Obama's Interview With Al Arabiya

[Lil Red]

+J.M.J.+
[url="http://theanchoressonline.com/2009/01/27/obama-yeah-iraq-war-caused-the-hate/"]The Anchoress[/url] has a good roundup of links and a good take on the whole thing:

[quote]Ultimately the whole interview is troubling. Obama seems to assert that “as recently as 20 or 30 years ago” relations between the US and the Arab world were good, and to conveniently forget the hostage-taking of 1975 or the bombings of the ’80’s - including the killing of US Marines.

And, yes, the attacks that averaged one every 18 months or so from 1992 through 2000, and focused on American interests and embassies and ummm…US Naval Vessels…they don’t seem to have happened in President Obama’s world. In his world, things were just fine until his predecessor invaded Iraq for no good reason, but because he just happened to be in the mood to invade Iraq after the Clinton Administration and every credible intelligence agency in the world, members of our own Senate Intelligence Committee and our own former Secretary of State and Former First Lady all agreed that Iraq was holding WMD, and 3,000 Americans had just died in a multi-targeted attack carried out on her soil.

....

President Obama was not especially “wrong” to give his first interview to al-Arabiya. Having been raised in Indonesia, and educated at least partly in madrassa’s while there, he may well have a sense of what the Muslim mind needs to feel, in terms of “listening” and “respect” that our Western presidents have missed. I can readily concede that. But it seems to me that as The American President he owed it to the world and his own nation to keep the history clean and straight, and to not allow himself to accept a dishonestly-framed question. He did not do that.

Obama was perfectly right to tell the Arab world that “America is not your enemy.” Bush said it too - many times, making the distinction that our enemies were terrorist regimes and those that harbored terrorists (another thing people forget - although Ann Althouse remembers it well). But Obama missed an opportunity to simultaneously “extend a hand” to Islam, while reassuring his own people that he has not just unleashed the old weak horse.[/quote]
what do you guys think about the interview?

[CatherineM]

I decided to look up Obama's education background. I thought maybe he had his bachelors in home ec or something that required no history. That was the only thing I could think of that would explain his lack of knowing recent history. His BA is in political science. You'd think he had some history, current events, something. What interested me on his school background, was that he went to a catholic school from grades 1-3. Do you suppose he's against Catholics because a nun gave him a ruler when he was 8 year's old?

I suppose if he calls overs, and just forgets everything, and starts from scratch, we might have a peace based on a lie. Don't know if that would prevent something from happening in the future. People keep saying how smart he is, but surely some of his advisers have informed him how many marines died in Lebanon.

[Winchester]

He's a politician. Politicians are stupid.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Winchester' post='1763914' date='Jan 27 2009, 06:08 PM']He's a politician. Politicians are stupid.[/quote]

You'll get no arguments from me on that one.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1763825' date='Jan 27 2009, 03:34 PM']+J.M.J.+
[url="http://theanchoressonline.com/2009/01/27/obama-yeah-iraq-war-caused-the-hate/"]The Anchoress[/url] has a good roundup of links and a good take on the whole thing:


what do you guys think about the interview?[/quote]
It's disappointing. I watched ABC's "America Held Hostage" (which became ABC News Nightline) at 11:30pm for over 400 days. Where was Mr. Obama during the Iran Hostage Crisis? Where was Mr. Obama when Iranians were chanting "Death to America" in 1979 and 1980?

May the Lord help the United States.

[MithLuin]

Yeah, the best arguement is that diplomacy is the art of lying. That explains [i]soooo[/i] much about what he said. Hopefully, he'll wise up before he actually talks to a head of state over there.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Apotheoun' post='1764451' date='Jan 28 2009, 02:02 AM']It's disappointing. I watched ABC's "America Held Hostage" (which became ABC News Nightline) at 11:30pm for over 400 days. Where was Mr. Obama during the Iran Hostage Crisis? Where was Mr. Obama when Iranians were chanting "Death to America" in 1979 and 1980?

May the Lord help the United States.[/quote]

I'd forgotten about the Nightline thing. My dad made me watch it every night. Having been a POW, he practically relived it every night while waiting for them to be released. Watching them dig through the rubble on the Marine compound in Lebanon reminded him of doing the same thing after the Hotel David bombing.

It seems like we constantly have to relive atrocities. We don't seem to learn that hate isn't the answer. I guess Obama was too busy with his studies in the 80's to remember any of this stuff.

[Saint Therese]

I might have given him the benefit of the doubt about being Muslim,but not any more.

[Winchester]

He was probably just telling Mr. Arabiya what he wanted to hear.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Winchester' post='1765135' date='Jan 28 2009, 08:55 PM']He was probably just telling Mr. Arabiya what he wanted to hear.[/quote]

He is very good at that.

[Saint Therese]

I think O'bama is about as christian as O'Biden is Catholic.

[Winchester]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1765159' date='Jan 28 2009, 10:09 PM']He is very good at that.[/quote]
And Mr. Arabiya is famous for twisting interviewees into his particular way of thinking. Albert Arabiya has been called the "Muslim Barbara Walters."

[Maximilianus]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1763852' date='Jan 27 2009, 05:52 PM'].... but surely some of his advisers have informed him how many marines died in Lebanon.[/quote]

I used to pass by the Beirut Memorial when I was Stationed at Camp Lejeune.
241 dead, 220 Marines...

Edited January 30, 2009 by Maximilianus

[Tinkerlina]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1763825' date='Jan 27 2009, 06:34 PM']+J.M.J.+
[url="http://theanchoressonline.com/2009/01/27/obama-yeah-iraq-war-caused-the-hate/"]The Anchoress[/url] has a good roundup of links and a good take on the whole thing:


what do you guys think about the interview?[/quote]

I didn't see the interview but I do think it was a good PR move. Al Qaeda's recruitment depends heavily on the belief that America is an enemy, so I think any gesture like this is a good move. Especially because he gave them the first interview, I think this is sending the message that "The US government cares about your concerns, you are a priority"-any discrediting of Al Qaeda's proclamations that "Americans hate us" is a good thing. -Katie

[Lil Red]

+J.M.J.+
off topic posts have been moved to the lame board.