Thursday, February 12, 2015

Why the Jews aren't in the president's resolution

A proposal was sent by the White House to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to formally give the president the power to continue the airstrikes he has been conducting since last fall against the Islamic State. 

Let's count the things about this that are excellent
  1. Airstrikes against ISIS
  2. ISIs is referred to as a terrorist organization
  3. Congressional authorization requested, as per the constitution
  4. A three-year limit was requested, meaning the president can't pull a George W. Bush and attempt to wage a never-ending war was against a nebulous shape-shifting entity. 
But if you're a RWer nothing this president does is ever excellent. Of course the picky-sticky RW complainers found something to hate.

In the proposed resolution, which can be found here, the president gives 5 examples of terrible things ISIS has done:
  • Whereas ISIL leaders have stated that they intend to conduct terrorist attacks internationally, including against the United States, its citizens, and interests; 
  • Whereas ISIL has committed despicable acts of violence and mass executions against Muslims, regardless of sect, who do not subscribe to ISIL’s depraved, violent, and oppressive ideology; 
  • Whereas ISIL has threatened genocide and committed vicious acts of violence against religious and ethnic minority groups, including Iraqi Christian, Yezidi, and Turkmen populations; 
  • Whereas ISIL has targeted innocent women and girls with horrific acts of violence, including abduction, enslavement, torture, rape, and forced marriage; 
  • Whereas ISIL is responsible for the deaths of innocent United States citizens, including James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller;
But because attacks against the Jews aren't included in this catalog of offenses, some on the RW have concluded that the president, who they take for a Jew-hating moron, doesn't realize that ISIS is also anti-Semitic. And instead of applauding the president for taking the action that they have been begging him to take* they are slaughtering him for the way that he worded the authorization request. 

* Our RW friends either don't know or refuse to acknowledge that under the leadership of a president they deride as feckless and weak, the US has carried out 80 percent of the air strikes against ISIS to date

As per usual, the RW is not being fair or reasonable. They prefer to bash Obama when the obvious answer in right  front of their nose. The war against ISIS requires help from countries like Jordan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Including Israel or the Jews in the resolution would invite pro ISIS propagandists to announce that the US is fighting a Zionist-sponsored war, making it impossible for our Arab allies to participate fully. 

By omitting Israel from the resolution, he invites criticism from haters and morons without jeopardizing needed support and assistance from the Arab world. Clearly, that's the right call. And if it had been made by a RW hero like George W. Bush you can be sure this would have been acknowledged. 

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