As continually chronicled here, President Obama is bad news for the economy, the political structure and the moral fabric of the United States. But it doesn't stop there. Barack Obama is bad news for our national security and our ability to effectively defend our allies.Here is Nile Gardiner's take on Obama's decision to scrap the missile shield program which would have given greater security to eastern Europe (particularly to Poland and Czechoslovakia) and which was designed judiciously by the previous administration to thwart the expansionist desires of Russia and the nuclear prowess of Iran.
As Gardiner says, the Obama decision to cave in to Russian threats represents...a huge turnaround in American strategic thinking on a global missile defence system, and a massive betrayal of two key US allies in eastern and central Europe. Such a move would significantly weaken America’s ability to combat the growing threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missile program, and would hand a major propaganda victory to the Russians.
This is bad news for all who care about the US commitment to the transatlantic alliance and the defence of Europe as well as the United States. It represents the appalling appeasement of Russian aggression and a willingness to sacrifice American allies on the altar of political expediency. A deal with the Russians to cancel missile defence installations sends a clear message that even Washington can be intimidated by the Russian bear.
What signal does this send to Ukraine, Georgia and a host of other former Soviet satellites who look to America and NATO for protection from their powerful neighbour? The impending cancellation of Third Site is a shameful abandonment of America’s friends in eastern and central Europe, and a slap in the face for those who actually believed a key agreement with Washington was worth the paper it was written on.
FYI: Conn Carroll's commentary on this matter is also well worth reading.
