Category: World Affairs Topics: Barack Obama, Conflicts And War, Foreign Policy, Occupation Channel: Opinion Views: 3570
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Is Obama Losing Moral Compass?
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Last week the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was in Washington D.C. He was invited to stay at the Blair House and have a working lunch at the White House with President Obama. In front of the cameras, the two leaders appeared smiling and shaking hands. Apparently they discussed the Palestine-Israel conflict. Netanyahu declared that he is committed to "peace" with Palestinians and President Obama asserted that the Israeli leader is "willing to take risks for peace." However, Netanyahu did neither offer any specifics about what he would do to help move peace negotiations forward nor mention a two-state solution to the conflict.
If there was any doubt about relationship between the two leaders, Obama reiterated, "If you look at every public statement that I've made over the last year and a half, it has been a constant reaffirmation of the special relationship between the United States and Israel, that our commitment to Israel's security has been unwavering."
Yes, Obama is right. Look at what his administration has done for the rogue state! The Israeli government will be getting more military and economic aid from the U.S. government than anytime before in its entire history. Recently Obama and his aides pushed the United Nations Security Council to pass a fourth round of sanctions and have worked with the Europeans and others, pressing them to adopt even tougher punishments on Iran. As to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla attack that killed nine Turkish (including a Turkish-American) human rights activist Washington sided with Israel against Turkey. Obama even told Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey to tone down his criticism of Israel.
This new warming gesture to the prime minister of a state that has been committing war crimes for decades is simply unbelievable, especially from a person who last year won the Nobel Prize for peace. Who can forget Obama's speeches in Turkey and Egypt that aired optimism for peace and prosperity to billions of people of our planet? It sounded sincere and that change was in the horizon. He promised closure of the Guantanamo Bay prisons. He promised pullout of the American troops from Iraq. He promised fairness and healing of the old wounds. Truly, no American president in our time has been able to create so much enthusiasm and hope as Obama was able to do. All those promises now sound empty and hollow. Obama seems to have either fooled or betrayed us all big time!
To the vast majority of his cheerleaders the sad reality is sinking in that while the presidents may come and go, when it comes to Israel, business is going to remain as usual in the White House.
Just days before Obama was sworn in as the president, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) committed some of the worst war crimes against the Palestinians living inside Gaza. Some 1400 Palestinians were killed - more like in an execution style murderous orgy. Last year, the UN commissioned an inquiry, which was led not by a gentile but by a Jewish and pro-Israeli judge - Richard Goldstone of South Africa (who even claimed to be a Zionist). The commission concluded that the IDF's actions in Gaza qualified as war crimes. And yet, the Obama administration resisted all attempts both inside and outside the U.N. to reprimand and censure Israel for such heinous crimes. It even condemned the Goldstone report as an anti-Israel, "biased" report.
Last month, the Obama administration did everything within its power to prevent an international probe into the Israeli raid on ships bound for the Gaza Strip, bringing in humanitarian aids. As if we have not seen enough of toothless internal inquiries conducted by the Israeli government to investigate its own crimes, the Obama administration, to make a mockery of the entire sad episode, backed another internal investigation mounted by Israel. Lest we forget, only recently an IDF soldier has been found guilty of the three-week long Gaza massacre of 2008-2009. He was charged with manslaughter in connection with the deaths of a Palestinian mother and daughter who were shot while waving white flags. No high ranking official within the IDF has been put behind the jail. In its April 2010 report, Human Rights Watch stated, "Israel has failed to conduct credible investigations into policies authorized by senior levels of the country's political and military leadership that may have led to violations of the laws of war."
It has been nearly 18 months since Obama was sworn in as the president and yet nothing positive has come out of his administration to stop the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Some 1.5 million Palestinians, mostly refugees from the Israeli annexation of their ancestral homes, are now forced to live like canned sardines there. Currently, more than 77 percent of Gaza Palestinians either face or are vulnerable to hunger; of these, 65 percent are children younger than 18. According to UNICEF, 10 percent of Gaza children show signs of stunting, while the World Health Organization maintains that another 10 percent face chronic malnutrition.
