He had no strategy. The man in the White House, the man who is supposed to be the leader of the free world, the man the West would like to look to for direction, had no strategy. Worse, he still has no clue.
For over a year President Obama was briefed daily on the growing threat of a terrorist group so brutal that even al Qaeda has disavowed any connection to it. He was warned, informed, cautioned, alerted, and briefed with precise details about the rise of ISIS.
A former Pentagon official told Fox News the data presented to Obama was strong and “granular” in detail. Yet the former community organizer didn’t have the time to organize his cabinet in order to put together a strategy to combat the fast-spreading threat.
Granted, the president is preoccuped with his golfing and fundraising. Granted, he’s far too busy giving empty cliché-filled speeches to increasingly sparse crowds. Still, wasn’t he elected to lead the country?
He sure did come into office with a clear Middle East strategy, though, didn’t he? Wasn’t it thrilling to watch it unfold in Libya, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt? Note how how his prestige among world leaders mushroomed as the strategy of apologizing and drawing – before erasing – “red lines” took root.
Consider the respect Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has for his counterpart in the White House. Putin was really left quaking and repentant after Obama chastised him on the Ukraine issue, wasn’t he?
And you just know Egypt’s president, Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is in total awe of Obama and his staff. Remember how Secretary of State Kerry, upon arrival in Cairo, was humiliated by being put through a patdown for weapons? Just like a regular Joe. This was the Egyptian government’s way of showing appreciation for the Obama policy that supported the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood against el-Sisi.
Strategy? For the longest time Obama couldn’t be bothered to have one against a sworn enemy – but he did have one against the leader of a close ally as he constantly badgered, ostracized, harassed, and pressured Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Possibly even more astounding than Obama’s admitted lack of any strategy in confronting ISIS until a few days ago is just how unfazed he seemed by the singular brutality and violence of that organization. His demeanor, on this as on virtually every other issue, has been one of tired aloofness and an I-can’t-really-be-bothered attitude.
Oh, he did take a moment to criticize ISIS after it beheaded journalist James Foley and to order a few bombing runs in Iraq. But his hurried delivery and passive body language suggested his heart wasn’t really in it.
And then he was gone, headed back to the links. Because why spoil a good game of golf over some nasty business thousands of miles away that required tough decisions and – gasp – a strategy? After all, there would be plenty of time for more statements after the game or the next beheading – which occurred soon enough and elicited another sentence or two of stern warnings from our Golfer-in-Chief.
Finally, after prodding from the media and numerous Arab leaders who are terrified of ISIS, he told the nation and the world he’s ready to get serious. The world will believe it when it sees not just a promise or a threat or an isolated bombing run but sustained action.