During the last few weeks, the world has experienced Obama’s ineptitude when it comes to foreign policy. We first heard of Obama’s fabled “Redline” last year on August 19, 2012, when he stated the movement or use of chemical weapons would cross a redline. Recent reports now indicate that that phrase never appeared on Obama’s teleprompter. Instead, it was an off-the-cuff comment which unwittingly established policy for the United States.
In fact, on April 26, 2013, once it had been determined that chemical weapons had been used in Syria, the White House attempted to change course, claiming that his redline had in fact not been crossed. Suddenly, the redline did not simply include the use of chemical weapons, but the use of chemical weapons on a large scale. By now, this President has had more redlines than an American flag, which is ironic considering he refused to wear one on his lapel.
Despite what some have argued, Obama has had numerous occasions to change course from his Redline policy, if it was, in fact, unintended. Back in April the administration also stated that it was unclear who had used chemical weapons. But, if the rebels are in fact innocent freedom fighters, there should have been no doubt about who had been culpable. The presence of doubt as to who was responsible, demonstrates that the rebels aren’t as freedom loving as the administration would have us to believe. At this point, even a person of below average intelligence would have seized the opportunity to avoid getting pulled in deeper. The administration was afforded a rhetorical exit by arguing to the American people that both sides appear equally unappealing. Yet, this thought apparently never crossed the mind of our Harvard intellectual.
Instead of a moment of retrospection and seizing the favorable winds of fortune which circumstance had afforded him, Obama doubled down and proposed arming Syria. But the fact that such arms have yet to arrive shows the administration is still finding it exceedingly difficult to locate moderate forces within the Syrian opposition. Nevertheless, Ahab Hussein Obama’s stupefying ignorance is only surpassed by his arrogance.
Refusing to turn back to safe harbors, Obama is now floundering for a lifeline in the sea of doubt which is rising around him. He has even gone so far as blaming the world for his own unintended comments. Yet, nearly every world leader has recognized his arrogance and has refused to follow him down into the Syrian tempest. It is now up to Congress to deny Ahab a lifeline, or he shall pull the ship of state down along with him.