Back in 2005 when Israel dismantled its illegal settlements there and withdrew, an American-mediated agreement allowed Palestinians to export up to 450 truckloads of goods a day from Gaza. However, true to her deceptive nature, Israel allowed no more than 70 trucks per day before the siege was imposed to punish the Palestinians. According to the Israeli rights group Gisha, which collects data on Gaza's besieged economy, since 2007, the total number of trucks carrying goods out of Gaza has been less than 300, i.e., less than a hundred a year. This number is equivalent to just four days of exports under the de-facto pre-siege number - which itself was far less than originally envisioned. As a result, according to the estimates by the Palestinian Federation of Industries, more than 90 percent of Gaza's factories have closed down or are working at minimum capacity. (Newsweek, July 12, 2010) What more statistics does President Obama need to fathom the grim situation in Gaza?
The near-total export ban from Gaza also tells us that the prime motivation for Israeli action is not aimed at preventing weapons from reaching Gaza but actually to destroy Palestinian economy. Israel is enforcing a collective punishment of the Palestinians for voting for the Hamas. As noted by Professor Juan Cole of University of Michigan, that is a political, not a military, objective, and it is impermissible under international law (e.g., the Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention) to target innocent civilians to achieve nonmilitary goals. In German, it is called Sippenhaft or Sippenhaftung.
However, as usual, no one within the Obama administration, including the Jewish senators, children and grand-children of Jewish victims of Sippenhaftung, seems to be concerned about such gross violations of international law. The Jewish Senator Chuck Schumer of New York has been a great promoter of Israeli interest. In a recent statement he even endorsed such collective punishment of the Palestinian people. He said, "The Palestinian people still don't believe in the Jewish state, in a two-state solution... They don't believe in the Torah, in David... You have to force them to say Israel is here to stay. The boycott of Gaza to me has another purpose - obviously the first purpose is to prevent Hamas from getting weapons by which they will use to hurt Israel - but the second is actually to show the Palestinians that when there's some moderation and cooperation, they can have an economic advancement... And to me, since the Palestinians in Gaza elected Hamas, while certainly there should be humanitarian aid and people not starving to death, to strangle them economically until they see that's not the way to go, makes sense." With such statements, mostly false, it is clear that these sons of ghetto dwellers have learned the Gestapo tactics quite well! Humanity is not in their soul!
In his welcoming speech to Netanyahu, president Obama said, "We discussed the issue of Gaza, and I commended Prime Minister Netanyahu on the progress that's been made in allowing more goods into Gaza. We've seen real progress on the ground." This statement distorts the grim reality inside Gaza. It is untruthful and misspoken. Obama said, "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace... We've seen over the last year how our relationship has broadened... And I think a lot of that has to do with the excellent work that the Prime Minister has done." What a joke!
If war is peace, annexation is liberation, colonization is freedom, piracy is philanthropy, murder is life, and starvation is nourishment, one can understand such misplaced adulation for a psychopathic mass murderer like Netanyahu. In his remarks to the press, President Obama made no mention of settlement expansion or the Israeli commando attack on the humanitarian aid flotilla that killed nine people including a U.S. citizen.
By failing to condemn the Israeli piracy and murder of Turkish human rights activists in the international waters, Obama has sent the green signal for such acts of savagery and heinous crimes without facing any retribution.
So, with such a cavalier attitude towards condoning one of the worst crimes of this decade, the Obama Administration has shown that it is no different than its predecessor - the much hated administration of George W. Bush. With its appeasing words for the Israeli war criminals responsible for strangulating Palestinians in Gaza and murdering the human rights activists it has shown that it has lost moral compass. Whether the Obama administration likes to admit or not, the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla has once again vindicated Goldstone's report and its central claim that Israel used disproportionate force and deliberately attacked civilians in the Gaza assault-just as Israel, albeit on a much smaller scale, did in the massacre aboard the flotilla. Only a stupid or insanely biased individual can miss to see that writing on the wall.
