Morning Bell: A 9/10 Security Mindset

Conn Carroll / April 28, 2009

Yesterday the citizens of New York and New Jersey who lived through 9/11 were witness to an ominous flashback. A massive aircraft, trailed closely by an F-16 fighter jet, descended towards the city and flew so close and low to Manhattan skyscrapers that office building windows rattled. Fortunately this was not a terrorist attack, but a poorly thought out photo-op by White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera. Before being appointed by President Barack Obama to his current post, Caldera most recently served on the board of directors for the failed bank IndyMac, which is currently under investigation by the federal government for fraud.

This breach of common sense is all too typical of the Obama administration’s approach to national security. Just 99 days into office, Obama’s performance has already raised serious questions about his national security strategy.

Apologizer in Chief: In his first 100 days in office, President Barack Obama completed two whirlwind tours of Europe and Latin America. His message on both continents was simple: America has made many mistakes in the past, but we’re now ready to listen to others and be more flexible. It was a hugely popular message, particularly when he criticized or apologized for America. But the results were paltry. The problem with this type of “engagement” is that, at some point, foreign leaders begin to see it (correctly) as pandering. President Obama’s apologies for U.S. policies are interpreted in North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela not as an honest act of attrition that should elicit reciprocity from them, but rather as an apology demanding more concessions from the United States. (more…)