Is America An Exceptional Country?

Good morning, family. Happy Hump Day. Check out the President's UN speech. What did you think about it? Is America an exceptional country? Why? Why not?

Why I Oppose Military Intervention in Syria

This morning, I sent the following letter to my Senators, Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin and my House Representative, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.

September 2, 2013

The Honorable Barbara Mikulski
503 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Mikulski:

I urge you not to authorize military action against Syria. Despite the claims of the Obama Administration, we do not know with absolute certainty that the Assad regime launched chemical attacks against its own people. It is possible that the so-called rebels may be responsible for those despicable crimes against humanity. As reported in the USA Today article entitled Syrian rebels pledge loyalty to al-Qaeda, many of those so-called rebels are affiliated with the terrorist group, Al Qaeda. They capable of anything. Their crimes are well documented in the New York Times and many other media sources.

Furthermore, the Obama Administration's unclassified report does not cite any sources. Similarly, as reported in a Washington Post article entitled Sarin gas used in Syria attack, Kerry says, Secretary of State John Kerry claims that laboratory test results found traces of sarin in hair and blood collected at the scene. However, Mr. Kerry did not provide any details. His claim is unsubstantiated.

We are expected to simply accept the Administration's word. In light of the intelligence community's abysmal track record, that would be unwise. The Bush Administration told us that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that Saddam posed a threat to national security. After the lost of thousands of lives and billions of dollars, we now know that Bush's assertions were false. Based on faulty intelligence reports, the Obama Administration told us that the attacks in Benghazi stemmed from protests over a film insulting Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Later, the Administration had a retract that assertion and admit that it was a well planned terrorist attack. Not to long ago, National Intelligence Director James Clapper told Congress that the NSA was not collecting records on thousands of Americans. Whistle blower Edward Snowden proved Mr. Clapper's assertion to be false. Again, we cannot accept any administration's word without concrete and verifiable proof.

The United Nations conducted an investigation and plans to issue a report soon. Before engaging in an act of war against a sovereign state, America should at least wait until the UN releases its report. That report will confirm whether or not chemical weapons were in fact used. We should insist that the UN inspectors be allowed to conduct further inspections to definitively determine who is responsible for the attack. Even President Obama acknowledged that there is no urgent need to immediately respond with force. We can wait.

Even if the Assad regime committed the alleged atrocities, you still should not authorize the use of force that this time. Syria does not pose a threat to America's national security. They have not attacked or threatened to attack America. If the US attacks Syria, it will jeopardize our national security. Syria will probably retaliate against the US and its allies. Troops should not be deployed for purpose of political gamesmanship or to save face for the President.

In addition, the mission is not clear or sound. "Limited attacks" from the air will not be sufficient to remove Assad from power. If Assad did in fact use chemical weapons, a US attack would probably incite him to use chemical weapons on a larger scale against his own people. Instead of protecting civilians in Syria, more civilians will die.

The US may be forced to escalate its involvement in Syria. The President assures the American people that there will be no boots on the ground. He assures us that the operation will be limited in scope and duration. However, as currently drafted, the President's resolution does not provide any such limitations. That is simply unacceptable.

The Obama Administration claims that it must act because the Assad regime violated international law by using chemical weapons. However, as reported in a Huffington Post article entitled Syria: Is An Attack On The Country Legal?,

Article 2 (4) of the UN charter states that "all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state." But the UN does allow for states to use force for self-defence and, under Chapter 7, authorizes the Security Council to take action "to maintain or restore international peace and security."

Here, the US is would not be acting in self defense. Moreover, the UN Security Council has not taken any action to maintain or restore international peace. Thus, if the US unilaterally attacks Syria, the US will be violating international law. One cannot uphold international law by violating international law. Such actions make America look hypocritical.