*****
Dr Habib Siddiqui has authored nine books. His book: "Democracy, Politics and Terrorism - America's Quest for Security in the Age of Insecurity" is available at Amazon.com.
Category: World Affairs
Topics: Barack Obama, Conflicts And War, Foreign Policy, Occupation Channel: Opinion
Views: 3570
Topics: Barack Obama, Conflicts And War, Foreign Policy, Occupation Channel: Opinion
Views: 3570
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Older Comments:
LUCIUS FROM USA said:
Obama's moral compass? Obama is a consumate politician. Politicians are, by nature, amoral creatures. Obama voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. That's all you need to know about the orientation of his moral compass. You can't lose what you never had.
2010-07-16
KC JAMES FROM USA said:
Salaam. I think Obama deserves some credit, realizing he has the hardest job as President of the US ever. A deep recision, 2 wars, an environmental disaster, troubles at our borders, overhaul in healthcare and financial overhaul in banking, etc., fighting the Republicans every day of his presidency, trying to create jobs, taking care of the nuclear threat, better education for our children, the overweight problem in our nation, which leads to illness, etc. etc. etc. To me the handshake ment that he was glad that Israel finally let some much needed food and goods to reach the Palestinians. The Jewish people especially in New York are powerful and rich and have a great influence on our Politicians. Remember, Obama has to answer to the House and the Supreme Court and also take care and protect his family, which he deeply loves.
2010-07-16
SAMIN FROM USA said:
Romesh, like you try to hide/ignore the Crusade History, the Christian took over Spain not because Muslim did something bad, but because they thought their religious duty to do that.
2010-07-16
ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
Samin:
I hate to be arguing with you. But you have no knowledge of History. Indian Hindus muslim rulers for a long time; they just did not succeed and I pointed this out in my earlier posts. If Spaniards did not mind, then why did Spain reconquered it, kicked out muslims (and Jews) and made into a Catholic country; even today, Spain is about 95% Catholic.
North African Berbers fought Arabs and did not succeed too. French fought and Arabs got defeated by Martel, and then made no further attempts to go into Europe.
Indonesia was not conquered by muslims; it was islamized by traders; so in Indonesia, the rulers were indigenous. In India, none of the muslim rulers were indigenous; they just happened to be born there, but their parents came from Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia. It is like calling white man as indigenous to America or Spanish as indigenous to South America or Dutch AfriKans as indigenous to South Africa.
Stop listening to the Mullahs; they don't write history
I hate to be arguing with you. But you have no knowledge of History. Indian Hindus muslim rulers for a long time; they just did not succeed and I pointed this out in my earlier posts. If Spaniards did not mind, then why did Spain reconquered it, kicked out muslims (and Jews) and made into a Catholic country; even today, Spain is about 95% Catholic.
North African Berbers fought Arabs and did not succeed too. French fought and Arabs got defeated by Martel, and then made no further attempts to go into Europe.
Indonesia was not conquered by muslims; it was islamized by traders; so in Indonesia, the rulers were indigenous. In India, none of the muslim rulers were indigenous; they just happened to be born there, but their parents came from Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia. It is like calling white man as indigenous to America or Spanish as indigenous to South America or Dutch AfriKans as indigenous to South Africa.
Stop listening to the Mullahs; they don't write history
2010-07-16
SAMIN FROM USA said:
Ramesh, good you raised about reality and fact. The reality is none of the indigenous regret the Muslim occupied their land. You can ask to Spaniards or Indonesian or Palestine or even Indian, they DID NOT regret that Muslim rule their land, because Muslim did not do what European imperialist did. So again you failed to prove that Muslim was imperialist. During Islamic era no foreign ruler ruled the indigenous, and there is no horrible story.
2010-07-16
ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
To Samin:
Sure. British, Dutch, etc today will deplore their country's imperialism. But you should have asked this question when they were imperialists 75 years ago. They would all have supported their country's imperial rule. Can you differentiate between Hypocrisy and Reality? Do you think they are not capable being hypocrite?
Don't be naive? Every society (including muslims) have hypocrites.
