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Saturday, August 23, 2014

On the brink of global war

On the brink of global war - John Shoemaker - http://www.metrowestdailynews.com 

 
It seems we are repeating history; the relentless movement to global war seems inevitable.
 
No one wants it. No one expects it. Few believe it. Many ignore it.
 
History has shown otherwise. Miscalculations, appeasement, inaction, or misunderstanding were precursors to World War I and II and many wars since.
 
There's turmoil throughout the Middle East. Many say that we can surely contain it to that area of the world, can't we? But the evidence shows the conflicts spreading from country to country.
 
President Obama continues to offer only words instead of action, while conducting political fundraisers. As a result, our foreign policy is in shambles.
 
Action does not necessarily mean using military force. We do have options.
 
This is not about Obama- or Bush-bashing. Our history in the Middle East since World War II has been a continuing string of failures. Dean Rusk, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton and now John Kerry all seem to believe that civilized, rational diplomacy works in a world of deep hatred and religious extremism.
 
Today, this is about the reality of the battlefield.
 
Syria is a continuing war-in-progress. They stomped on and crossed Obama's line in the sand. Iraq is in a renewed war and must fend for itself. ISIS is a new enemy, worse than Al Qaeda, now sitting across Syria and Iraq in captured territory. Afghanistan is a war unfinished - no matter how much President Obama wants it to end. Pakistan is taking on the Taliban in some isolated battles, but remains a safe haven for extremists. Israel got fed up with thousands of Iranian missiles launched against it by Hamas in Gaza and invaded.
 
Our response is to send tens of millions of dollars to Gaza and release billions of dollars to Iran (yes, it's true).
 
Some still do not feel threatened by ISIS.
 
After the soldiers of ISIS - now calling itself simply the Islamic State - captured Mosul and other cities, they told the entire Christian community to convert to Islam, leave or be killed. Hundreds of thousands are escaping as the persecution continues. They now have hundreds of millions of dollars in cash captured from Iraqi banks and will spread Jihad elsewhere, especially targeting Europe and the U.S.
 
Then there is Iran. What do you think will happen when Iran finally gets the bomb?
 
Negotiations are important, but we should not rely on them. We need to take harsh non-military action now - not when it is too late.
 
Even more wars are raging as if every tyrant has gotten a free "get-out-of-jail" card.
 
Remember the presidential debate, when Obama and the media ridiculed Mitt Romney for suggesting that Russia and Putin were our "number one geopolitical foe"? Does anyone really believe now that Putin is not a major threat?
 
Look at Africa. It is another mess, with a dozen countries at war with Al Qaeda and/or half-baked terrorist groups and tribal warlords.
 
While all this is cooking, the Western nations and the United Nations seem unable to address it in any effective way. This is not just about President Obama demonstrating a lack of leadership, but most European nations will likely do nothing - even after the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The gentle, liberal and fun-loving Dutch will cave it to appeasement. All fear Putin.
 
No enemy fears the U.S. and this only encourages the horrific actions of groups like ISIS.
 
So what to do?
 
In Europe, we need to re-energize NATO. We can create a "Strategic European Energy Reserve" with both gas and oil to mitigate their dependence on Russia. Reinforce our Eastern European allies with arms and supplies and send soldiers for on-site training and guidance. We can also restart the anti-missile program (remember "Star Wars") that was trashed. Lastly, we can turn off the banking spigot that fuels Russia.
 
In Africa, we can create a new military organization, call it the African Treaty Organization (ATO), which would act very much like NATO but instead, should create its own joint military command, with strike forces that can respond to conflicts and disasters within all member nations. We can expand use of drones and our Air Force.
 
America does not need to put boots on the ground, but should expect member nations to put their boots where there dangers are.
 
In the Middle East, we must draw real lines in the sand. No more concessions to Iran. To fight ISIS, we could create a new "Arab Security Force" composed of military resources from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, and elsewhere. Failing that, we can support those who have the conviction to fight - like the Kurds. The U.S. takes a supply and support role, with intelligence gathering and sharing. Use the Israel model, where they do the fighting and we provide technical support.
 
In all areas, let's stop sending billions of dollars to those who do not cooperate. We continue to send billions of dollars to Egypt, Pakistan, Libya, and even Iran and many other dangerous, untrustworthy countries. This is ridiculous. There is a host of other financial and economic measures that we can take that would demonstrate our credibility and commitment.
 
Many more actions can be taken to influence the world to stop this outrageous blood sport that is out of control.
 
We must earn respect and demonstrate leadership. It not us, who?
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY PROPHECY WEBSITES...............................
 

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