Obama has transformed the Middle East

By Ted Belman

When Pres. Obama first took office, Israel was surrounded by secular dictatorships for the most part. They included Eqypt, Jordan and Syria. The first two had peace agreements with Israel and still do.  Iraq, thanks to Pres Bush, had a fragile democratic government and did not share a border with Israel. Lebanon was dominated by Hezbollah, a proxy for Iran.

Prior to taking office Obama ran with a pro-Palestinian crowd made up of the radical left.  But more specifically it extended to Ali Abunimah, the founder of the anti-Israel Electronic Intifada, William Ayers, Edward Sayyid and Rashid Khalidi, former mouthpiece for master terrorist Yasser Arafat.  In 2003 Obama attended a farewell bash in honor of Khalidi who was going to a Columbia  to assume a professorship endowed in honor of Edward Sayyid another known terrorist apologist. What was said at this event was presumably, so damaging to Obama’s political career that the LA Times, that liberal bastion, who came into possession of a tape of the event, refused to release it.

Abunimah recalled Obama saying to him, when he was running for the US Senate in 2004, “Hey, I’m sorry I haven’t said more about Palestine right now, but we are in a tough primary race. I’m hoping when things calm down I can be more up front.” and “(k)eep up the good work.”

The Obama – Hamas Connection predates his first Presidential run and continues to this day. Hamas endorsed him for President and aided his campaign. Obama gave them large sums of money and has tried to bring them in from the cold. He also made efforts to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

In June 2009 Obama made a much heralded speech in Cairo in which he called for a new beginning with Muslims . He insisted that the top representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned party in Egypt, be invited to attend. Mubarak, in protest, did not attend.

“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”

Little did we know what tangible form this would take. But we did know that he intended to defend Islam both at home and abroad.

“And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”

Since then he has done his best to live up to this assumed responsibility by imposing a speech code which totally masks the reality and the truth. But why was this his responsibility?

On Feb 2012, in Obama and the Muslim Brotherhood, I made the case for the alliance between the Obama administration and the Muslim Brotherhood being the cornerstone of Obama’s New Middle East policy. His friendship with Erdogan was part of this policy. I also noted “Obama has decidedly moved from an alliance with Israel to an alliance with the Islamists.” Events have proven me correct.

The Arab “Spring” started with the self-immolation by a Tunisian vendor in late 2010.  One month later the Tunisian President, after 23 years in power, resigned in the face of massive protests.

Next, a civil war broke out in Libya.  The UNSC, after the urgings of Qatar, and because of trumped up warning of an impending massacre, passed a resolution authorizing force to protect a rebel stronghold. One thing led to another ending in Kaddafi’s  death.  But for the role of the US, this would not have happened.   Kaddafi  had made his peace with the western world and had been feted in Washington and Paris. All this was forgotten by the West as they demonized him for his former terrorism.  But Kaddafi had to go because he was a secular dictator, had lots of gold and was signing oil contracts with China and Russia. But to the surprise of Obama he wasn’t replaced by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Meanwhile protests in Egypt were reaching fever pitch, in part with the covert support of the US.  Pres Obama weighed in and demanded that Mubarak step down, which he did. Then Obama used his influence to have elections as soon as possible thereby denying the opportunity to democrats to get organized.

Islamist Mohamed Morsi, head of the Muslim Brotherhood, was elected President of Egypt in June 2012. There were credible complaints that the vote was rigged but Obama dismissed them and pressed on.  It didn’t matter to Obama that Morsi began making Eqypt into an islamist state or that he was undemocratic,  antisemitic  and anti-Israel.  He still gave Egypt aid in the form of money and military equipment without strings attached.

Obama was on a roll. Concurrently, he moved on together with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to replace the secular dictator Assad with the Muslim Brotherhood. Democrats need not apply.