Sure. British, Dutch, etc today will deplore their country's imperialism. But you should have asked this question when they were imperialists 75 years ago. They would all have supported their country's imperial rule. Can you differentiate between Hypocrisy and Reality? Do you think they are not capable being hypocrite?
Don't be naive? Every society (including muslims) have hypocrites.
2010-07-16
SAMIN FROM USA said:
Ramesh you can ask to British, Dutch, Portuguese etc, right now, they will say that they have done in the past was wrong. Because it is wrong based on the "universal value of conduct". That's why some of the former colonialist paid some compensation to the former victims.
2010-07-15
ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
Samin:
It is obvious that, like others, you cannot read and think. I was not giving you the viewpoint of natives; rather I was giving you the viewpoint of conquerers (British / Muslims); and whether they were moral. British always thought their rule was benign christian rule.
Come on. People in North Africa fought Arabs; they just did not succeed. Same way Persians fought; they did not succeed at first, and after several hundred years, succeeded. Hindus fought; they did not succeed for long time. Finally they succeeded in weakening the Moghul Empire and then got overwhelmed by the British. Obviously, you don't even have a superficial knowledge of History. And your level of education shows; if you went to college, obvioyusly you never learnt to question and think.
It is obvious that, like others, you cannot read and think. I was not giving you the viewpoint of natives; rather I was giving you the viewpoint of conquerers (British / Muslims); and whether they were moral. British always thought their rule was benign christian rule.
Come on. People in North Africa fought Arabs; they just did not succeed. Same way Persians fought; they did not succeed at first, and after several hundred years, succeeded. Hindus fought; they did not succeed for long time. Finally they succeeded in weakening the Moghul Empire and then got overwhelmed by the British. Obviously, you don't even have a superficial knowledge of History. And your level of education shows; if you went to college, obvioyusly you never learnt to question and think.
2010-07-15
NAJJAR FROM MOROCCO said:
Samin, assalamou aleykoum, you are wasting your precious time, it's been years that he had already proven to be a waste of time. The guy doesn't even know his own history let alone other nations history. So far he has generated enough acid in his stomach that will end up poisoning him soon. Don't waste your time.
2010-07-15
CASEY FROM USA said:
Excellent article!
2010-07-15
SAMIN FROM USA said:
Romesh: Come on, you can ask your brother and sister in India. What's British have done to India, the staid there hundreds years. When they left after WW-II, India was still poor, British were still the master and Indians were the slave. Compare it with the Spain situation, who were the masters/the rulers in Spain, it were indigenous Spaniards. Moreover there were no "struggle" to kick out the "foreign Muslim occupier" in Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia etc and other places including in India, because the rulers were indigenous. The indigenous Kings were convert to Islam. Not the Muslim Arab or middle eastern became the rulers in Pakistan, India, Iran, Indonesia etc.
2010-07-15
ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
To Samin:
Sure. Talk to British. Even they will justify their British Imperialism exactly the same way you are justifying "Arab Imperialism" or even "Islamic Imperialism" (sorry for these terms which Arabs / muslims don't like to hear). Even Mongols will justify their concept of death and destruction when they made their conquests of muslim lands or even Mao will justify for starving millions of Chinese to make his revolution permanent. And even Pat Robertson will justify Hurricane Katrina as a wrath of God on christian decadence. And all of them will sound moral.
Stop being naive.
Sure. Talk to British. Even they will justify their British Imperialism exactly the same way you are justifying "Arab Imperialism" or even "Islamic Imperialism" (sorry for these terms which Arabs / muslims don't like to hear). Even Mongols will justify their concept of death and destruction when they made their conquests of muslim lands or even Mao will justify for starving millions of Chinese to make his revolution permanent. And even Pat Robertson will justify Hurricane Katrina as a wrath of God on christian decadence. And all of them will sound moral.
Stop being naive.
2010-07-15
AHMED FROM UAE said:
Wake up Dr. Habib. When did Obama or any US politician, unless you go back more than a hundred years ago, ever had any understanding of the word moral. Stop asking the obvious that even a third grader knows. You are a dr. for God's sake. The title of your article is not befitting. let me make it simple for you:
Politicians, specially those in the US, ONLY care about being elected. they will do whatever it takes to get elected. even if they were told to bend over. they will jump in bed with whom ever can guarantee them victory. as for now the AIPAC is the big dog in town.
