Hindes204
10-22-2012, 03:01 PM
Nice prelude for the upcoming debate...courtesy of a former poster who shall remain nameless:
- Archive
Memorandum: The Foreign Policy & National Security Failures Of President Obama
Lanhee Chen | 6 September, 2012
http://www.steelersuniverse.com/sites/default/files/rfp_blogimage_policymemo_620x349_3.jpg (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/09/memorandum-foreign-policy-national-security-failures-president-obama)
President Obama’s failure on the economy has been so severe that it has overshadowed his manifold failures on foreign policy and national security. An inventory of his record shows that by nearly all measures, President Obama has diminished American influence abroad and compromised our interests and values. In no region of the world is the U.S. position stronger than it was four years ago. This memorandum explains ten of President Obama’s broken promises and missteps on foreign policy and national security. It is a failed record that no amount of bluster in Charlotte can mask.
Failure #1: No Results In Slowing Or Stopping Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Today, Iran is on the cusp of nuclear weapons capability. Such a capability in the hands of the world’s top terrorist sponsoring state poses the greatest threat facing the United States and our friends and allies, and it risks sparking a nuclear arms race across the Middle East.
Despite promising to “do everything in his power” to stop Iran, four years of President Obama’s irresolute policies have failed to slow the progress of Iran’s program. In fact, that progress has sped up:
Fastest Rate Of Enrichment Ever. In 2009, Iran’s enrichment rate of low-enriched uranium was 56 kilograms per month. That jumped to 116 kilograms per month from November 2011 to February 2012. The enrichment rate now stands at 158 kilograms per month, the fastest rate ever.[1] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn1)
More Spinning Centrifuges. The total number of spinning centrifuges has gone from 3,936 to 10,477 during Obama’s term. The growth rate of spinning centrifuges went from 112 centrifuges per month before Obama came into office to 152 centrifuges per month during his term.[2] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn2)
Fordow Underground Enrichment Facility Nearing Completion. The fortified underground facility is 70 percent complete. The number of centrifuges installed has gone from 1,064 in May to 2,140 today. The facility’s limit is 3,000 centrifuges.[3] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn3)
The Iranian program has gotten to this point because President Obama has squandered all credibility with the ayatollahs:
A Failed Engagement Policy. President Obama offered the ayatollahs “no preconditions” talks, which were rebuffed. The latest round of multilateral talks has produced no results.
Refrained From Supporting The Green Movement. When asked during a press conference, President Obama shamefully refused to voice support for Iranian dissidents in 2009 as they were being killed in the streets, saying he did not want to “meddle” in Iran’s affairs.
A Weak Sanctions Policy. President Obama opposed and sought to water down crippling sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank until he was forced into them by Congress and our European partners.[4] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn4) He then undermined those sanctions by issuing waivers to 20 of the top importers of Iranian oil, including China.[5] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn5)
Abandoned Missile Defense. He abandoned a European missile defense system meant to protect against Iranian missiles.
Undermined The Credibility Of The Military Option. His administration has given the Iranians no reason to believe it is serious about a military option. The administration has repeatedly talked down the effectiveness and advisability of the military option, and seems to have devoted more energy toward preventing an Israeli strike on Iran than toward preventing an Iranian nuclear weapons capability. Obama officials leaked that the administration has focused its efforts on explaining to Israel “the dangers of an Israeli attack” on Iran and has attempted to “make the decision to attack as hard as possible for Israel.”[6] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn6) And the President himself, after boldly stating to AIPAC that the United States “has Israel’s back,” changed his tune two days later by saying his statement was “not a military doctrine.”
In the face of such irresolution, the ayatollahs are pressing forward toward nuclear weapons capability without fear of repercussion because they do not believe we are serious.
Failure #2: Endangering Our Mission In Afghanistan And Weakening Our Relationship With Pakistan
The killing of Osama bin Laden was a landmark in the war on terror for which President Obama deserves credit. However, the President has made numerous unwise and seemingly politically motivated decisions in Afghanistan that have made it harder to complete our mission of transitioning to an Afghan Army that can defend Afghanistan on its own and ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a launching pad for terror like it was on 9/11.
