Pulse of the Peninsula: Obama extols virtues of diplomacy in U.S.

Karen Rubin

If anything exposes the vapidity of the Republican presidential candidates’ bombast — their outrageous disrespect for President Barack Obama, the man and the office (right after the State of the Union Address, Chris Christie called him a “petulant child” and vowed to kick his rear end out of the White House) — it is the developments this week out of Iran and in the administration’s release of a “fact sheet” detailing its efforts and progress to defeat radical jihadist terrorism.

And when you think of the snipes at the president all through the Iran nuclear negotiations (reiterated even this week by Donald Trump and Chris Christie, while Cruz accused Obama of “betrayal”) insisting that the release of the detained Americans should have been a precondition to any negotiations, the logical conclusion is to be terrified of how different things would be, will be, if any one of them takes over the Oval Office.

You think back to how President Obama sat poker faced at the 2011 White House Correspondents dinner, taking Seth Myer’s mocking “People think bin Laden is hiding in the Hindu Kush, but did you know that every day from 4-5 p.m. he hosts a show on C-SPAN?” even as the raid that captured and killed the terrorist behind the 9/11 attacks was already underway. 

Donald Trump’s barbs that “our leaders are stupid” just manifests his own stupidity of what is happening. Is it ignorance (willful in the case of Marco Rubio who is absent for Senate briefings), lacking knowledge or understanding of the intricate, complex machinations that go on behind the scenes, and actually might necessitate secrecy.

This is clear from the release this week of five Americans detained by Iran, including Washington Post reporter Jason Razian — as it turns out, the result of 14 months of intense negotiations — and the release of the 10 Navy sailors who drifted into Iranian territorial waters the day of this important address to the nation. 

These were separate events, the administration insists, but the nuclear agreement made it possible, simply because of having a personal relationship somebody on the other side. 

When the sailors strayed into Iranian territorial waters, Kerry had a counterpart, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whom he could call, rather than having to go through the Swiss or some other country, a back-and-forth that would have dragged out their detention and likely escalated the confrontation.  

And when there was a snafu on the tarmac (a la “Argo”) because of Jason’s over wife and mother being on the plane, Kerry was able to resolve it with a phone call to Zarif.

But as Obama was giving his State of the Union, the sailors had only just been taken and their fate was not settled, though Kerry and Obama seemed confident in the outcome. 

This wrinkle in U.S.-Iranian relations may have been why Obama made only passing remarks about Iran, though the Iran nuclear agreement should go down as one of the most significant foreign policy achievements of his Presidency. (“A Safer World, Thanks to the Iran Deal,” wrote the New York Times editorial, Jan. 17).

In the State of the Union, Obama said simply, “That’s why we built a global coalition, with sanctions and principled diplomacy, to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. And as we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war.”

Just a few days after Obama said that, the US lifted the sanctions on Iran released $50 billion in Iranian frozen by the US for more than 30 years, because Iran demonstrated that it met its obligation under the nuclear agreement.

On the other hand, even as the Americans on their way out of Iran on Sunday, the U.S. announced new penalties on 11 individuals and entities involved in Tehran’s ballistic missile program. 

“We will continue to enforce these sanctions vigorously,” Obama said. “We are going to remain vigilant about it.”

This demonstrates Obama’s resolve and the promise he made in order to answer concerns (from Jews and supporters of Israel) that the nuclear agreement would give Iran a free pass on its missiles, support of terrorists and human rights abuses.

“Even as we implement the nuclear deal and welcome our Americans home, we recognize that there remain profound differences between the United States and Iran,” President Obama said Sunday. “We remain steadfast in opposing Iran’s destabilizing behavior elsewhere, including its threats against Israel and our Gulf partners, and its support for violent proxies in places like Syria and Yemen. We still have sanctions on Iran for its violations of human rights, for its support of terrorism, and for its ballistic missile program.  And we will continue to enforce these sanctions, vigorously.  Iran’s recent missile test, for example, was a violation of its international obligations.  And as a result, the United States is imposing sanctions on individuals and companies working to advance Iran’s ballistic missile program.  And we are going to remain vigilant about it.  We’re not going to waver in the defense of our security or that of our allies and partners.”  

Do you imagine the Republicans will applaud the imposition of new sanctions? 

My guess is they will ignore that fact and instead peddle their false but expedient narrative of “capitulation” and “weakness,” “fecklessness,” “stupidity of our leaders” and failure of US leadership.

Indeed, Iran and Cuba and the historic Paris Climate Agreement signed by 196 nations, are clear demonstrations of the merits of the “Obama Doctrine” (as opposed to the Bush Doctrine which is built around the concept of pre-emptive invasion, as against Iraq). 

