rssNSC Meeting, Day One: Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 10:00 am
- 7 Comments
The first meeting of President Obama’s national security council is scheduled this afternoon, on the topics of Iraq and Afghanistan and the dicey situation in Israel/Palestine. According to The Associated Press and The Washington Post, Obama will receive military advice on his planned troop withdrawals in Iraq and troop increases in Afghanistan from U.S. Central Command chief Gen. David Petraeus; the commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gens. Ray Odierno and David McKiernan, respectively; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen; and Defense Secretary Bob Gates, who’ll be joined for strategic advice by Secretary of State-in-waiting Hillary Rodham Clinton.
It’ll be interesting to see what tone is struck at the meeting — who hits it off with Obama, who makes compelling arguments to Obama, and who doesn’t. Will the subject of faster-paced withdrawals from Iraq and into Afghanistan come up? If so, who will advocate them, and who will push back? Will the Petraeus-Odierno alliance on cautious withdrawals from Iraq remain in place, or will there be some divergence of views now that Petraeus is responsible for more than just Iraq?
Karen DeYoung of The Post adds a good point about Israel/Palestine, which is that Obama “is expected to name” former Sen. George Mitchell as his envoy to the Middle East. That looks something like a return to form, as Mitchell was a Mideast troubleshooter during the early days of the Bush administration. In early 2001, he put together a report assessing how the second Palestinian intifada of 2000 came to be, and issued rather even-handed recommendations for resuming the peace process that were subsequently ignored by all parties. His appointment — sorry, Dan Kurtzer — would, at the least, indicate a renewed commitment to the widely-agreed-upon-but-difficult-to-implement principles of Palestinian security reform, counterterrorism enforcement and Israeli settlement freezes.
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7 Comments
Comment posted January 21, 2009 @ 8:45 am
good i think george mitchell is a good choice. better choice. more effective choice.
Pingback posted January 21, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
[...] Ackerman at the The Washington Independent raises some interesting questions on what will happen at this meeting: It’ll be interesting to see [...]
Pingback posted January 21, 2009 @ 5:45 pm
[...] Ackerman at the The Washington Independent raises some interesting questions on what will happen at this meeting: It’ll be interesting to see [...]
Comment posted January 22, 2009 @ 4:15 am
President Obama: from the Muslim World and Our Blame for Society's ills on the West
Yes we are blaming the Western Imperialist for our miserable life. And here are the reasons below. Mr. President is you and your administrations’ wants to repair the Imperialistic policy of the US Government in our Islamic World. Then please take some time to understand our grievances’.
First there are two Islamic world; both Shi’a and Sunni Islamic world are in war directly now against the USA interest in that world. The war did not come by accident; it comes from our grievances of more than one century. The western imperialistic bad treatments of our people are produced the extremist like Khomeini of Iran and Osama bin Laden of Al-Qaida.
Before the World War I the Islamic Sunni world. Under the code of “Jihad” fought long war against the west and Russia. That long war was under the leadership of the Ottoman Turkish Empire in two fronts. The Russian stopped the “Jihadist” expansions in one front and the Serb stopped the “Jihadist” expansions on the Europeans’ front.
The western countries had better weapons, Technology and military organizations than the Ottoman Empire. The people in the Islamic world were tired of the Islamic laws. The people want to get out of the religions theology dictatorship for good. The Islamic world wants the modernizations and democratic systems and rule of law. The Islamic people open both arms to western civilizations’ and want help so they can improve their own life then.
The western Imperialists conquered the Islamic world after the World War I and committed crimes against the people instead. There are thousand of documents about the tricks and treacheries by the western countries against the people in the Islamic world.
The USA replaced UK and France Imperialists for over fifty years now. The US Government followed and practiced those Europeans’ Imperialists policy in the Islamic world.
Islamic worlds are trying to go back to old Islamic system that they fought to get out of it before. The confusion and bad policy of the US Government in the region is produced “Islamic Republic of Iran” and Osama bin Laden of Al-Qaida terrorist organizations.
We the people in Islamic world are not in favor of the Islamic dictatorships. It is not to late if the US Government are truly want to change wrong policy with the right policy for helping the people in Islamic world.
After our people had experience with the Harsh Islamic laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and Al-Qaida. Now we are ready to work with the people who are sincere with the changes for better.
The US Government does not have any respect among the people in the Islamic world because of the past policy of the US Government in the region.
The US Government comes in after the UK and France imperialist. They started with the support the most hated ruler of the Persian Gulf countries. The US Governments are supporting the corrupt politicians in the Arabic world against the people. They are supporting the Turkish Government genocide policy of the Armenian, Greek, Christens and Kurds now. They used to support the dictatorship of the Shah of Iran. The US governments are supporting thieves and corrupt people in Islamic world.
In conclusions
Mr. President you are saying this below:
We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people.
And forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
Mr. President you are right on. Those corrupt people are not going to help you. They are trying to corrupt you too. They are the people whom corrupted American official in the pat. They are paying through lobbyist, oil companies, Businesses and charity organizations.
The corrupt politicians in Kurdistan region and Iraq are not the right peoples you leaving us Iraqi people for. Your country created those corrupt people for us. Morally you should fix our country back before getting out.
Those corrupt rulers are the owner of billion’s of dollars. They know how the US Governments are working. And yes they did corrupt the Jefferson and Lincoln democratic system too.
Mr. President you need to clean the US Government system first from corruption then you will be able to help us in Islamic world.
