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February 4, 2009

On Obama's charm offensive and the global jihad

Topics: Political News and commentaries

Just as Jimmy Carter's failure to understand the threat posed by the Soviet Empire had costly consequences for America and the world, will that pattern now be repeated with Barack Obama and the threat from radical Islam? Likely so: Obama's charm offensive and the global jihad.

[...] Ever since taking office two weeks ago, Obama has been at pains to proclaim a change in US-Muslim relations. In his inaugural address he invited "the Muslim world" to embark on "a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." Six days later he gave Al-Arabiya, an Arabic-language satellite channel, his first televised interview as president. This week he continued his charm offensive with a friendly letter to the Organization of the Islamic Conference. He has promised to deliver a major address in an Islamic capital by spring.

The president cannot be faulted for using his bully pulpit to reach out to the world's Muslims, especially given his Muslim roots and family ties. But running through his words is a disconcerting theme: that US-Muslim tensions are a recent phenomenon brought on largely by American provincialism, heavy-handedness, and disrespect. Missing is any sense that the United States has long been the target of jihadist fanatics who enjoy widespread support in the Muslim world.

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy," Obama said, although "we sometimes make mistakes" and "have not been perfect," and even though "too often the United States starts by dictating" and fails to use "the language of respect."

Such apologetic pandering is inexcusable.

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Just as Carter did, Obama is slashing our defense budget and making the exact kind of apologies to our enemies. And as was the case with Carter, Obama's actions will have costly consequences for America and the world.

Related must-read: Obama may become a disaster

Posted by Hyscience at February 4, 2009 6:36 AM

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