In the Obama Doctrine, diplomacy is prioritized among the various tools in a foreign policy arsenal, including military action, economic sanctions, as well as US leadership, or standing, in the world.

“It’s very easy to insist we stay in this cycle of endless conflict with Iran,” an administration official said in a press call discussing Iran. “Across the board, that is recipe for potential confrontation and disaster for the US – in the sense that if we had not engaged in diplomacy around nuclear, Iran would not have rolled back [its program] and would be on verge of building a nuclear weapon. if we did not have these channels of diplomacy, it is likely the sailors who had gone into Iranian waters would still be detained there, and we would not have our Americans coming home. Diplomacy delivers results.”

Similarly, this year Obama reinstated relations with Cuba, ending a 54-year futile policy. 

“Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy and set us back in Latin America,” the president said in the State of the Union. “That’s why we restored diplomatic relations — opened the door to travel and commerce, positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people.  So if you want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere, recognize that the Cold War is over — lift the embargo.,” he told Congress, to applause from Democrats.

“The point is American leadership in the 21st century is not a choice between ignoring the rest of the world — except when we kill terrorists — or occupying and rebuilding whatever society is unraveling.  Leadership means a wise application of military power, and rallying the world behind causes that are right.  It means seeing our foreign assistance as a part of our national security, not something separate, not charity,” Obama declared. 

American strength, American leadership, he said, “depends on the power of our example. ..And that’s why we need to reject any politics — any politics — that targets people because of race or religion. .. This is not a matter of political correctness.  This is a matter of understanding just what it is that makes us strong.  The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity, and our openness, and the way we respect every faith…

“When politicians insult Muslims, whether abroad or our fellow citizens, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid is called names, that doesn’t make us safer…It diminishes us in the eyes of the world.  It makes it harder to achieve our goals.  It betrays who we are as a country.” 

Defeating ISIS

The Republican candidates have blasted Obama for his handling of ISIS, as somehow being weak or slow. 

But despite incidents of lone-wolf terror attacks around the world (all of them Obama’s fault, really?) objective measures show that over the past year, ISIS has in fact been contained and actually has lost control of 40 percent of the populated territory it had held in Iraq and 10 percent of the populated territory it had in Syria.

According to a fact sheet the White House just issued on the strategy against ISIL, “12 coalition members have conducted over 9,500 air strikes in Iraq and Syria, including over 630 in support of Iraqi Security Forces liberating Ramadi. These airstrikes have taken out over 3,450 ISIL vehicles and tanks, over 1,120 artillery and mortar positions, 1,170 oil infrastructure components to include tanker trucks, oil storage tanks, collection points, and well heads, and more than 13,500 fighting positions, checkpoints, buildings, bunkers, staging areas and barracks, including 39 training camps, in Iraq and Syria.  In December 2015 alone, Coalition airstrikes killed dozens of senior ISIL leaders.”

Most significantly (as Hillary Clinton pointed out), the U.S. is leading an international diplomatic effort to achieve “a negotiated political transition that removes Bashar al-Asad from power and ultimately leads to an inclusive government  that is responsive to the needs of all Syrians. To accomplish this, the US is bringing on board unlikely “partners” including Russia and Iran. 

The United States and  Coalition partners also have made progress stemming the flow of foreign fighters, and disrupting ISIL’s propaganda machine and its financial networks. There is now a Counter ISIL Coalition Working Group on Foreign Terrorist Fighters; 45 countries have enacted laws to create greater obstacles for traveling into Iraq and Syria, 35 countries have arrested foreign terrorist fighters and 12 have successfully prosecuted foreign terrorist fighters.

At least 50 countries plus the United Nations now contribute foreign terrorist fighter profiles to INTERPOL, a 400 percent increase over a two-year period and the US has bilateral arrangements with 40 international partners for sharing terrorist travel information. 

To counter ISIL’s online propaganda and recruitment network, the State Department has launched a Global Engagement Center.

The U.S. has also been the biggest donor in humanitarian aid for the millions of Syrians  fleeing violence, so far spending $5.1 billion.

In the United States, the Department of Justice and FBI have arrested 65 individuals in ISIL-related matters since 2014. 

The White House organized a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism to strengthen efforts to prevent extremists from radicalizing and mobilizing recruits and the DHS Office for Community Partnerships has been working with local communities on innovative ways to discourage violent extremism and undercut terrorist narratives.

To cut off financing for terrorism, in 2015 alone, the Treasury and State Departments sanctioned 30 ISIL-linked senior leaders, financiers, foreign terrorist facilitators and organizations and has worked  to isolate ISIL from the international financial system .

