Benghazi to Mali: Connecting the Dots

     In his inaugural address President Obama included much that people want to believe, including: "This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve  and proved our resilience.  A decade of war is now ending." Done with Bush's "bad war" in Iraq; ending Obama's inconsequential "good war" in Afghanistan. Smooth sailing ahead. Good enough to win reelection; freightening if he believes it.

    Dot 1. The al Queda franchises are alive and well - in Afghanistan and Pakistan; in Yemen; in North Africa. Gone is the spiritual leader, but remaining is the virulent anti-West Islamism. The drone war continues, killing leaders when they can be found, civilians when they get in the way, and an occasional American traitor. Finding leaders to interrogate - forget it.  Winning the hearts and minds of the populace - such a 70's concept.

   Dot 2. NATO brought the Arab Spring to Libya - a war, whether Obama was willing to ask Congress for approval or not. One ugly dictator removed; chaos in its wake.

   Dot 3. Libyan armaments make their way to Syria; former mercenaries make their way to Saharan Africa and make us learn a new set of place names - Gao, Bamako, Mopti - and learn where Timbuktu is.  They join Islamist militias who conquor northern Mali and attack western interests in Algeria.

   Dot 4. The French intervene to support African Union troops and save the government of Mali, a country of 14.5 million people with a territory almost twice the size of Texas. Europe fears an Afghanistan-like safe haven from which jihadist attacks can be launched. Obama rejects initial French calls for help with reconnaisance, air transport, and aerial refueling, but later relents as the French face little resistance. He agrees to base some American drones in neighboring Niger. Our allies need to rethink American support - in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

   Dot 5. Our outgoing Secretary of State tells the Senate, "What difference does it make whether .... (her subordinates in Benghazi) were killed by a planned terrorist attack or a bunch of guys out for a walk."  The New York Times cheers.

   Dot 6. Looming sequestration threatens meat-axe cuts of $45 billion per year on top of planned reductions with the wind down of the Afghan war.  Chuck Hagel is brought on as Secretary of Defense with the job of scaling back personnel, equipment, and missions.

    Well, Hillary  ....  acknowledging the reality that virulent anti-West Islamism is thriving across a wide swath of territory makes a big difference to Europe, to our friends in the Middle East, and to us. We are, and will remain, the dominant global military power. We have the unique ability to support allies in places like Libya or Mali with intelligence (satellite; electronic), air transportation, aerial refueling, and materiel without risking American lives. If we believe that the decade of war is ending (never mind Iran and Syria), that it doesn't matter who we are facing in North Africa, and that the French and Africans can do it without us, we will all pay a heavy price in the future.

                                                    -----

   As a change of pace, this week's video is a 24 minute tour of the international space station by a NASA astronaut.

bill bowen - 2/1/2013  

Comments

[DickG]

N.KOREAN THREAT,ANOTHER REASON TO THANK BILL CLINTON; for 'waiving' the illegal sales of the 'Super Computers', during the pre-impeachment 90's, to China. Yet awaiting the media story on that one. I had mistakingly thought that to be one of the reasons for his IMPEACHMENT.

[DickG]

NOT THE ONLY NUKE THREAT. What do we suppose might enter the thoughts of an Israeli leader ; faced with a 200 Abrams Tank/F16 package throw at him in 'concentration' ? This Administration's 'BRAIN STORMS' will inevitably yield a fantastic 'PERFECT STORM'.

[Bill McCormick]

NORTH KOREA dreams of Nuking NY City. What are we to make of this recently released video of N Korea nuking NY City set to the tune of "We are the World" ?

The often criticized GWB called North Korea, Iran and Iraq the Axis of Evil. The Left complained. Now after 4+ years of Left leadership GWB's war on Iraq tool out one. And, we face Iran's continuous threats and nuclear ambitions unabated along with the new "baby" dictator in North Korea "playing with nuclear threats and weapons as if they were crib toys. This is the latest of the idiotic behavior of the kid. At least you can enjoy the tune.

http://now.msn.com/north-korea-releases-propaganda-video-featuring-nuclear-destruction-of-new-york-city

[DickG]

IF ONLY OBAMA COULD HAVE BEEN ELECTED IN '68. 'Vietnam' would likely have gone down into History with 'Gettysburg'. Especially if the media could have found a few North Vietnamese slaves to interview (don't think there weren't any) .

[Bill McCormick]

KERRY WEEK 1---one of the great DOVES of my generation takes the helm at STATE. Someone bombs our Embassy in Turkey. It remains to be seen if Kerry, like the President did, will read the intell reports and change from the academic Dove to the more realistic war fighter even if in retreat. The US is under attack, continuously, throughout the world. The actions of GWB and Obama have set the enemy back in terms of hitting the homeland but we have not finished anyone off. Not Al Queda, not the Taliban and not the Islamists. They remind us too often of their determination to destroy us over the long term. It is indeed dangerous that we make decisions to financially shift our attention from Defense to food stamps and to retreat to the homeland borders. It will not be long before what happened at our elementary school will fade from memory in exchange for another 9-11 attack. KERRY has a tough job and we can only hope that he is up to the task and has the personality to change with the times. This is not Vietnam. Iran is not Hanoi. Jimmy Carter could not handle Iran. Ronald Reagan could. This is unconstrained total war--for all of our childrens' lifetimes. Hillary could not handle the job and was always kept out of the hotspots of Pakistan,China,Iran,North Korea in favor of military leaders and special appointees. Already it appears that Biden is taking charge of Kerry's sphere in Syria. Not a vote of confidence.