Article

2010-03-16 Israel-Palestine-Jordan

The Petraeus briefing: Biden's embarrassment is not the whole story

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fleating Elmerert8474 2010-03-16 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 While the safety of our troops is important to us it is my understanding that to Israel their safety and security is paramount to them.

It is up to us to secure respect for our policies, not up to Israel to fold to suit Obama's weak policies.

Posted by tipover 2010-03-16 00:24|| 2010-03-16 00:24|| Front Page Top

#2 BS meter's sky-high on this one. The Saudis and the other arabs know that the US military is the only thing keeping their corrupt, weak, decadent, oil-fed dictatorships from being overthrown by any number of violent organized revolutionary groups, from the Muslim Brotherhood to AQ and others.

Bottom line: we're the security guards for the House of Saud, the Hashemite dynasty and the Mubarak dynasty. They don't give a f&&& about the Palestinians. They care intensely about preserving their power. Hence our indispensability, regardless of the degree of US support for Israel.

To even hint otherwise is unbelievably gullible journalism.

Posted by lex 2010-03-16 00:35|| 2010-03-16 00:35|| Front Page Top

#3
Obananna is a very intelligent kinda guy. He understands why Biden came back to the US with poo smeared all in his best Tie. The Israelis did it on purpose and they dont respect The ONE or his gaggle of douchebags.

I dont feel bad about it because I KNOW Skinny is an arrogant fool and doesnt represent me or my country. He's on his own and we can safely disown him after we flush him. And in November we WILL flush his policys at the Polls. And the whole world will see us do it and Obama will drift for the next three years like a turd in the bowl. And the Doinks will just have to use air freshener.

Obama is useless. And Biden got what he really deserved. Rot in your chair, Skinny.

Posted by BlackBart 2010-03-16 02:56|| 2010-03-16 02:56|| Front Page Top

#4 The January Mullen briefing was unprecedented. No previous CENTCOM commander had ever expressed himself on what is essentially a political issue; which is why the briefers were careful to tell Mullen that their conclusions followed from a December 2009 tour of the region where, on Petraeus's instructions, they spoke to senior Arab leaders.

I label the above para absolute total BS. The next bit about going direct to the WH with a UCP change, BS as well. The closing sentence;

America's relationship with Israel is important, but not as important as the lives of America's soldiers. Maybe Israel gets the message now.

This is absolute and total BS which violates the age old mission first tenant. Furthermore, Israel has long had the Obama "message."

This article attempts to connect a highly respected military leader's alleged actions, comments and unsuccessful UCP change as evidence of a Palestinian linked weakening of US standing in the region. If any weakness in the Arab world is detected it is due to POTUS and his inaction with reference to Iran, not our continued strategic interests or position concerning Israel or the West Bank. Blaming Israel for regional instability is a tired old theme. Linking the highly popular General Petraeus to failed efforts may, for obvious reasons, be an entirely new developing theme.

Posted by Besoeker 2010-03-16 07:35|| 2010-03-16 07:35|| Front Page Top

#5 The underlying article already has two updates, and a few more may be coming.

Besoeker comments are just the beginning. Probably best to use the NYT rule - assume it's completely wrong and analyze the opposite conclusions.

Posted by Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2010-03-16 09:26|| 2010-03-16 09:26|| Front Page Top

#6 A couple of things to consider when reading this article. First, and assuming the facts are true, Petraeus' motivations are not and can not be known unless he himself tells us. Which won't happen. Second, there may be a lot of truth in there. We don't know. Petraeus has access to a lot of real information. Information brought to him by boots on the ground who have no reason to run it through a political filter. Information gathered over tea while talking about this and that. It would be very interesting to know what he knows.