The United States cannot be the world's policeman. The crisis in Syria is Arab problem that requires Arab solutions. The Arab League should bear the primary responsibility for creating stability in the region, not the US. The US should not put troops in danger by using them to prop up and protect Al Qaeda affiliated terrorists in Syria. Has the US learned anything from its experience in Afghanistan?

Many claim that this operation is being conducted for humanitarian purposes. The Administration claims that its acting in order to protect the Syrian people. You do not protect people by bombing them. There is no guarantee that US bombs will not kill many innocent civilians. That would defeat the purported purpose of the mission. The U.S. drone policy is a prime example of US military attacks can result in significant collateral damage.

This is not about humanitarianism. It is about geopolitics and the control of natural resources. If Syria was not located in an oil rich region, there would be no calls for military action. Thousands of innocent civilians are dying in the Central Republic of Congo, Nigeria and many other countries around the world. Yet, the US does nothing. Clearly, this is not about protecting civilians.

If we truly want to protect innocent civilians, we must intensify our diplomatic efforts, not our military efforts. Please do not authorize the use of military force in Syria.

Very truly yours,

Anson C. Asaka

Obama Tap Dances for Israel

The Washington Post reports that:

President Obama arrived in Israel Wednesday for a three-day trip designed to engage a new Israeli government and skeptical public about his second-term foreign policy intentions, after a first term that stirred resentment here about the way he approached the Israeli-Palestinian peace issue.

After disembarking from Air Force One to a lavish greeting ceremony, Obama was quick to articulate the primary goal of his trip, his first overseas since beginning a second term.

“I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” he said. “It makes us both stronger. It makes us both more prosperous. And it makes the world a better place.”

In welcoming Obama formally, Israeli President Shimon Peres said the visit, which Obama put off during his first term in the White House, is a demonstration of “the profound relationship between our two nations.”

In welcoming Obama formally, Israeli President Shimon Peres said the visit, which Obama put off during his first term in the White House, is a demonstration of “the profound relationship between our two nations.”

“From the depths of our hearts, from the depths of our history, toda raba — thank you,” Peres said, adding that Israel wants to live in peace with the Palestinians and all Arab nations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Obama “for standing by Israel at this time of historic change in the Middle East” and affirming its “unequivocal right” to defend itself, a tacit reference to the growing threat Netanyahu believes is posed by Iran’s uranium-enrichment program.

“The need for our alliance is greater than ever,” Netanyahu said, also adding that “we seek a peace with our Palestinian neighbors.”

Obama is packing much into his visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank over three days. His goal is primarily remedial, fixing his sometimes poor relations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as a precursor, perhaps, to a new U.S.-led push for peace talks. John F. Kerry, his new secretary of state, is accompanying him on the trip.

This story bothers me for a couple of reasons. I hate to see the President pander to AIPAC, especially after Benjamin Netanyahu disrespected him and basically endorsed Mitt Romney for President. Like his predecessors, President Obama unconditionally supports for Israel. Yet, his critics are still not satisfied. Instead of standing up to his critics, Obama decided to tap dance for Israel and shine Netanyahu's shoes.

During the trip, the President will reiterate and emphasize America's unwaivering support of Israel. America has squandered billions of dollars financing Israeli occupation and terrorism. At the same time, America never has enough money for the poor and the elderly at home. America never has enough to rebuild its infrastructure. America never has enough money to improve crumbling urban schools. Yet, America always has plenty of money to build Israel's arsenal of death and destruction.

Even more disturbing, this trip appears to be laying the groundwork for military action against Syria and Iran. 10 years after the Iraq fiasco, the war hawks are essentially pressuring the President to take military action against Iran and Syria. The last thing that the US needs to do is get involved in another armed conflict. It would be horrific and ironic if Nobel Peace Prize winner, Barack Obama, invades Syria based on the same sketchy rationale used to justify Bush's idiotic invasion of Iraq.

