of this month is going to be the potential lapse of the settlement moratorium,” Obama said. “The irony is that when Prime Minister Netanyahu put the moratorium in place, the Palestinians were very skeptical and said it doesn’t do anything. It turns out, to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s credit, that the settlement moratorium has actually been significant. It has significantly reduced settlement construction in the region. And that is why the Palestinians say now, even though they were not keen on it at first, it turns out it’s important to us.”

“What I have said to Prime Minister Netanyahu is that given so far the talks are moving forward in a constructive way, it makes sense to extend the that moratorium so long as talks moving in constructive way,” Obama said.

Via Laura Rozen’s POLITICO.com blog: “Obama: We are not at war with Islam”

Update: See also The New York Times: Obama Urges Israel to Extend Settlement Moratorium

There is no such thing as transatlantic relations under President Barack Obama, says Roger Cohen:

Europe, for the first time in hundreds of years, has become a strategic backwater. Europe is history.

Since taking office, President Obama has reached out to the Muslim world as a whole, to China, to Turkey and to Iran, but has devoted scant serious diplomatic energy to Europe. In many ways, he is the first post-Atlanticist president, drawn by temperament, upbringing and circumstance to focus elsewhere.

“Europe is the object of benign U.S. neglect,” said Camille Grand, a prominent Paris-based defense analyst. “Obama has not established or re-established a strategic relationship with any single European country or with Europe as a whole.”

New York Times Op-Ed: Europe and Benign Neglect

… they can’t say we Obama never tried:

The Obama administration has decided to press for the establishment of a U.N. commission of inquiry to probe allegations of human rights abuses by Burma’s military regime, marking a retreat from earlier American efforts to engage the reclusive government.

The decision reflects mounting frustration that nearly two years of diplomatic outreach, including several visits by senior American diplomats to Burma, have failed to persuade the country’s military ruler, Senior Leader Than Shwe, to release Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, from house arrest or to allow the political opposition to participate in the country’s upcoming election.

Turtle Bay / Foreign Policy: An end to engagement? U.S. to push for Burma inquiry.

President Barack Obama came into office committed to reducing tensions with Iran and transforming the troubled relationship between the two countries by offering an outstretched hand and an open dialogue with that country’s leaders. These are, of course, laudable goals that remain on the table. Ironically, however, if diplomacy is to still have a chance and he is to achieve these goals, Obama will also have to convince Tehran that his outstretched hand can be formed into a fist.

Foreign Policy: It’s Time to Get Tough on Iran

In der Außenpolitik beschränkt sich das Land immer mehr auf eine verwaltende Funktion. Modern ist gerade die Einsicht, dass man den Terror nicht ändern wird und sich deshalb wieder auf staatliche Bedrohungen konzentrieren solle. Die Formel steht für einen neuen, resignierten Isolationismus.

(SZ: Der amerikanische Patient)

An It girl or It-girl is a charming, sexy young woman who receives intense media coverage unrelated or disproportional to personal achievements.

(Wikipedia)

Mr Obama becomes the third sitting US President to receive the prize. The committee said today that he had “captured the world’s attention”. It is certainly true that his energy and aspirations have dazzled many of his supporters. Sadly, it seems they have so bedazzled the Norwegians that they can no longer separate hopes from achievement. The achievements of all previous winners have been diminished.

Times Online: Absurd decision on Obama makes a mockery of the Nobel peace prize

Certainly we have no desire or ability to intrude massive forces into Iran or any other country to determine the outcome of domestic political issues. This is something that we have no intention of ever doing in another country. We’ve tried this once in Vietnam. It didn’t work, as you well know.

(Barack Obama Jimmy Carter)

When Ronald Reagan went before the Brandenburg Gate, he did not say Mr. (Mikhail) Gorbachev, that wall is none of our business.

(Mike Pence)

United States House of Representatives condemns Theran crackdown on Protesters (via):

WASHINGTON (AP) – In the strongest message yet from the U.S. government, the House voted 405-1 Friday to condemn Tehran’s crackdown on demonstrators and the government’s interference with Internet and cell phone communications.

The resolution was initiated by Republicans as a veiled criticism of President Barack Obama, who has been reluctant to criticize Tehran’s handling of disputed elections that left hard-liner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power.

Btw: Who the fuck is Ron Paul?

Nachtrag: Das Weiße Haus will von einer Klatsche nichts wissen:

Shortly after the House vote on Friday afternoon, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the resolution’s language is “very consistent” with what President Obama has said since the chaos began.

“Obviously, we welcome the resolution,” Gibbs said, adding that he believes “that it echoes the words of President Obama throughout the week.”

Except that’s a lie: the White House has not condemned the Iranian regime. Perhaps someone should ask the president personally to do so.

Change: Obama und John Kerry bemühen sich um ein neues Verhältnis mit den sudanesischen Schlächtern:

The new U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, who is currently touring the country, made an unusually positive statement on his arrival in Khartoum last week, telling reporters he was looking for friendship and cooperation from the Sudanese government.

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, will lead a delegation to Sudan’s Darfur region, U.S. officials said on Monday, in a possible sign of a growing willingness to engage with Khartoum.

“This is significant,” a U.S. diplomatic source told Reuters. “It is the first Congressional delegation to Sudan we have had since 2007. Like the U.S. envoy’s current visit, it is a new tack.”

Mehr bei Reuters: Senator to make rare Darfur visit (via).