Around The World With The Obamessiah

How's President Barack Obama doing on the foreign policy front?  Let's take a look:

Russia
Obama surrenders to Russia on missile defense in Eastern Europe, hurting relationships w/ allies there:

Russia has dropped plans to install missiles near Poland after the Obama administration signalled a change in US attitude to the region, a Moscow military official has reportedly said.

The official suggested that Mr Obama's White House had made clear it would not prioritise executing the Bush administration's plan to install a missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

In November, Polish President Lech Kaczynski's office said Obama pledged to go ahead with plans to build part of a US missile defence system in Poland.

Also in November, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Obama that Russia would deploy short-range missiles near Poland to counter U.S. military plans in Eastern Europe unless Obama scrapped the plan.

Obama abandoned our Polish allies and officially surrendered this week.

India

New Delhi has warned Barack Obama that he is "barking up the wrong tree" if he tries to broker a deal between Pakistan and India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

MK Narayanan, India's national security adviser, said the new US president was in danger of dredging up outdated Clinton-era strategies in an effort to improve ties between the nuclear armed neighbours.

"I do think that we could make President Obama understand, if he does nurse any such view, that he is barking up the wrong tree. I think Kashmir today has become one of the quieter and safer places in this part of the world," Mr Narayanan said in an interview with CNBC TV18.

"It's possible that at this time there are elements, -perhaps in the administration who are harking back to the pre-2000 era."

Apparently, New Delhi didn't get the memo that Obama brings HOPE! and CHANGE!

Iran

Iran said it had launched a domestically made satellite into orbit for the first time on Tuesday, prompting further concern among Western powers and in Israel over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Iran said the launch of the Omid (Hope) research and telecom satellite was a major step in its space technology timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed shah.

The long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used for launching warheads

North Korea is getting ready to test similar missile that could hit the U.S., too.  Yippee.

Canada
Part of Obama's Generational Theft Act/Porkapalooza Bill is a 'buy American' clause.  While that sounds great, it's disastrous in implementation.  Basically, it hikes taxes on imports.  The problem with that is, of course, that our foreign trade partners will end up hiking their prices to us, thus forcing Americans to pay more for everything.  If this sounds familiar, it should:

The president of the US Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donohue, warned in a statement that "in 1930, when Congress approved the Smoot-Hawley tariffs," which raised duties on 20,000 imported goods to record levels, "other countries responded by closing their markets" to American products.

"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Let us not make the same mistakes again, especially now," Donohue said in his statement opposing the "buy American" requirements.

[I]n the case of Canada, Obama has the authority to waive the "buy American" provision on the ground that it violates pre-existing US trade obligations to Ottawa under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

While this would be good news for Canada, it will hurt just about everyone else, including America.

Europe

The European Union warned the US yesterday against plunging the world into depression by adopting a planned "Buy American" policy, intensifying fears of a trade war.

The EU threatened to retaliate if the US Congress went ahead with sweeping measures in its $800 billion (£554 billion) stimulus plan to restrict spending to American goods and services. …

Last night Mr Obama gave a strong signal that he would remove the most provocative passages from the Bill.

Two points here.  First, I find it ironic that the E.U. wanted Obama's brand of socialism to infect the U.S., but now that they got their wish, they've finally figured out it's not exactly a good thing.  Second, what does it say about Obama that he got bullied by a bunch of sissy countries who don't even have their own army (because they've been protected by ours for so long)?  While it's good that he isn't replaying one of the worst contributors to the Great Depression, it's yet another sign of his inherent weakness and lack of leadership.

Kyrgyzstan

As a major diplomatic victory for Moscow and Beijing, the former Soviet Central Asian republic Kyrgyzstan has decided to close US Gansi airbase on its soil.

He explained the decision was made due to economic considerations and the negative public opinion.

Manas airport in the capital Bishkek has been home to a thousand-strong American airbase since 2001 after Kyrgyzstan joined the anti-terror coalition set up in the wake of 9/11.

Named after the New York Fire Department chief Peter Gansi, who died in rescue operation after the terror strike on World Trade Centre twin towers, the US base is situated 90-minute away from the war zone in Afghanistan and in the initial period became a main hub for moving men, equipment and supplies to US and allied forces.

This is just great.  One of Obama's talking points during the campaign was that we need to get out of Iraq and get into Afghanistan.  Now that this base is closed, our efforts in Afghanistan will become much more difficult.  My guess is this is related to the fact that Obama surrendered to Russia (see above).

Gitmo

In May 2006, Saudi Arabia announced that 56 of the top 58 most wanted al-Qaeda linked terrorists in the Kingdom had been killed or captured.

Since 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9-11 were Saudis, this was good news for the US, too.

But, that was before they started dumping Gitmo detainees back on the streets.
The AP reported:

The Saudi government acknowledged Wednesday that 11 men on the country's most wanted list are former Guantanamo prisoners who went through rehabilitation, raising doubts about a program intended to counter extremist religious ideology.

President Barack Obama signed an executive order closing down the prison in Cuba on Jan. 22 — his second day in office — leaving nations scrambling over what to do with a potential flood of released detainees.

I guess those 300 foreign policy advisers aren't pulling their weight.  That's a whole lot of people to throw under the bus, but if anyone can manage the task, it's the Obamessiah.

On the flip side...Iran, Syria, Hamas, North Korea, and Venezuela all think he's doing a terrific job.

There's my two cents.