“Osama bin Laden will never again threaten the United States.’’ This will become the major message of the Obama administration as the 9/11 anniversary approaches and now seems likely to be a staple of his political message into the 2012 election season. Most likely followed by Obama claiming that for this reason voters must let him “finish what we started.’’
Eighteen months before the ’92 Presidential election, it was assumed that George W. Bush can easily clinch a second term. As the Commander in Chief, he lead America to win the Gulf War by shoving Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait, and his poll approval was in the stratosphere. It appeared that ‘92 was going to be a national-security election, and by tradition that was considered Republican turf. But in the end, American voters didn’t care about Saddam. They cared about the recession, and they booted Bush from office in part because he seemed to be indifferent to the domestic situation. That is President Bush wasn’t in tune to the needs and hopes of the majority of Americans. I am reminded of the ’92 elections not only for the sake of a cautionary tale but primarily because it harbors for the 2012 elections. It would be irresponsible on my part to suggest that Obama can win re-election simply because he has established his credentials as a closet Rambo. In all likelihood, the assassination of bin Laden will not mean much in the voting booth. Memories are short, and the jobless are hurting every day, including on Election Day. Anyone who thinks that Obama is home free in 2012 just because he eliminated Osama bin Laden would be well advised to revisit 1992.
So, how will Obama put to work his newly rejuvenated credibility as Commander in Chief and increase in approval ratings last seen during his campaign over two years ago? From signals emanating from the White House it seems that Obama is ready to take on Israel once again. Never mind the ongoing blood bath in Syria in which tanks are used to gun down demonstrators with the official death toll well over 1000 killed, never mind the PLO-Hamas agreement effectively making Abu-Mazen and the Palestinian Arab authority an official terrorist organization actively abrogating the Oslo agreement, never mind that the rebels in Libya receiving American weaponry and budgets are agents of Al-Qaeda, what is turning out to be the most burning issue for Obama now is how to press Israel to capitulate. With the new international security credibility Obama earned by overseeing the successful assassination of Osama bin Laden, Obama apparently believes that he can withstand congressional pressure and make the case for demanding that Israel surrender Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the Ramat HaGolan.
As Prime Minister Netanyahu arrives to the American capital to state Israel’s case before both Houses of Congress, Obama will demand of Netanyahu to be specific about what territorial concessions that he would be willing to make and to convince the Arab world, the same Arab world that shoots its own citizens in the streets with automatic weapons, that Israel is genuinely committed to a deal and to make the tough steps that peace would require.
In response to this challenge, the Netanyahu government is calling for a US aid cutoff to the Palestinian Arab Authority. With Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, now collaborating with the P.L.O. in governing the Palestinian Arab authority (PA), it is against American law for the US government to continue to have anything to do with the PA. Both the Netanyahu government and senior members of the House and Senate are arguing forcefully that there is no way for Israel to make peace with the Palestinian Arabs now, and that the US must abandon its efforts to force the sides to sign an agreement. The Israeli and congressional arguments are not only compelling, but they represent the most effective response to how terror and terror organizations should be dealt with. Demanding accountability and transparency, and not tacit American agreement to bogus agreements that play along to the false Palestinian Arab narrative of unity.
Apparently Obama realizes that Netanyahu will not willingly agree to perpetuate the big lie about the Palestinian Arabs. In response, Obama has decided to reach out to the Muslim brotherhood as his chosen partner for promoting American interests in the Arab world in place of its ousted dictators. His courtship of this organization, which he regards as moderate will result in the same kind of extremism that developed in Iran as a result of similar thinking exhibited by Jimmy Carter. Many have forgotten the vow that Obama made in Cairo on June 4 just after being elected, to mend America's fences with the Muslim world, but evidently he meant every word. His White House has made forging a pact between the United States and the Muslim Brotherhood their ultimate policy objective. Obama, rather than using the assassination of bin laden to encourage the Western nations to stand up to the challenges of defeating World Jihad and Islamic fascism has decided to