Posted by AllahHateMe 2010-03-16 09:49|| 2010-03-16 09:49|| Front Page Top

#7 What is true is that everybody thinks they can roll Barry. And they can. And they will. More and more often. Until one day he stupidly decides not to roll. Then dominoes start falling.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2010-03-16 09:55|| 2010-03-16 09:55|| Front Page Top

#8 The only reason Biden came back "with poo smeared all in his best Tie", BlackBart, is because Obama admin was looking for an excuse to provoke a crisis.

p.s. Anybody who's offended by Jews building homes in Jerusalem---can go engage in auto-copulation.
Ditto anybody who proposes to save American lives by sacrificing Israeli.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2010-03-16 10:29|| 2010-03-16 10:29|| Front Page Top

#9 The level of cynicism in the ME is sky high, and always has been, except among the losers. The Israelis see that Obama is incredibly weak, so they are making hay while the sun shines.

Good for them, and the more, the merrier. One of the worst aggravating factors in the ME is when the Israelis use half-measures and futz around with their interests. They should have long ago been expelling Paleos into Egypt or Jordan at the drop of a hat.

Posted by Anonymoose 2010-03-16 11:00|| 2010-03-16 11:00|| Front Page Top

#10 One of the dirty little secrets in the ME is that Israel supplies many of the parts that keep Saudi F-15s flying.

Posted by Frozen Al 2010-03-16 11:28|| 2010-03-16 11:28|| Front Page Top

#11 Sending that pathetic bumbler is, in itself, an insult to a long-time ally.

Slow Joe deserves every bit of embarrassment he gets.

Posted by mojo 2010-03-16 11:40|| 2010-03-16 11:40|| Front Page Top

#12 It must be remembered that the current vice president has long proclaimed himself, and campaigned as, Israel's best friend. He probably is the only one in President Obama's circle -- Rahm Emmanuel most certainly is not, despite his ancestry, nor Secretary of State Clinton, despite positions she took as New York's junior senator.

Posted by trailing wife 2010-03-16 14:12|| 2010-03-16 14:12|| Front Page Top

#13 On reading the article, the one thing that strikes me is that only Arab opinions were solicited. Nobody seems to have talked to the Israelis to see what they think about America's strengths and weaknesses, whether Obama's America is an honest broker in the difficulties Israel has been having with the Palestinians or acts to support the Arab view. I find it hard to believe that so perceptive and clever a soldier as General Petraeus would seek out answers to only one side of the equation, and present the results without giving perspective.

One wonders if this article isn't another step as the Obama administration tries to do an Alinsky on Israel.

Posted by trailing wife 2010-03-16 14:20|| 2010-03-16 14:20|| Front Page Top

#14

"America's relationship with Israel is important,but not as important as the lives of America's soldiers."

"What you're doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. That endangers us and it endangers regional peace."

Some thoughts re these quotes:

Contrast the 1st quote with the Obama administrations policy in Afghanistan (McChrystal's ROE):

"America's relationship with ~~the Karzai regime~~ Afghanistan is important. So important in fact that we'd rather sacrifice American soldiers than kill Afghan ~~illegal combatants and war criminals~~ civilians. We are in Afghanistan to serve the Afghan people"

As for the 2nd quote:

The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution protects the right to speak out against Islam, thereby contravening sharia law.

The OIC countries have officially demanded that non-Muslims in the west be subjected to sharia restrictions on free speech.

By not repealing the 1st Amendment the US is undermining the security of NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Think of Afghans watching a youtube clip showing an American abusing a Koran. Think of the same Afghans learning that the US government will not punish such expression. They might take out their anger on NATO troops in their neighborhood.

That argument is no less persuasive than the Biden quote.

Of course I'm not advocating a surrender of western civil rights to Afghan sensitivities.

The ultimate objective of "Enduring Freedom" is the preservation of "Freedom" after all.

Posted by Fleating Elmerert8474 2010-03-16 16:41|| 2010-03-16 16:41|| Front Page Top

23:56 gromky
23:47 gorb
23:01 abu do you love
23:00 Beavis
22:53 crosspatch
22:52 gorb
22:35 OldSpook
22:17 OldSpook
22:16 OldSpook
22:12 OldSpook
22:06 Frank G
22:00 49 Pan
22:00 JohnQC
21:56 Pappy
21:49 Alaska Paul
21:48 JohnQC
21:46 JosephMendiola
21:43 Pappy
21:43 Old Patriot
21:39 JohnQC
21:39 Anonymoose
21:37 Procopius2k
21:34 JohnQC
21:24 airandee