With most of the media’s attention recently focused on the debt ceiling circus in Washington, little press has been given to other potential world-changing events such as those playing out in the Middle East. What started in Tunisia in January as a peaceful revolution has since led to what has been dubbed the “Arab Spring” with much broader implications. Some of these events include:
Egypt – Shortly after the Tunisian dictator fell, Egyptians massed in Cairo and kicked out Hosni Mubarak. While then viewed by many in the West as a pro-democracy movement, reality has the army still running the country. There have also been other signs of concern since March. Last Friday thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters and fellow Islamists rallied in Cairo against the current status. Whether these events lead to positive or negative consequences for the West will be left to history.
Libya – It is now nearly six months since President Obama and NATO chose sides and entered this civil war on behalf of some undefined rebels. The war has dragged on and the rebels are beginning to fight amongst themselves with a major rebel leader recently assassinated. Even if Gadhafi’s forces are ultimately defeated, the civil war is likely to continue as Libya will be run by its own clan-based social structure.
Iraq – The Bagdad government is semi-dysfunctional. Terrorist violence is increasing and Iran’s influence seems to be growing. Obama’s new Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, has asked Baghdad to make a “damn” decision about allowing American forces to remain in that country after the New Year.
Turkey – Turkey is showing signs of unrest. Last week its top military leaders resigned in protest of the 40 generals that were arrested by the Islamic government on questionable charges. In the past nine decades the military has been the most stable guarantor of power since Ataturk founded the modern Turkish Republic.
Yemen – This country on Saudi Arabia’s southern border has been in a state of civil war since the beginning of the year. It has also become a haven for anti-Western terrorists.
Bahrain – As the home for the American 5th Fleet, this small Persian Gulf country has played an important strategic role for the United States. Its majority Shiite population has become restless against Bahrain’s rulers who are Sunnis. Earlier this year Saudi Arabia sent troops into Bahrain to help quell protests.
Iran – Iran continues to march down the path to acquire nuclear weapons. While most often the danger of a nuclear Iran is discussed in terms of Israel’s security, its implications are much broader. The tensions between Shiite Iran and the Sunni Muslim (Arab) world go much deeper. Should Iran gain nukes we should expect that at least the Saudi’s, Jordan and Turkey will also join the nuclear weapons club. Yikes.
Syria – President Bashar Assad this week upped the ante with Syrian protestors. His military attacked protesters killing about 100 adding to the 1,600 already killed since in March. Assad’s clan is part of an offshoot of Shiite Islam called Alawites that make up only about 10% of the Syrian population. The majority Sunnis have had enough of the 40 year rule of the Assads. It is likely that there is more bloodshed to come. Civil war is a possibility and intervention by Iran is not out of the question.
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President Obama has been eerily silent on most of the Middle East events this year. It is evident that the Administration does not have a strategy for this important region. Earlier in his presidency, Obama reached out to the Muslim world in a charm offensive designed to bridge the gap between Islam and the West. It has clearly failed with America’s relationship with Islamic countries showing no improvement. Obama also focused nearly solely on the Israeli/Palestinian issue in the belief that it was the key to peace in the Middle East. The events listed above prove the fallacy of this policy. Not only have the President’s polices not brought stability to the Middle East, they may have helped stoke the flames of instability.
During the recent debt ceiling talks, President Obama often publically lectured the Congress about not doing its job. The President should start this lecturing by looking in the mirror.
The President has not led in the Middle East, but instead followed with erratic positions and policies. When Iranians protestors were being killed in the streets two years ago by 
the Mullahs, Obama remained silent. While Obama stepped in to assist the Libyan rebels, he offers but few words as Syrians protestors are being killed. At the same time, Obama has been quite vocal in criticizing our only dependable Middle East alley, Israel, for building homes in Jerusalem. It is little wonder that Middle East countries do not know where the United States stands.
When Barack Obama was elected president he had no executive or managerial experience. To many on the Left this did not matter as he would bring “hope” and “change”. Many independents voted for Obama hoping that he would be a quick learner, irrespective of his lack of experience. Obama has not brought hope or change, nor has he learned to lead. The legacy of the Obama presidency will include failure on the economic front, as well a foreign policy devoid of any coherent strategy. This one-term president will vie with Jimmy Carter as the worst president of the last 100 years.
Incredibly, Barack Obama was awarded the Novel Prize for Peace early in his presidency. You got to admire the gall of Progressives.