No one dares challenge them. they control the media and with it have the power to bring anyone down in less than 48hrs. obama and anyone else aspiring for high office are well aware of that. Thats the reality of American/Western so called democracy. dont expect things to change anytime soon. Faces will come and go but AIPAC, the big brother, will always be there.
So if anyone wants to be a politician they better learn how to lick their boots good and behave well while in office. I hope that helps you so that you would not write foolish articles like this. stop whinning, deal with the reality.
Politicians, specially those in the US, ONLY care about being elected. they will do whatever it takes to get elected. even if they were told to bend over. they will jump in bed with whom ever can guarantee them victory. as for now the AIPAC is the big dog in town.
No one dares challenge them. they control the media and with it have the power to bring anyone down in less than 48hrs. obama and anyone else aspiring for high office are well aware of that. Thats the reality of American/Western so called democracy. dont expect things to change anytime soon. Faces will come and go but AIPAC, the big brother, will always be there.
So if anyone wants to be a politician they better learn how to lick their boots good and behave well while in office. I hope that helps you so that you would not write foolish articles like this. stop whinning, deal with the reality.
2010-07-15
SAMIN FROM USA said:
Romesh, There were big different between "Muslim occupation" and European colonialism. During "Muslim occupation" the indigenous people prospers and they become the subject and master of the system. During colonialism the indigenous people become "slave" of the system, they were suffered so much.
2010-07-15
ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
In less than one hundred years, muslims conquered Palestine / Syria / Egypt / Libya / Morocco / Tunisia / Algeria / Spain / Iran / Parts of Central Asia. Did they act morally when they conquered other people's territory? Did anybody invite them? Did they send preachers to conquer them or the armies? Did those armies preach or loot (booty)?
Why do you expect other to act moral whether USA or Israel? Did English act morally when they came to North America? Did Americans act morally when they annihilated natives in USA? America is a creation of English / Europeans. Why do you expect Obama to act morally?
Stop being naive. This is planet Earth; not God's Kingdom. Sad to say, as usual, silly articles being written by educated and intelligent people. Hey, the author himself lives in a country stolen from natives and enjoys the fruits of the vast resources looted from the natives; I hope the author has some pangs of morality when he wrote the article, though I have serious doubts about it, it is sad to say it?
Why do you expect other to act moral whether USA or Israel? Did English act morally when they came to North America? Did Americans act morally when they annihilated natives in USA? America is a creation of English / Europeans. Why do you expect Obama to act morally?
Stop being naive. This is planet Earth; not God's Kingdom. Sad to say, as usual, silly articles being written by educated and intelligent people. Hey, the author himself lives in a country stolen from natives and enjoys the fruits of the vast resources looted from the natives; I hope the author has some pangs of morality when he wrote the article, though I have serious doubts about it, it is sad to say it?
2010-07-15
AD FROM NIGERIA said:
Morality?
Only one seventh of the total world population (ie the muslims) and even amongst the muslims only a negligible percent, have moral codes governing their lives.
No, Dr. the world (not only Obama) doesn't understand what u are saying, what matters is what I get from the universe by all means necessary, this is the fundamental philosophy. And the US being the only 'superpower' is number one in forwarding this agenda. The scary part is that the world (even the 'muslims countries' ) seem to either following or having the attitude of sitting on the fence and watching the attrocities committed at the detriment of their population. So your points Dr. will not matter a bit.
Individuals like me can only hope and pray that maybe the Obama administration is taking it easy seeing that the November elections is nigh or is it? But at what cost? one may ask. But then again who cares? Remember no morality...MIGHT IS RIGHT..is the base.
The end of the worl is near, this is the fact. Or else how can u explain this bhaviour that even in the lower animal kingdom has not been seen before. The strong attacks the weak, utterly destroy them and give excuses and those on the sideline agree 100% with the oppressors and even reward them? Call them friends. How pathetic. No there are no morals again Doc, on this planet. And remember the prophet (SAW) has said the end of the world will not come until trasgression and evil rule the world until everybody turn renegades. Are we not in all sincerity witnessing that era?
