President Carter sent 8 helicopters into the desert of Iran in an aborted mission to rescue the American hostages.From that day ,until Ronald Reagan was sworn in,the Americans remained as captives.
This lack of leadership part of the reason he was not re-elected.
Today,US forces have been withdrawn from active overflights in Libya.Ghadaffi is still in place and was seen in public today in Tripoli.The NATO leadership appear in disarray, primarily over "where to from here?"
If the situation stays as it is in the next few weeks,then we have a defeat for the "Obama Doctrine" and for Obama.( and the US)
Clearly, he is way out of his league in these issues.
Alan Baker who is former legal advisor to the Prime Ministers office in Jerusalem,has written an outstanding review of the legal ,moral and political issues related to the UN declaring a Palestinian State.
It can be found on the website of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs,which he heads.
We had the pleasure of hearing Bret Stephens yesterday in Monsey.He is the former Editor of the Jerusalem Post,and currently on the editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal.There was too much information to simply regurgitate.
A few key points include his fear that Egypt will turn toward Iran-today that was evident in a message from Egypt to Iran.
He noted that the average age in Arab countries is under 25-ranging as much as 65% in the Palestinian areas.These people have no jobs.Ecept for oil, the overwhelming number of Jobs in the Arab world are from the government.There is no industry.
Final point is related to the difference between "democracy" which people in the street are clamoring for,and "liberal democracy" with a stable govt.,womens rights,free press, right to protest ,the rule of law etc.
He noted that Hamas in Gaza and Hitler in Germany were elected in free elections.