Thousands of US troops and Iraqi civilians were killed because of a lie. Many people are missing limbs because of a lie. Many people are paralyzed because of a lie. America's standing in the world is diminished because of a lie. I sincerely hope that President Obama does not repeat Bush's mistake.

Finally, the trip highlights the fact that the President has done very little to negotiate peace in the Middle East. The American people, the Israeli people and the Palestinian people do not need any more eloquent speeches and photo ops. We need peace.

Obama Makes Excuses for Israel's Brutality

Shout out to the Root



As the bombs fall and the babies die in Gaza, the President makes excuses for Israel's brutality. Mr. President, that is not change that we can believe in.

Al Jazeera reports that:

Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip have continued for a seventh day, despite calls for a truce, with the overall toll reaching 111, according to medical sources.

In the latest Israeli airstrike early on Tuesday morning, at least four people were injured when F-16 fighter jets hit the Islamic National Bank in Gaza City, which is located in a residential area.

In other violence on Monday, two boys, aged two and four, and their parents were killed in Jabaliya refugee camp late in the evening. More than a dozen people were injured, mostly women and children.

During the afternoon, one person was killed and another two wounded when a missile struck a car just north of Gaza City.

Elsewhere, a missile hit a motorcycle east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, killing two men and critically wounding a child who was with them, Gaza's ambulance service said.

Earlier in the day, two women and a child were among four killed in a raid on Gaza City's eastern Zeitun neighbourhood.

The Israeli military has struck more than 1,350 targets in Gaza since attacks began on Wednesday, Israel says it launched the operation to deter Palestinian fighters from launching rockets into its territory.

Since then, 640 rockets have hit Israel while more than 300 others have been intercepted by Israel's anti-missile system, the Iron Dome, according to the Israeli army. Three Israeli civilians died on Thursday in a rocket strike.

The Israeli military said that 67 rockets had been fired at the country on Monday, and that three Israelis had been wounded.

Many residents of southern Israel have left the area and schools have been closed since the start of the crisis.

More than 30 people were killed in Gaza on Monday.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Barghouti: Netanyahu Wants Palestinians "to Live as Slaves in a System of Apartheid and Segregation"

After watching Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before Congress, two things are obvious. First, under Netanyahu's rule, there will be no peace in the Middle East. Second, Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, are nothing but subservient lawn jockeys, shoe shiners and boot lickers for Israel and AIPAC.

In the U.S. mainstream media, we rarely hear the Palestinian prospective. For an alternative view, please take a minute to listen to Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative.

Obama's Middle East Foreign Policy is More of the Same Old Stuff

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Last week, President Barack Obama gave a major address on the Middle East. Today, he gave a speech before the pro-Israel lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

After listening to both speeches, I am convinced that Obama is not offering a new approach to the Middle East crisis. It is just the same old stuff that has been presented by previous U.S. administrations. There is no fundamental change in American foreign policy.

During his speech before AIPAC, the President reaffirmed his call for Israel to return to the 1967 borders. As reported in the New York Times, the President stated:

“There was nothing particularly original in my proposal. This basic framework for negotiations has long been the basis for discussions among the parties, including previous U.S. administrations.”

Obama went on to essentially backtrack clarify his position by stating that the Israelis and Palestinians "will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967." Maybe I am missing something, but that sounds like double talk to me.

Unfortunately, as many pundits have stated, the President's call for a return to the 1967 borders may merely be a ploy to provide the U.S. with cover to oppose an upcoming U.N. vote to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.

In addition, Obama's "unshakable" and unconditional support for Israel is troubling. To prove his devotion to Israel, Obama touted his Administration's withdrawal from the Durban Review Conference, opposition to the Goldstone Report and veto of the U.N. resolution condemning illegal settlements.  Instead of being proud of its position on those issues, the Obama Administration should be ashamed for taking such reactionary positions. 

