President Obama has long couched his foreign policy as at least comparatively moderate, presenting everything he does as the half-measure alternative to some senatorial superhawk’s demands.
Yet Obama seems to be shifting himself further and further into the position of a hawkish, wartime president, and his actions over the past few days reflect an attempt to reinvent his foreign policy.
After years of talking up the 2014 end to the Afghan War, the end of 2014 is fast upon is. Unwilling to lose one of his defining wars, President Obama was revealed Friday to have issued a secret order extending direct combat in the country through at least the end of 2015. He also made a deal over the weekend that ended a ban on night raids, which have caused a number of Afghan civilian casualties.
Today, he took a further step toward packing his cabinet with hawks, firing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, a man who was initially hired to end the Afghan War and get the Pentagon’s books in order.
The Afghan War isn’t ending, and you certainly can’t have the Pentagon’s books in order when there are brand new wars in Syria and Iraq to throw endless money and escalations at.
Who’s coming in to replace Hagel is unclear so far, but the front-runner is Michele Flournoy, who as Undersecretary of Defense presented “ending” the war in Iraq as leaving 60,000 troops there indefinitely.
Hagel was too worried about what stuff cost and whether it made sense, and issued a memo recently complaining that the administration was talking up ousting Syrian President Bashar Assad while all its policies in Syria were expanding his hold.
The administration has made clear those sorts of questions aren’t very welcome from the press and the public, and it must be doubly so for cabinet members, who aren’t so easily ignored. Whether Flournoy or not, expect the next US Defense Minister not to ask too many questions.
I guess Obama isn't done disappointing the country and the world. Now that his admin is coming to an end, instead of standing up for what he believes, he's selling out completely. At this rate the country is going to be in shambles by the time the next moloch takes office. Nice going there first black president.
"instead of standing up for what he believes, he's selling out completely"
Instead? Selling out is always what he's believed in.
Please referre to a u.s president in last 30 years or so who haven't been a war hawkish or for USG not being at war in last 65 years. Obama replaced George W. Bush, without considering any political differences, which there are non, for that reason alone obama policy shouldn't have changed the cours of u.s warmongering toward rest of the world.
Bush was a lot friendlier towards Russia than Obama is.
This is ultimately what makes Obama more destructive than Bush,
because Obama's policies are capable of starting THE BIG ONE.
You do understand cowardice invites aggression don't you?
Our Golfer in Chief is getting us ready for Shrillary Clinton, an unadulterated war hawk. Obama had to play many cards before his re-election–and taking half assed measures on foreign policy was one of them. I really wonder what his handlers are telling him? The anti-war Left should be OUTRAGED–a favorite word of the left at THEIR man Obama–but they're hypocritically not. Maybe because they don't want to be seen as criticizing a man of color (an argument that is so old that it has dust balls attached to it) or more likely, they don't want to be seen as EATING one of their own–a man of the left—at least a man who has an impeccable leftists pedigree. So, folks, get ready for another episode of Perpetual Warfare–which has had more episodes than the longest running afternoon soap opera.!
While I agree with you on most of the post… seriously, how has Obama had any form ever of leftist pedigree? He's been a corporate sell-out his entire life. You should meet an actual leftist – a bunch of dumb Democrats wishing someone were something they aren't isn''t a leftist pedigree.
Just another Bush of a different color.
AmeriKa's warmongering elite of the 21st century will just carry on this way…getting progressively worse
Obama is simply doing what every US president has done for the past 50 years,which is perform his assigned duty of reducing this country to a state of helplessness so it will fit neatly into the New World Order.
Well, Mr. Jason Ditz, I really don't want to burst your bubble but if you spent less time projecting and more time reporting your articles would better reflect reality instead of delusion.
One would think that after all these years of exercising sovereign authority even the dimmest of dimwits would know who Barack Hussein is.
Here's a hint…he's a total stranger to you.