In this mailing:
- Khaled Abu Toameh: 'When Will Biden See That His Mistakes Are Harming America's Interests?'
- Daniel Greenfield: Biden's Weakness on the Ukraine-Russia War is a Threat to America
by Khaled Abu Toameh • April 7, 2022 at 5:00 am
"The UAE has allocated the bulk of the investments of its huge sovereign funds in the American markets, even excluding Asian and European markets, and has been keen to increase the volume of trade exchange with Washington. The UAE wanted to become America's No 1 trading partner." — Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, close associate of Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates, Mufakiru Al Emarat, March 29, 2022.
"This prompted the UAE and other countries not to rely on the US as a sole strategic partner. The UAE's relationship with the US partner is at stake.... the Biden administration... may be on the verge of losing a regional partner." — Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, Mufakiru Al Emarat, March 29, 2022
"He [Biden] has not learned the lessons from [former US President Barack] Obama's mistakes and disasters.... Biden is continuing to make more mistakes, particularly in his dealings with Russia and the Gulf countries." — Muhammed Al Mahmeed, Bahraini writer, Akhbar Al-Khaleej, April 3, 2022.
Veteran Lebanese journalist and political analyst Kheirallah Kheirallah said that there is no real difference between Biden and Obama. "Nothing has changed in Washington, from Barack Obama to Joe Biden. If anything has changed, it is for the worse." — Elaph, March 30, 2022.
"How can a US administration ... [refuse] to take note that northern Yemen has become an Iranian base for missiles and drones? These missiles and drones are.... now threatening navigation in the Red Sea as well." — Kheirallah Kheirallah, Elaph, March 30, 2022.
"[This US policy] has encouraged Iran to go far in threatening the countries of the region and their security with the help of the Revolutionary Guard Corps. To put it more clearly, there is no sane person in the region willing to take seriously any reassuring words issued by [US Special Envoy for Iran] Rob Malley and other officials in the US administration dealing with the Iranian portfolio. Every child knows that these American officials have nothing but appeasement for Iran...." — Kheirallah Kheirallah, Elaph, March 30, 2022.
"Worse than all of the above would be if Washington responds to the Iranian condition by removing the Revolutionary Guard Corps from the list of terrorist organizations, as it did with the terrorist Houthi militia." — Khorshid Delli, Kurdish researcher, Al-Ain, April 1, 2022.
"Biden's policy toward the Iranian nuclear is not acceptable to the allies in the Middle East and the Arab Gulf...." — Khorshid Delli, Al-Ain, April 1, 2022.
"We see what Iran's proxies are doing in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain and Kuwait." — Mashari Al-Thaydi, Saudi journalist Al-Ain, March 30, 2022.
Although many in the Arab world diplomatically refer to Biden's action as "mistakes," they appear to recognize that they are deliberate, and lacking in any consideration for the wellbeing of people who will have to continue living in the region -- which the Americans making these decisions for them will not.
The Biden administration's courtship of Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, seems a replay of the same heartless, coldblooded lack of concern as the Americans showed for the people they were leaving behind when they pulled out of Afghanistan; and now, when the US is seen dragging its feet to avoid giving the Ukrainians enough weapons fast enough to defend themselves adequately from a Russian slaughtering army.
Many seem confused why the Biden administration would want this as their legacy.
"The UAE has allocated the bulk of the investments of its huge sovereign funds in the American markets, even excluding Asian and European markets, and has been keen to increase the volume of trade exchange with Washington. The UAE wanted to become America's No 1 trading partner." — Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, close associate of Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates, Mufakiru Al Emarat, March 29, 2022. Pictured: Then U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed to the White House, on May 15, 2017 in Washington, DC.. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Many Arabs are continuing to express disappointment and frustration with the administration of US President Joe Biden, particularly its perceived appeasement of Iran's mullahs, failure to classify the Iran-backed Houthi militia as a terrorist organization and turning its back on America's erstwhile allies and friends in the Arab world. These views, expressed in articles published in several media outlets, reflect the widespread concern among Arabs, especially those living in the Gulf states. Some of the Arab writers and political analysts behind these articles are close to the governments and leaders of the Arab countries. It is therefore safe to assume that these views also reflect the official positions of these leaders and governments. One of the prominent writers, Emirati politician and academic Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, is closely associated with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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by Daniel Greenfield • April 7, 2022 at 4:00 am
Afterward [after Putin invaded Crimea], Obama called Putin to warn him that Russia's actions were in "violation of Ukraine's sovereignty" and that "in coordination with our European partners, we are prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions."
Those "sanctions" consisted of buying twice as much Russian oil in Jan 2015 as in Feb 2014.
Biden, like his former boss, keeps insulting and threatening Putin not from a position of strength, but as an admission of weakness. Biden calls for regime change and war crimes trials for Putin, and then slow walks shipments of weapons and refuses to transfer planes to Ukraine.
Moscow isn't paying attention to what Washington D.C. says, but what it does. And the real message from Biden is that he's afraid of Putin, but looking to cover it up with tough talk.
Biden has once again wrecked America's credibility, making public commitments and private disavowals, putting our honor on the line for a war he has no intention of winning or even getting involved in. Putin understands that even a partial victory in Ukraine means not just a defeat for that country, but for the United States and Europe as paper tigers.
Biden has... no intention of properly arming... [Ukraine] to win on the battlefield.
What that really means is that Biden and his administration have set up America to lose.
The administration's fearful dithering gave Putin the impression that he could quickly take Ukraine and win. After giving Putin permission for a "minor incursion" as his version of Obama's red line, Biden was confronted with a full invasion and after a month still hasn't made it clear to either Russia or Ukraine, or any of our allies, what they can expect America to do about it.
Strong nations make it clear what they will and won't fight for. And they don't send mixed signals that only communicate weakness. Nor do they talk about how fearful they are of a fight.
[T]he best way to avoid foreign wars is.... as a choice made from a position of strength, not the catastrophic conclusion to a series of inept entanglements that alternately convince our enemies we won't fight and that they have nothing to worry about even if we do.
In Ukraine, Biden, like Obama, is hiding behind the Europeans, who are hiding behind us, for a global show of cowardice.
Vladimir Putin understands that wars are something you win, while the D.C. establishment doesn't fight wars, but commits American forces to implementing multilateral values.
That's why we never win. If you don't fight a war, how can you possibly win one?
Are we involved to keep energy and bread prices low, or to avoid a future war on worse terms?
After Putin invaded Crimea, Obama called Putin to warn him that Russia's actions were in "violation of Ukraine's sovereignty" and that "in coordination with our European partners, we are prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions." Those "sanctions" consisted of buying twice as much Russian oil in Jan 2015 as in Feb 2014. Pictured: Obama and Putin meeting at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 28, 2015. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Putin invaded Ukraine under Obama in February 2014 and Biden in February 2022. The invasions, eight years apart to the month, are not a coincidence. Both times Vladimir Putin was facing a lame duck Democrat who had just flinched away from a military engagement. Each time Putin smelled weakness and he struck. Obama, after declaring a red line in Syria, had panicked and backed away in 2013. He then cheered on Ukrainian protests against a pro-Russian regime in Kiev and Moscow responded by calling his bluff and seizing Crimea. Afterward, Obama called Putin to warn him that Russia's actions were in "violation of Ukraine's sovereignty" and that "in coordination with our European partners, we are prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions." Those "sanctions" consisted of buying twice as much Russian oil in Jan 2015 as in Feb 2014.
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