During last week's Middle East address, the President stated that the U.S. would veto any resolution recognizing Palestine as an independent and sovereign state.  Apparently, Obama plans to continue America's long history of vetoing numerous U.N. resolutions pertaining to Israel. This is no surprise given the fact that he bended over backwards to placate AIPAC during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. How much tap dancing does Obama have to do to prove that he is down with Israel?

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Despite all those efforts to appease the pro-Israel lobby, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and company are still displeased with President Obama. As reported in the New York Times,

"Most significant among his public objections, Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel would not accept a return to the boundaries that existed before the war in 1967 gave it control of the West Bank and Gaza, calling them indefensible."

Netanyahu should not slam the President for saying what has long been the position of previous administrations. Israel owes it very existence to the U.S. Netanyahu should show some freaking gratitude.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Muammar Gaddafi: "People who don't love me don't deserve to live."

Many moons ago, when I was in college, I had some respect for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. As Stephen Zunes notes in his Truthout article,

"Under Gaddafi's rule, Libya made impressive, if uneven, gains in health care, education, housing, the rights of women and basic social services. His brand of Islamic socialism, combined with the country's relatively small population and large oil reserves, made Libya one of the more prosperous and egalitarian societies in the Middle East, even though the promise generally outpaced actual performance. Though he was a classic strongman in one sense, Gaddafi also allowed for a relatively decentralized political system which allowed for direct democracy and popular participation in some limited political spheres."

In addition, he gave millions of dollars to the Nation of Islam. He stood up to U.S. imperialism and survived. More specifically, as Stephen Zunes writes,

"In April 1986, following a terrorist bombing in Berlin that killed an American serviceman, the United States bombed Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya's two largest cities, killing up to two dozen civilians, including Gaddafi's daughter. The attack was widely condemned as a violation of international law, which recognizes the legitimacy of the use of military force only in self-defense from an armed attack, not for retaliation. The civilian casualties from the air strikes and the serious damage caused to the French embassy and other diplomatic facilities provoked outrage throughout the world and bolstered Gaddafi's standing both at home and abroad."

Whatever little respect that I had for Gaddafi quickly evaporated when I read about his vicious, brutal and self serving response to the pro-democracy uprising in Libya. In 1969, Gaddafi seized power by overthrowing "the unpopular pro-Western monarchy of King Idris". Now, Gaddafi is the one who is unpopular. The whole situation is reminiscent of George Orwell's Animal Farm. For those who do not know, Animal Farm is about liberators who morph into oppressors.

Gaddafi has become the oppressor of his own people. Intoxicated by power, he declared, "People who don't love me don't deserve to live." According to some news reports, his soldiers and loyalists have killed at least 1,000 protesters. Pro-Gaddafi forces have fired on and bombed nonviolent demonstrators. As reported in the Washington Post,

"Everyone is very devastated," said another resident who lives near the square and watched from her window as men in sport-utility vehicles opened fire on protesters in the street below. She said she thought that as many as 60 people had been killed and knew of three who died when pro-Gaddafi gunmen stormed a mosque and opened fire on worshipers.

"We are just hearing about people dying, and it's like this isn't going to end," she said. "This guy will kill until the last day of his life."





I commend the people of Libya for standing up and demanding democracy. I salute the United Nations for imposing sanctions on the Gaddafi regime. President Obama was right when he said "when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now." No leader should be in power for 41 years.

"Give Peace A Chance"

When humanity has the necessary vision and determination, we can transform the impossible into a tangible reality. Africans were enslaved in America and considered chattel property. After slavery, African Americans were subjected to the brutal oppression of the Jim Crow era. Today, the most powerful man of earth is an African American named President Barack Obama. In the 1990s, Apartheid ended and political prisoner Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa. For the most part, the conflict in Ireland has ended and peace reigns. The Berlin Wall came tumbling down. The Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War has ended. Recently, combat troops left Iraq. Similarly, there can and must be peace in Palestine and Israel. In the words of John Lennon, we must "give peace a chance". Failure cannot be an option.