…and today, al Qaeda is on its heels and Osama bin Laden is no more.
Those words were spoken for the first time by the arrogant, chest thumping, narcissist President of the United States of America at a campaign fun raiser in San Francisco on October 8, 2012 less than a month after an al Qaeda affiliated group attacked our CIA diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya killing four Americans, including US Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. By some estimates, President Obama would repeat those words 38 more times.
The so-called Smartest Man in the Room couldn’t have been more wrong about al Qaeda.
We know that since the poorly named Arab Spring that al Qaeda affiliated have free rein in Libya and managed to get their hands on part of what armaments of the fallen Gadaffi regime. We know that, as the Arab Spring advanced into Syria, al Qaeda is one of the rebel groups fighting to bring down the regime of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. We also know tha al Qaeda single-handedly invaded the country of Mali and now France with support from other NATO countries, including the United States, are engaging al Qaeda with the full force of their military and it looks to be a long battle. Today we learn from the Washington Post:
Al-Qaida-linked militants seize BP complex in Algeria, take hostages in revenge for Mali
A militant group claimed responsibility for the rare attack on one of oil-rich Algeria’s energy facilities, saying it came in revenge for the North African nation’s support for France’s military operation against al-Qaida-linked rebels in neighboring Mali. The militants said they were holding 41 foreigners from the energy complex, including seven Americans.
According to this USA Today article, seven of those foreign hostages are Americans and Fox News is reporting that the US is in talks with the Algerian government regarding the hostages.
So, dear friends, I do not speak lightly when I suggest that the Arab Spring may suck the US and other Western nations into a war; potentially a long war that could spread to a large geographic area. In a pay to view article The Times of London has this headline: Today Mali, tomorrow Nigeria for al-Qaeda. There have been reports for months about al Qaeda franchises across the whole breadth of North Central Africa. Can you imagine a guerilla style war over a zone of combat more than twice the size to the United States? That would have serious consequences on the already fragile economies of the US and Europe. On top of that, we are going to see, if we are not already seeing, an impact in the price of oil.
We may need to replace the term, Arab Spring, with something more appropriate. Do you have some suggestions?
Well, now you know what I’m thinking. What are your thoughts?
silverfiddle
January 17, 2013
Yeah, the geniuses in the Obama administration created the Mali catastrophe.
Our government at work…
Conservatives on Fire
January 17, 2013
I think it go back way before Obama, Kurt. In my opinion, the United States adopted a foreign policy of intervention right after WWII. There may be examples where that policy had positive results, but right now I can’t think of even one.
Infidel de Manahatta
January 17, 2013
Arab 8th Century backward quagmire? Arab hellhole? Arab let’s just do the rest of the world a favor and nuke them?
Conservatives on Fire
January 17, 2013
The oil and gas rich Muslim world from North Africa and the Middle East and north to the Russian border could become a force to be reckoned with if they were even loosely united by say the Muslim Brotherhood.
Bunkerville (@bunkerville)
January 17, 2013
The ottoman empire rises again. Much of Africa and the Arabian peninsula will fall.
Conservatives on Fire
January 17, 2013
This time it may be the Muslim Brotherhood Empire.
john galt - America's Chronicle
January 17, 2013
America is idiosyncratically unprepared to deal effectively with the product of the Arab Spring – the “democratically” elected Dictatorships.
We did well enough with realpolitik structures but are doing very bad with Democratic-dictatorships like Syria, Venezuela, and now, Egypt.
Great part of this inability is founded in the fact that America is also falling into the grips of political demagoguery, which is always the prelude to Democratic Dictatorships.
Conservatives on Fire
January 17, 2013
Few people or governmenst think about the consequences of their actiions. I think that is why the world is so screwed up.
Pat
January 17, 2013
Sigh… The only good news is that we’re talking about Africa. Basket cases taking over other basket cases. My question is why Africans want anything to do with Arabs. Everyone is always pissed about the United States and slavery… Do they forget Arab involvement (to put it mildly)? What am I saying? Of course they do.
I’m sure hoping we manage to drill on enough private land that we can turn our backs on these throwbacks.
Conservatives on Fire
January 17, 2013
America has the oil and gas it needs if the government and regulators will let it happen. The problem is that China, India, Europe, and much of South and Central America do not have sufficient oil and gas. The Muslim world from the southern border of Ruassia through the Middle East and North Africa is trying to grow further south into Africa where there is more oil and gas. If the try to hold most of the world hostage for higher prices, there may well be war.
Freedom, by the way
January 17, 2013
World War III?
Conservatives on Fire
January 17, 2013
It doesn’t have to lead to WW III, but it surely could.
5etester
January 17, 2013
I don’t see what the problem is. Our POTUS has an agenda and world view that fully supports a complete realignment of the entire MENA region. The American people spoke and reaffirmed their support of his actions. So we get what we ask for.
I say we go with the “Ahab the Arab Spring” – http://youtu.be/pLB15kBvn_c
Conservatives on Fire
January 17, 2013
So, everything is going according to plan. That plan sucks!
Steve Dennis
January 18, 2013
What a disaster the Arab Spring has turned into! But we are not surprised, are we? We knew this was going to happen and if we did I have to think that Barack Obama did as well so I wonder what he goal was. Yet he is allowed a free pass on his foreign policy which has further destablilized the region and made the world less safe.
Conservatives on Fire
January 18, 2013
It’s as if this administration is supporting the spread of radical Islam. What wouuld our goverment do without their War on Terror?