President Obama has convinced all parties—both our partners and our enemies—that his objective is to leave Afghanistan by a date certain, regardless of the conditions on the ground. This message has led our Afghan and Pakistani partners to doubt our resolve and hedge their bets rather than fully cooperate with us. And this message has encouraged the Taliban to believe that they can wait us out.
President Obama’s missteps include:
Undermining The Surge. After a protracted deliberation process, President Obama in December 2009 announced a “surge” of 30,000 troops. But in the very same speech, he put forward an 18-month timetable to begin withdrawal, undermining the surge before it began.
Disregarding The Advice Of Military Commanders. President Obama only provided 30,000 surge troops, rather than the 40,000 requested. He is withdrawing those 30,000 surge troops by the end of September 2012, rather than keeping them through the “fighting season” to solidify our gains as the commanders recommended. General David Petraeus and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen testified before Congress that this withdrawal schedule was “more aggressive”[7] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn7) than their recommendation and that it would “incur more risk” to the mission.[8] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn8)
Failing To Ensure A Clean Afghan Election. The 2009 Afghan presidential election was plagued by irregularities that have undermined the authority of President Hamid Karzai among the Afghan population. President Obama’s lack of leadership to ensure free, fair, and legitimate elections at the time has greatly undermined our mission. It is immensely more difficult to defeat an insurgency if the government does not enjoy the full confidence of the population.
Unwise Negotiations With The Taliban. President Obama has initiated negotiations with the Taliban, at times sidelining our Afghan partners from the talks. He has done so from a position of weakness in which the Taliban know that surge troops will leave by a date certain, are aware of the end-of-2014 transition timeline, and are still killing our troops. They know President Obama wants a deal more than they do. In effect, President Obama is negotiating our retreat and emboldening the Taliban.
Amidst President Obama’s mistakes, relations with our Afghan partners as well as with Pakistani authorities have frayed. Relations between President Obama and President Karzai are strained, leading the Afghan president to frequently criticize the American troop presence. A senior Obama Administration official recently called the U.S.-Pakistani relationship—which has always been complicated—“the worst it has ever been.” [9] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn9) A number of factors contribute to this state of affairs, but the chief factor is the lack of resolute leadership from President Obama.
Continue reading:
http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/09/memorandum-foreign-policy-national-security-failures-president-obama
- Archive
Memorandum: The Foreign Policy & National Security Failures Of President Obama
Lanhee Chen | 6 September, 2012
http://www.steelersuniverse.com/sites/default/files/rfp_blogimage_policymemo_620x349_3.jpg (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/09/memorandum-foreign-policy-national-security-failures-president-obama)
President Obama’s failure on the economy has been so severe that it has overshadowed his manifold failures on foreign policy and national security. An inventory of his record shows that by nearly all measures, President Obama has diminished American influence abroad and compromised our interests and values. In no region of the world is the U.S. position stronger than it was four years ago. This memorandum explains ten of President Obama’s broken promises and missteps on foreign policy and national security. It is a failed record that no amount of bluster in Charlotte can mask.
Failure #1: No Results In Slowing Or Stopping Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Today, Iran is on the cusp of nuclear weapons capability. Such a capability in the hands of the world’s top terrorist sponsoring state poses the greatest threat facing the United States and our friends and allies, and it risks sparking a nuclear arms race across the Middle East.
Despite promising to “do everything in his power” to stop Iran, four years of President Obama’s irresolute policies have failed to slow the progress of Iran’s program. In fact, that progress has sped up:
Fastest Rate Of Enrichment Ever. In 2009, Iran’s enrichment rate of low-enriched uranium was 56 kilograms per month. That jumped to 116 kilograms per month from November 2011 to February 2012. The enrichment rate now stands at 158 kilograms per month, the fastest rate ever.[1] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn1)
More Spinning Centrifuges. The total number of spinning centrifuges has gone from 3,936 to 10,477 during Obama’s term. The growth rate of spinning centrifuges went from 112 centrifuges per month before Obama came into office to 152 centrifuges per month during his term.[2] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn2)
Fordow Underground Enrichment Facility Nearing Completion. The fortified underground facility is 70 percent complete. The number of centrifuges installed has gone from 1,064 in May to 2,140 today. The facility’s limit is 3,000 centrifuges.[3] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn3)
The Iranian program has gotten to this point because President Obama has squandered all credibility with the ayatollahs:
A Failed Engagement Policy. President Obama offered the ayatollahs “no preconditions” talks, which were rebuffed. The latest round of multilateral talks has produced no results.