The most damning bit of evidence of his embrace of the Brotherhood rather than democrats, was reported in August 2011, by Herb London in his article U.S. Betrays Syria’s Opposition:

“In an effort to understand and placate Syrian opposition groups, Secretary Clinton invited them to a meeting in Washington. Most of those invited, however, have links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Missing from the invitations are Kurdish leaders, Sunni liberals, Assyrians and Christian spokesmen. According to various reports the State Department made a deal with Turkey and Muslim Brotherhood representatives either to share power with Assad to stabilize the government, or replace him if this effort fails. One organization, the Syrian Democracy Council (SDC), an opposition group composed of diverse ethnic and religious organizations, including Alawis, Aramaic Christians, Druze and Assyrians was conspicuously — and no coincidentally — omitted from the invitation list.”

Caroline Glick wrote in August 2011:

“What these observers fail to recognize is that Erdogan’s interests in a post-Assad Syria have little in common with US interests. Erdogan will seek to ensure the continued disenfranchisement of Syria’s Kurdish minority. And he will work towards the Islamification of Syria through the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Today there is a coalition of Syrian opposition figures that include all ethnic groups in Syria. Their representatives have been banging the doors of the corridors of power in Washington and beyond. Yet the same Western leaders who were so eager to recognize the Libyan opposition despite the presence of al Qaeda terrorists in the opposition tent have refused to publicly embrace Syrian regime opponents that seek a democratic, federal Syria that will live at peace with Israel and embrace liberal policies.

“This week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a private meeting with these brave democrats. Why didn’t she hold a public meeting? Why hasn’t Obama welcomed them to the White House?”

“By refusing to embrace liberal, multi-ethnic regime opponents, the administration is all but ensuring the success of the Turkish bid to install the Muslim Brotherhood in power if Assad is overthrown.”

This year everything started to unravel.

Saudi Arabia, who was extremely vexed at Obama’s ousting of Mubarak, put together an aid package ?of $8 billion dollars for Egypt to encourage General Sisi to oust Morsi which he did. ? He also banned the Muslim Brotherhood and imprisoned Morsi and his henchmen.  He also laid Hamas low by destroying almost 1000 tunnels leading into Gaza from which Hamas received considerable tax revenue and military supplies. Notwithstanding that General Sisi was clearly supported by the people, Obama continued to defend Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.  He also foolishly cut back on US military aid to Egypt.

This provided an opening to Russia to restore ties with Egypt.  Russia is currently negotiating the sale of military equipment to Egypt and is expecting to be given a permanent port birth on the Mediterranean.

In Syria too Obama’s plans were stymied by Russia and Iran so much so that Obama is no longer demanding that Assad go and has settled for a negotiated end to the conflict.  This capitulation was much to the chagrin of Saudi Arabia. Obama’s plans for the Muslim Brotherhood  and Turkey to take over Syria are now in shambles.

Not to worry.  Obama had a backup plan.  For almost a year now he has been in secret negotiations with Iran for some kind of settlement. These negotiations have now culminated in a bad deal, if any deal at all, but at least Obama got his way, namely, he doesn’t have to attack Iran.

Debka reports that:

“ President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry secretly agreed to elevate Iran to the status of seventh world power, as a strong inducement for signing the interim nuclear accord in Geneva Sunday, Nov. 24, for living up to its obligations in the coming six months and for then signing a comprehensive agreement.”

This turn of events is of great concern to Israel aside from the nuclear issue,  because she has been replaced by Iran as America’s number 1 ally in the region and because Obama may give Iran a role in the failed Palestinian/Israel peace process.

In the same spirit, he has been in secret negotiations with the terrorist organization Hezbollah.

As Caroline Glick points out:

“His goal is not to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. It isn’t even to facilitate a rapprochement between America and Iran. The goal of Obama’s foreign policy is to weaken the State of Israel.”

This is not far-fetched.  In September 2012, in The Eradication of Israel, I made the case that the anti-Israel crowd in the State Department and elsewhere are making progress in moving American policy to abandon Israel.

Not only has Obama transformed the U.S., he has transformed the Middle East.