SUBHANAL-ALLAH, WALHAMDULIL-ALLAH, WA LAILAHAILAL-ALLAH, WAL-ALLAHU AKBAR.
Only one seventh of the total world population (ie the muslims) and even amongst the muslims only a negligible percent, have moral codes governing their lives.
No, Dr. the world (not only Obama) doesn't understand what u are saying, what matters is what I get from the universe by all means necessary, this is the fundamental philosophy. And the US being the only 'superpower' is number one in forwarding this agenda. The scary part is that the world (even the 'muslims countries' ) seem to either following or having the attitude of sitting on the fence and watching the attrocities committed at the detriment of their population. So your points Dr. will not matter a bit.
Individuals like me can only hope and pray that maybe the Obama administration is taking it easy seeing that the November elections is nigh or is it? But at what cost? one may ask. But then again who cares? Remember no morality...MIGHT IS RIGHT..is the base.
The end of the worl is near, this is the fact. Or else how can u explain this bhaviour that even in the lower animal kingdom has not been seen before. The strong attacks the weak, utterly destroy them and give excuses and those on the sideline agree 100% with the oppressors and even reward them? Call them friends. How pathetic. No there are no morals again Doc, on this planet. And remember the prophet (SAW) has said the end of the world will not come until trasgression and evil rule the world until everybody turn renegades. Are we not in all sincerity witnessing that era?
SUBHANAL-ALLAH, WALHAMDULIL-ALLAH, WA LAILAHAILAL-ALLAH, WAL-ALLAHU AKBAR.
2010-07-14
RICH FROM USA said:
This should not be a surprise to anyone who understands anything about US politics since the end of World War II. You can not get into high political office and or stay there for more than 1 term if you do not
bow the knee to Israel.
It is one of the major litmus tests for US politicians! The US media helps insure that Israel is almost always shown in a positive light or as suffering Jews who are still being persecuted by the whole world for no reason whatsoever. It makes me sick to my stomach to see truth and justice trampled so Israel can do whatever it likes without fear of being held accountable for its actions.
bow the knee to Israel.
It is one of the major litmus tests for US politicians! The US media helps insure that Israel is almost always shown in a positive light or as suffering Jews who are still being persecuted by the whole world for no reason whatsoever. It makes me sick to my stomach to see truth and justice trampled so Israel can do whatever it likes without fear of being held accountable for its actions.
2010-07-14
ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
Sorry. Morality and Politics don't mix. Politics is inherently dirty and hence not moral. Individuals may be moral. But nations and societies are not moral. "Moral Man and Immoral Society" is the title of an old book by Reinhold Niehbur (an American Christian theologian).
Obama is a politician who was elected to enhance the interests of US, not to worry about his personal morality.
Problems with muslims is that they are always talking the wrong subject (morality) with the wrong people (politicians). You can talk morality to Pope, but I doubt he will implement anything 'moral' to his society; look at the molesting of children by priests; has he done anything?.
So, come down to earth. This is planet earth. This is not God's Kingdom.
Oh, by the way, were any of the muslim rulers in 1400 years of Islam moral? Stupid question. If anybody was moral, he did not last long enough to have any effect.
Are there any current muslim rulers moral? Why do you expect US rulers to be moral?
Obama is a politician who was elected to enhance the interests of US, not to worry about his personal morality.
Problems with muslims is that they are always talking the wrong subject (morality) with the wrong people (politicians). You can talk morality to Pope, but I doubt he will implement anything 'moral' to his society; look at the molesting of children by priests; has he done anything?.
So, come down to earth. This is planet earth. This is not God's Kingdom.
Oh, by the way, were any of the muslim rulers in 1400 years of Islam moral? Stupid question. If anybody was moral, he did not last long enough to have any effect.
Are there any current muslim rulers moral? Why do you expect US rulers to be moral?
2010-07-14
