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Congressman Charges West Point Speech
Illustrates Weak Leadership
Illustrates Weak Leadership
Alana Cook, WND — While President Obama told West Point graduates Wednesday he “believes in American exceptionalism,” his foreign-policy track record doesn’t reflect it, which is weakening U.S. influence worldwide, charged a member of the House Armed Services Committee.Rep. John Fleming, R-La., told WND “playing nice” has damaged the superpower status of the U.S., reducing the morale of troops and sowing mistrust in allies such as Japan.
In his West Point speech, Obama used the words “partner” and “partnership” 16 times. He declared that while he believes in American exceptionalism with “every fiber of my being,” leadership in his administration will “continue to consist of working through international coalitions.”
Fleming said the mixed signals in Obama’s foreign policy are contributing to worldwide instability.
“Our friends don’t trust us, and our enemies don’t fear us. It’s a bad place to be for a superpower,” he said.
It is this same conflicting message, Fleming said, that is contributing to further chaos in the Middle East and “causing concern” in the Pacific.
Fleming told reporters at a Family Research Council lecture on Religious Freedom Wednesday that he and his colleagues are “getting input through back channels that nations in the Pacific are very concerned about the lack of engagement of the U.S.” in the Middle East and the Pacific.
He explained because of a policy that seems “completely incongruous in itself,” U.S. diplomatic influence in the world is negatively affected.
“This is very confusing to U.S. allies in the Pacific Rim and in the Middle East. The Middle East is where this is most problematic,” Fleming said.
‘Strong Words, Weak Actions’
Obama is asking Congress to support a new $5 billion Counterterrorism Partnership Fund, or CTPF, intended to help the Defense Department more effectively bolster U.S. allies’ counter-terrorism efforts and help the State Department combat terrorist ideology.
“It will allow us to pursue a more sustainable and effective approach to combating terrorism that focuses on empowering and enabling our partners around the globe,” a White House press release said.
Obama’s commencement speech indicated a softening of the White House’s reluctance to put American military resources in the hands of Syrians fighting against President Bashar al-Assad.
“We will step up our efforts to support Syria’s neighbors,” he said, making sure that “those countries, and not just the United States, are contributing their fair share of support to the Syrian people.”
He also said he would rely on other countries. including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, to “confront terrorists working across Syrian borders.”
House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., said in a statement after Obama’s West Point speech that the president has made foreign policy “assurances” since taking office in 2009, “but too often, strong words have been followed by weak actions, or no actions.”
“The result has been a general loss of U.S. credibility, making successful foreign policy nearly impossible,” he said.
Royce said the Obama administration has “consistently underestimated the threats we face,” citing Iran, North Korea and al-Qaida.
Fleming seemed to agree.
“From the very beginning of this administration, Obama adopted an appeasement policy [with terrorists and foreign enemies]. He had a belief that if you are nice to enemies, U.S. stature will be enhanced,” Fleming said to WND.
‘Vacuum Of Hatred’
Fleming said Obama’s lack of “clear power” is creating a “vacuum of hatred” that is contributing to worldwide persecution and killing of Christians and moderate Muslims, and an “eruption of anti-Semitism” in Europe.
A recent report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights confirmed Fleming’s assertion about the rise in anti-Semitism. It said that 46 percent of respondents to their survey of Jews worry about becoming a victim of an anti-Semitic verbal insult or harassment in the next 12 months, while 33 percent worry about being physically attacked.
WND reported that Boko Haram massacres increased significantly in the past three years while the U.S. refused to designate the Islamic organization a terrorist group. The U.S., in concert with the U.N., is funding the same areas where Boko Haram attacks are increasing.
Fleming also said the mixed signals do not stop with foreign policy moves that cause U.S. troops confusion and decreased morale.
“The U.S. military is ignoring current religious freedom statutes and writing their own, which is symptomatic of this administration,” he told WND.
Last week, the House passed several amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, one of which was related to recent changes in January to Defense Department religious freedom regulations.
Michael Berry, senior counsel and director of military affairs for the Texas-based non-profit Liberty Institute, told WND that the original directive on religious freedom, which pertained to tangibles such as clothing and jewelry, confused troops because it lacked language about religious speech.
“DOD Directive 1300.17 was a great start, and probably written with good intentions, Berry said. “The problem, however, is that it is not crystal clear on the issue of religious expression, which is protected by the Constitution and federal law.”
He said the ambiguity causes confusion among the troops.
“And confusion among the troops is never a good thing, because it degrades good order and discipline and morale,” he said.
Berry said Liberty Institute approves of the recent efforts by elected officials to provide greater clarity in the law.
“We should never forget that religious freedom is a bedrock principal upon which our nation and our military was founded,” he said. “It is what enables our troops to endure the rigors of military life and the horrors of combat.”
As part of the NDAA amendment package, the U.S. House last week approved an amendment to a defense policy bill that would require President Obama to report to Congress what is known about the perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi and what actions have been taken to capture them.
The language also requires Obama to determine whether or not he has the authority to use force against the attackers. It also makes a finding that the attackers still pose a security threat to the U.S. » Full Article
About the Author
Alana Cook has worked as a proposal and business development manager, editor and writer over the last eight years in the government-contracting arena in Washington, D.C. She worked as a business editor, features writer and beat reporter for news outlets in southeast Texas where she covered emerging issues in energy, local politics, as well as breaking news. A former congressional intern for Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., she blogs on women's issues, faith, politics and policy.
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