Speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual meeting in Pittsburgh, President Barack Obama launched his own preemptive strike against his critics on Capitol Hill over his hard-fought July 14 P5+1 [U.S., U.K, France, Russia, China and Germany] Iranian nuke deal. Taking a swipe at former President George W. Bush’s Iraq War, Obama touted the nuke agreement as potentially stopping another foreign war, namely, one with Iran. While he was touting the nuke agreement, Secretary of State John Kerry reacted to recent remarks by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promising to oppose U.S. foreign policy wherever possible. With a backdrop of chants “Death to America and Israel” in a Tehran mosque, Khamenei said Iran opposed U.S foreign policy “180 degrees.” “Even after this deal, our policy toward the arrogant U.S. will not change,” said Khamenei, slapping the White House.
Obama and Kerry have sold the nuke deal as turning a page with U.S.-Iranian relations, pushing back for however long Iran’s capacity to build its first A-bomb. Kerry was dumbfounded by Khamenei’s public remarks, not sure how to respond. “I don’t know how to interpret it at this point in time, except to take it at face value, that that’s his policy,” Kerry told Al Arabia TV. Obama and Kerry have faced heated criticism for entering into a deal with Iran that ends punishing economic sanctions, giving Tehran the cash needed to continue its intrusive foreign policy, meddling in revolts in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a joint session of Congress March 3 that any deal to end punitive economic sanctions would increase chances of Iran eventually developing an A-bomb. Obama decided April 14 to let Congress debate the nuke deal.
Obama still dredges up the 2008 campaign against GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), ripping Bush for the ill-advised Iraq War. “The same politicians and pundits that are so quick to reject the possibility of a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program are the same folks who were so quick to go to war in Iraq and said I would only take a few months,” Barack told the VFW audience. Bush was actually correct that toppling Saddam Hussein didn’t take long, only three weeks after the Iraq War began March 20, 2003. What happened afterward was a train-wreck, costing the military nearly 4,500 soldiers and the U.S. treasury some $2 trillion. Only hardcore “Bushies,” like former Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice still believe the Iraq War was worth it. Obama’s argument for the Iran nuke deal makes no sense.
Obama opposed the Iraq War primarily because he didn’t believe the Bush narrative that Saddam Hussein threatened U.S. national security. In the wake of Sept. 11, the nation’s intelligence agencies, including the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency, were caught sleeping. History shows that Bush manufactured his own intel about Saddam because of CIA and DIA failures, relying on nefarious characters driven out of Iraq by Saddam, like U.S.-educated Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi. Whatever the past mistakes about the Iraq War, Obama spends too much time on the past, rather than dealing with real threats to U.S. national security today. Last week’s terrorist attack killing four marines and one seaman at a recruiting center in Chattanooga shows a flawed White House counterterrorism strategy. Refusing to put boots-on-the-ground to confront the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has been costly.
Refusing to join the battle against ISIS other than a targeted bombing mission, Obama makes his P5+1 nuke sell more difficult. One the one hand, Barack argues there’s no better alternative. One the other hand, he contends it reduces the chances of another Mideast War. “But I do know that often comments are made publicly and things can evolve that are different. If it is the policy, it’s very disturbing, it’s very troubling,” said Kerry, reacting to Khamenei’s hostile rhetoric. Obama can’t have it both ways: Wanting a nuke deal with Iran and continuing to ignore the growing ISIS menace in Iraq and Syria that has washed up on American soil. Pushing for Congress to approve his nuke deal with Tehran, Obama argues that it reduces the chances of another Mideast war. Whether admitted to or not, there’s already a new Mideast War with ISIS, despite the lack of U.S. boots-on-the-ground.
Obama would have more clout with Congress on the Iran nuke deal if his policy toward ISIS made more sense. Insisting his policy is to destroy ISIS Sept. 14, 2014, Obama’s air campaign hasn’t delivered, enabling ISIS to consolidate gains and, more importantly, brainwash foreign nationals and homegrown youth to attack the U.S. on American soil, just like what Mohammed Abdul Abdulazeez did July 16, gunning down five U.S. soldiers. Letting ISIS seize 30% of Iraq and Syria and morph into the most dangerous terrorist movement in world history, the White House has compromised U.S. national security. Lone-wolf attacks, inspired by ISIS and other radical groups, have expanded as ISIS has grown in stature. It’s ironic how Iran’s Hezbollah militia-together with the Kurds—are the only boots-on-the-ground fighting ISIS. Obama has some explaining to do selling his Iran nuke deal.
