Not Mincing Words

Phyllis Bennis has a few words to say about Obama's speech last night. Here are two excerpts:

The United States of America turns a blind eye to atrocities in other countries all the time. In fact our policies enable those atrocities far too often. Obama spoke of places "where change is fiercely suppressed." But the only example he mentioned was Iran — an often-discussed possible future target of U.S. military attack. He didn't mention any of the other places "where change is fiercely suppressed," such as Bahrain, a regional ally in the Middle East, where U.S. actions – non-military actions – could have real impact.
Do we think that the $67 billion arms deal — the largest in history — the United States just signed off on with Saudi Arabia has nothing to do with Saudi suppression of the nascent democratic uprising there? Do we wonder why the president of Yemen felt confident enough to escalate the slaughter of his own people, unarmed protesters, even after the UN resolution was passed and western warplanes were headed towards Libya — since he knew Washington's disapproval would never result in military, or even non-military action to stop him? How do we think the people of Bahrain, facing a U.S.-armed absolute monarchy, are supposed to believe that "the United States is different" when they hear Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorse the "sovereign right" of Bahrain's king to import troops from Saudi Arabia to suppress democracy protests — just maybe because the U.S. Fifth Fleet is stationed in Bahrain? That's before we even get to the issue of U.S. active complicity and active impunity provided to Israel — by two administrations — during and after the lethal assault on Gaza that began after Christmas 2008 and killed over 1,400 Palestinians, more than 350 of them children.

What was missing from President Obama's speech was any discussion of ending the war — not just how will U.S. involvement end, but far more important, how will a ceasefire come about? Who will lead serious negotiations between the two sides in Libya, aiming at a solution not drenched in blood? The UN resolution called for an immediate ceasefire and for negotiations; the African Union (unmentioned in this speech) attempted to send a team of five heads of state to oversee such negotiations last week, but they were denied entry to the country, apparently by coalition forces. The attention to military engagement drowns out the call for negotiations, for accountability, and even for a ceasefire.


I would love to believe that Obama is breaking with U.S. history, that he is creating a really new American foreign policy, based on his understanding that "our own future is safer and brighter if more of mankind can live with the bright light of freedom and dignity." That would mean acknowledging that our "common humanity" is assaulted when the U.S.-backed, U.S.-armed president of Yemen kills 52 unarmed protesters and injures 200 or more, and that we must take action. It would mean recognizing that the King of Bahrain ceases to be our regional ally, Fifth Fleet or no Fifth Fleet, when he invites foreign troops in to suppress his own people's democratic uprising. It would mean that our "common humanity" includes the 1.5 million Palestinians struggling to live, not merely survive, under Israeli siege in the Gaza Strip. And it would mean, as he noted, that "the United States, as the world's most powerful nation, will often be called upon to help." The help need not be military.