Monday, September 08, 2008

Obama: Hezbollah and Hamas Have “Legitimate Claims”

Barack Hussein Obama will be a foreign policy lightweight as president.

Everyone knows it. Sensible Democrats realize this fact, and gloss over his lack of gravitas while emphasizing their man’s purported domestic policy skills garnered from his years as a community organizer in Chicago.

So don’t expect pearls of wisdom from the O-man concerning matters of international import.

However, even with such lowered expectations, this quote drew my attention. It’s old news, but it deserves a repeat exposure now that the campaign has entered the home stretch.

This is from a David Brooks column in the NYT last May, and it describes Mr. Obama’s prescriptions for American foreign policy as it concerns Lebanon and “Palestine”:

The U.S. needs a foreign policy that “looks at the root causes of problems and dangers.” Obama compared Hezbollah to Hamas. Both need to be compelled to understand that “they’re going down a blind alley with violence that weakens their legitimate claims.” He knows these movements aren’t going away anytime soon (“Those missiles aren’t going to dissolve”), but “if they decide to shift, we’re going to recognize that. That’s an evolution that should be recognized.” [emphasis added]

Their legitimate claims.

Is Mr. Obama perhaps using a shortened version of the stock phrase “the legitimate claims (or grievances) of the Palestinian people”?
- - - - - - - - -
This is a standard mantra uttered by spokesmen for Fatah, Hamas, Saudi Arabia, the OIC, and any other Muslim group that claims to speak on behalf of the oppressed people of “Palestine”.

I’d like to hear some examples of those “legitimate claims”, Mr. Obama.

Do they perhaps include the withdrawal of Israel to the pre-1967 borders of the Jewish State?

Are you thinking of the “right of return” of all former Arab residents and their descendants to what is now the state of Israel?

Or were you perhaps referring to the oft-repeated insistence by both Fatah and Hamas that Israel itself has no right to exist?

Do you consider a reversal of the naqba to be a “legitimate claim” for the Arabs of the region?

A little elucidation is in order, sir.


Hat tip: JD.

5 comments:

babs said...

Why even parse this crap Baron?
Yes, we all know that the O man is a total light weight and couldn't fight him self out of a paper bag in Lebanon...
He IS NOT A FRIEND of Israel and, the Middle East will be in big trouble if he is elected (I will add that GWB and Ms. Rice have not done a hell of a lot in this respect.)
At least, the current admin hasn't made things worse as far as I can see (actually, maybe the U.S. and the EU have...). Mr. O will be a green light for all that wish to take over what is left of democracy...
He will have nothing to bring to the table other than polite platitudes which mean nothing (and he knows that) So, the animals will be set loose on the farm. God help us all...

Henrik R Clausen said...

Babs, this sentence says it all:

Their legitimate claims.

I wasn't aware of that. It's awful, and shows exactly how incompetent Barack 'Sucker' Obama is. He would be pulled into all kinds of fatal mistakes for the US and for the rest of the world.

McCain will (hopefully) make just the mistakes the West needs to do in order to realize we're not the Global Police Force that we pretend to be.

I believe the current administration has made things worse, continually pressing Israel for the 'restraint' that is:

A) Not a good way to deal with the millitants.

B) Giving away a very usable Israeli bargaining item.

C) An implicit accusation against Israel for being excessively brutal - which in turn helps Palestinian propaganda.

The Bush administration (deliberate wording here) pretends not to have made matters worse. But I disagree.

Anonymous said...

McCain will (hopefully) make just the mistakes the West needs to do in order to realize we're not the Global Police Force that we pretend to be.

Yeah, like starting WW3? Which that man is wholly ready to do. These are dangerous times us Europeans are living, stuck as we are between USA, Israel, Islam and Russia. Our leaders have no choice other than appease each of those four powers as much as they can.

Both Obama and McCain are firmly in Israel's pocket. Obama because of his total cluelessness, McCain because of his dangerous convictions. Either way, the West (=USA) continues to descend into hell. More wars for "democracy" (=Israel), rampant Russophobia, open borders, multiculturalism, political correctness, affirmative action, disasterous economic policies, etc., the whole Democrate-Republican package.

"Islam is peace." - George W. Bush
"To me, the most remarkable thing about the Koran is how progressive it is." - Tony Blair
"Islam is progress, science, finesse, modernity." - Nicolas Sarkozy

David M said...

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the - Web Reconnaissance for 09/09/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.

Anonymous said...

Legitimate claims.

Root causes.

Empty suit.