Mr. President you are saying this below:
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
If this is true and you are going to adopt such a policy then we assure you our people in Islamic world will support you and your administrations’. Who does not want peace and stable region?
We hope that you are not following the policy of the former President Clintons of smile and not to do any thing. He and his policy was the close friendship with Turkey and Saudi Royal family. Their systems are known in Middle East to be unjust and corrupt but Mr. Clinton are known to be friend of them!!!.
We hope that you are not following the policy of the both former President Bush’s. The First Bush is known by Iraqi people that he asked them to revolt against Saddam Hussein as soon as people did that. He made peace with the Saddam Hussein Government and Saddam Hussein butchered our people. The second Bush does not need explanations’ of what he did to America and the world. Their policy was the close friendship with the Saudi Royal family.
This is the reasons that people in the Middle East does not believing Americans Government any more.
We are proposing the establishment of the Economic Union and the true democratic systems for over one year now. But the US Government do not interested on such projects for the Islamic world.
Yes you are facing the challenging task to convince people first that you are not going to follow the Policy of Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush.
Sincerely,
Jaff sassani
From the SKDC
jaff.skdc@googlemail.com
Jan-21-2009
Appealing directly to the President Obama to read our grievances and help us to establish the “Economic Union” for our people. We do want your help Mr. President to build true democratic system and provide peace to our people. Yes to your call. Your success will be possible when you are willing to work with us the people instead of the corrupt politicians in our region.
Comment posted January 23, 2009 @ 2:46 pm
President Obama and his changes of the foreign policy
The US Governments are following the set of the old “foreign policy” which are outdated and was unfair to the oppressed people around the world especially for the Muslim world. The policy was based on greed of the US Government officials. The policy was served individuals in power in the USA instead of the fundamental interest of the USA people.
The questions are for you Mr. President Obama are you really capable to change that unjust policy toward the Muslim world or not?
The old policies for over fifty years now are failed and it is counter productive now. The people around the world do not have respect for the USA people any more. They are looking at the USA as an imperialist. The USA is known to be aggressive nations and they are supporters of the dictators and corrupt leaders around the world especially in the Middle East and the Muslim world.
Those perceptions’ are used by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), Al-Qaida of Osama bin laden, and Islamic organizations from Turkey to Indonesia to discredit the US Government in the Muslim world. It is working for them because of the absent of any meaning full economic plans for the Muslim world by the US Government and EU.
The US Governments under President Bush’s administrations’ and his foreign policy are responsible for the success of the USA enemies in the Middle East. The Iraqi and Afghanistan constructions projects are the joke among the people in the region. The US government did spend billion’s of tax payer’s dollars on the papers. But there is not much to be accounted for on the ground.
The majority of the people are unemployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The living conditions are harder than before. But there is lot of mafia organizations leaders with billion’s of dollars under their family names in the Banks around the world.
The Mafia leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan are well of. They are the close ally of the US Government. They are more powerful militarily; each one has their own militia forces too. They are abusing and killing people more than what Saddam Hussein and Taliban did to them before the wars.
The US Governments under the President Obama are going to be defeated soon if he is going to follow the Bush’s doctrine. Mr. Bush did not have any doctrine or visions for the region. He was under the control of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other special interest groups. He was very helpful to IRI and al-Qaida with his actions. Iran is getting stronger politically and militarily because of the Bush’s mistakes. The IRI and Al-Qaida are challenging the US Government in the Muslim world. Their goal’s are to defeat the US Government politically first and then militarily.
The US governments under President Obama have a chance to revive the status of the USA in the region. President Obama should adopt the new policy of equal treatment of the people in the Muslim world with the people in Europe.
The double standards of the US Government are counter productive in the Muslim world. The US Government did rebuild the Europe after the World War II as a partner of the Europeans’ people not Europeans’ corrupt politicians. What are there we do not understand about the west and the US Government policy makers. The questions are over and over why they are treating us like that? Why the US Government do not want to friend of our people in the Muslim world? If you do not want to be our friend; why you are supporting dictators and corrupt politicians against us? These questions are repeated every second in the Muslim world Mr. President.
Why the US Governments are treating the Muslim of Middle East differently from the Christian of Europe? We are human too. We want to live in peace and stable region. Stop supporting our dictators and corrupt politicians. Help us to establish rule of laws and democratic system for our people.
What are not understandable to you America? What are not understandable to you EU? What are not understandable to you Mr. President Obama? How much clearer we have to inform you and your people to be understandable?
The unjust policy of the west and the US government are burning the people in America. The majority of the American people did speak out; they do not want to be imperialist. So do not listen to former President Clinton or others.
The tricks and treachery policy are burning America. Stop hidden agenda do some thing for American people and the people around the world who love America and want to be friend of the American people.
Sincerely,
Jaff Sassani
From the SKDC
jaff.skdc@googlemail.com
http://www.jaff-sassanie.com/Default.aspx
Our goals are to inform President Obama and American people the truth about the Muslim world. We hope he will adopt the establishment of the Economic Union similar to the EU. We hope he will help our people instead of corrupt politicians. We hope for peace and stable foreign policy.
Comment posted November 6, 2009 @ 11:10 pm
Prepare a full page ad listing the reasons why we must get out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Solicit small donations from readers to have the ad run. Offer them the opportunity to have the ad run with their name or without their name. The ad should run in the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Comment posted November 7, 2009 @ 4:10 am
Prepare a full page ad listing the reasons why we must get out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Solicit small donations from readers to have the ad run. Offer them the opportunity to have the ad run with their name or without their name. The ad should run in the New York Times and the Washington Post.
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