Barack Obama seems quite oblivious to the hard-nosed dynamic that is driving Russia and other principal Mideast actors.
Of course, the developing Obama strategic failure in the Middle East has another significant dimension. The growing Russian military presence in Syria creates all sorts of problems for Israel which must be able to react to attacks from Hizbullah operating on the Golan Heights or firing missiles into Israel from inside Syria. Underscoring the problem, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon last week cautioned that Israel has no intention of coordinating with Moscow activities such as retaliating for Syrian cross-border fire.
Speaking a day after Mr. Putin expressed concern over retaliatory Israeli air strikes and artillery barrages, Mr. Yaalon pointedly said, “We have no intention of giving up our ability to defend our interests. And I suggest that no one test us.”
These are strong but necessary words in a world where perceptions are often paramount, and we trust there are back room understandings already in place to see to it that things do not spiral out of control. But it appears a new Middle East political order is in the making and that our president is not up to dealing with it.