Refrained From Supporting The Green Movement. When asked during a press conference, President Obama shamefully refused to voice support for Iranian dissidents in 2009 as they were being killed in the streets, saying he did not want to “meddle” in Iran’s affairs.
A Weak Sanctions Policy. President Obama opposed and sought to water down crippling sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank until he was forced into them by Congress and our European partners.[4] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn4) He then undermined those sanctions by issuing waivers to 20 of the top importers of Iranian oil, including China.[5] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn5)
Abandoned Missile Defense. He abandoned a European missile defense system meant to protect against Iranian missiles.
Undermined The Credibility Of The Military Option. His administration has given the Iranians no reason to believe it is serious about a military option. The administration has repeatedly talked down the effectiveness and advisability of the military option, and seems to have devoted more energy toward preventing an Israeli strike on Iran than toward preventing an Iranian nuclear weapons capability. Obama officials leaked that the administration has focused its efforts on explaining to Israel “the dangers of an Israeli attack” on Iran and has attempted to “make the decision to attack as hard as possible for Israel.”[6] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn6) And the President himself, after boldly stating to AIPAC that the United States “has Israel’s back,” changed his tune two days later by saying his statement was “not a military doctrine.”
In the face of such irresolution, the ayatollahs are pressing forward toward nuclear weapons capability without fear of repercussion because they do not believe we are serious.
Failure #2: Endangering Our Mission In Afghanistan And Weakening Our Relationship With Pakistan
The killing of Osama bin Laden was a landmark in the war on terror for which President Obama deserves credit. However, the President has made numerous unwise and seemingly politically motivated decisions in Afghanistan that have made it harder to complete our mission of transitioning to an Afghan Army that can defend Afghanistan on its own and ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a launching pad for terror like it was on 9/11.
President Obama has convinced all parties—both our partners and our enemies—that his objective is to leave Afghanistan by a date certain, regardless of the conditions on the ground. This message has led our Afghan and Pakistani partners to doubt our resolve and hedge their bets rather than fully cooperate with us. And this message has encouraged the Taliban to believe that they can wait us out.
President Obama’s missteps include:
Undermining The Surge. After a protracted deliberation process, President Obama in December 2009 announced a “surge” of 30,000 troops. But in the very same speech, he put forward an 18-month timetable to begin withdrawal, undermining the surge before it began.
Disregarding The Advice Of Military Commanders. President Obama only provided 30,000 surge troops, rather than the 40,000 requested. He is withdrawing those 30,000 surge troops by the end of September 2012, rather than keeping them through the “fighting season” to solidify our gains as the commanders recommended. General David Petraeus and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen testified before Congress that this withdrawal schedule was “more aggressive”[7] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn7) than their recommendation and that it would “incur more risk” to the mission.[8] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn8)
Failing To Ensure A Clean Afghan Election. The 2009 Afghan presidential election was plagued by irregularities that have undermined the authority of President Hamid Karzai among the Afghan population. President Obama’s lack of leadership to ensure free, fair, and legitimate elections at the time has greatly undermined our mission. It is immensely more difficult to defeat an insurgency if the government does not enjoy the full confidence of the population.
Unwise Negotiations With The Taliban. President Obama has initiated negotiations with the Taliban, at times sidelining our Afghan partners from the talks. He has done so from a position of weakness in which the Taliban know that surge troops will leave by a date certain, are aware of the end-of-2014 transition timeline, and are still killing our troops. They know President Obama wants a deal more than they do. In effect, President Obama is negotiating our retreat and emboldening the Taliban.
Amidst President Obama’s mistakes, relations with our Afghan partners as well as with Pakistani authorities have frayed. Relations between President Obama and President Karzai are strained, leading the Afghan president to frequently criticize the American troop presence. A senior Obama Administration official recently called the U.S.-Pakistani relationship—which has always been complicated—“the worst it has ever been.” [9] (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/#_ftn9) A number of factors contribute to this state of affairs, but the chief factor is the lack of resolute leadership from President Obama.
Continue reading:
http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/09/memorandum-foreign-policy-national-security-failures-president-obama