“Over the next six months we will continue to accelerate our counter-ISIL strategy across all of our lines of effort,” the White House stated.  “We will work with Coalition partners to drive out ISIL from the remaining stretch of the Turkish-Syrian border it has seized; clear and stabilize the Euphrates River Valley; cut off the remaining connections between ar-Raqqah and Mosul; increase the number of Iraqi Sunnis in the fight against ISIL by integrating them into the army, local police, and tribal mobilization structures; as well as advance the stabilization of newly liberated areas, facilitating the safe, voluntary return of thousands of internally displaced persons and restoring local communities. ”

Is that clear enough? Too many facts?  (See the fact sheet at www.whitehouse.gov/isil-strategy.)

When you hear Trump declare that he would attack ISIL’s financial sources you have to wonder why Senate Republicans have obstructed the confirmation of Obama’s nominee to lead the Treasury Department’s efforts to cut off the funding that ISIS and other terrorist organizations need to carry out attacks (Adam Szubin was nominated more than 230 days ago).

 What is more, “If this Congress is serious about winning this war, and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, authorize the use of military force against ISIL.Take a vote. Take a vote,” President Obama declared during the State of the Union.

‘We the People’

Obama’s final State of the Union address of his presidency resounded like Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell speech when he famously warned of the “military-industrial complex.” In the State of the Union, talking directly to the American people, Obama warned of the threat to democracy unless Americans “fix our politics” and take up the issues of voter rights, voter participation, gerrymandering, campaign finance reform.

“The future we want — all of us want — opportunity and security for our families, a rising standard of living, a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids — all that is within our reach.  But it will only happen if we work together.  It will only happen if we can have rational, constructive debates.  It will only happen if we fix our politics.

“A better politics doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything.  This is a big country — different regions, different attitudes, different interests.  That’s one of our strengths, too.  Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, fiercely, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and the imperatives of security.

“But democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens. ..Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise, or when even basic facts are contested, or when we listen only to those who agree with us.  

“Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get all the attention.  And most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn’t matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some special interest. 

“Too many Americans feel that way right now.  It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency — that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better…

“But, my fellow Americans…if we want a better politics — and I’m addressing the American people now — if we want a better politics, it’s not enough just to change a congressman or change a senator or even change a President.  We have to change the system to reflect our better selves.  I think we’ve got to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters, and not the other way around.  Let a bipartisan group do it.  

“We have to reduce the influence of money in our politics, so that a handful of families or hidden interests can’t bankroll our elections.  And if our existing approach to campaign finance reform can’t pass muster in the courts, we need to work together to find a real solution — because it’s a problem. ..

“We’ve got to make it easier to vote, not harder We need to modernize it for the way we live now.  This is America:  We want to make it easier for people to participate. ..

“Changes in our political process — in not just who gets elected, but how they get elected — that will only happen when the American people demand it.  It depends on you.  That’s what’s meant by a government of, by, and for the people.  “What I’m suggesting is hard.  It’s a lot easier to be cynical; to accept that change is not possible, and politics is hopeless, and the problem is all the folks who are elected don’t care, and to believe that our voices and actions don’t matter.  But if we give up now, then we forsake a better future.  Those with money and power will gain greater control over the decisions that could send a young soldier to war, or allow another economic disaster, or roll back the equal rights and voting rights that generations of Americans have fought, even died, to secure.  And then, as frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into our respective tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background. 

“We can’t afford to go down that path.  It won’t deliver the economy we want.  It will not produce the security we want.  But most of all, it contradicts everything that makes us the envy of the world.  

“So, my fellow Americans, whatever you may believe, whether you prefer one party or no party, whether you supported my agenda or fought as hard as you could against it — our collective futures depends on your willingness to uphold your duties as a citizen.  To vote.  To speak out.  To stand up for others, especially the weak, especially the vulnerable, knowing that each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, stood up for us.  We need every American to stay active in our public life — and not just during election time — so that our public life reflects the goodness and the decency that I see in the American people every single day.”

In essence, Obama was summoning Americans to “take our country back,” a phrase which the Republican right-wingers have twisted to mean taking the country back from blacks, minorities, women, middle class and striving working people, liberals and environmentalists – the very people empowered by Barack Obama’s presidency. 

Implicit in Obama’s exhortation was taking back the political apparatus from the propertied and powerful special interests who contradict the very principles and foundation of democracy.

“‘We the People.’  Our Constitution begins with those three simple words, words we’ve come to recognize mean all the people, not just some; words that insist we rise and fall together, and that’s how we might perfect our Union,” Obama declared.

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