talking israel and palestine with gregg jarrett

The government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan of Turkey announced today that it would expel Israel’s Ambassador in Ankara and suspend all military agreements with Israel for the May 31, 2010, flotilla incident where eight Turkish nationals and one American-Turkish man died aboard the Mavi Marmara. The men died when Israeli commandos forcefully entered the ship after repeated and unanswered warnings to not enter Israeli waters without permission.

It’s happened again – Susan Rice has skipped another UN meeting critical to U.S. interests.  Today’s UN Security Council debate on the Middle East was the last open meeting scheduled before the planned UN vote to recognize Palestinian statehood.  The Obama Administration has said it doesn’t think it’s a good idea for the Arabs to push for a General Assembly vote on the issue, but U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice obviously doesn’t translate that into working against the dress rehearsal.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice announced to the UN’s Arab group that she will support their statement condemning Israel for its settlement construction after failing to convince the group to support her language. Rice previously offered the Arab group a plethora of U.S. government compromises in exchange for different language – language they rejected outright. The Arab group immediately responded to her acquiescence by announcing that they will turn the statement she is supporting into a legally binding and more serious UN resolution to be voted on soon. Rice’s failed UN engagement strategy highlights the dangerous slippery slope of bringing delicate foreign policy crises to the 15 member Security Council. Her actions also perilously miss the message of Egypt’s protesters who are demanding economic reform from their dormant and manipulative leaders.

President Barack Obama today told the United Nations General Assembly that America’s financial crisis was the reason their economies were suffering and promised to not rest until people around the globe prosper.  “Two years ago this month, a financial crisis on Wall Street devastated American families on Main Street.  The global economy suffered an enormous blow during the financial crisis, crippling markets and deferring the dreams of millions on every continent.”  Obama also assured the 192 nations gathered for the opening of the 2010 UN meeting that he has had “no greater focus as president than rescuing our economy from…

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When Barack Obama was campaigning to be president of the United States in 2008, he frequently promised Americans that he would lead the world.  In fact, he and his team relentlessly pounded President George W. Bush for “going it alone” and alienating our friends and allies around the globe. His then-campaign foreign policy advisor and current U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice even joked about how, if elected, they would repair the damage and lead the UN in a way that the Bush team couldn’t.  But after almost 2 years on the job, Rice and Obama haven’t been able…

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U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice has been on the job for 18 months now, but she doesn’t have much to show for it. Her record of accomplishments and performance on behalf of the American people is embarrassing. While Rice has been active in the social scene of Washington and The White House, a study released by the uber-serious non-profit group Security Council Report suggests that the past year has been the most inactive Security Council since 1991. Rice missed crucial negotiations on Iran’s continued enrichment of uranium, she failed to speak out when Iran was elected to the…

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Coming on the heels of not speaking out on Iran’s election last week to the Commission on the Status of Women and three other UN Committees, Susan Rice, the sometimes American Ambassador to the UN, today didn’t even mention Libya’s name when asked about the African country’s election to the UN’s Human Rights Council. It was a softball question to Rice from a veteran UN reporter: “Some human rights groups have complained about Libya joining the Council, do you share those concerns?” Rice said that sticking with diplomatic tradition, she wouldn’t reveal how America votes. And then she went on…

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newsmax.com grenell interview on foreign policy Grenell: Obama’s Terrorism Approach ‘Scary’ Tuesday, 26 Jan 2010 03:43 PM Article Font Size By: Dan Weil Richard Grenell, former spokesman for the U.S. Representative to the United Nations calls President Obama’s approach to terrorism “scary.” “Here’s a guy who clearly wants to be the most popular guy in the room,” Grenell, who served President George W. Bush, told Newsmax.TV’s Kathleen Walter. “He doesn’t want to make tough decisions that anger people.” The former diplomat criticized Obama for treating accused terrorists as civilians. “Scott Brown, the winner of the Massachusetts senate race said it…

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al-jazeera/ a year of little change Barack Obama’s First Year in Foreign Policy This past year has not been a successful year for the 44th President of the United States. Although the Barack Obama Administration has had the incredible luxury of having its own political party – the Democrats – control the House of Representatives and the Senate by wide margins, there has been little progress on domestic and international issues. Obama and his team have the ability to pass any bill and create any new law they want without relying on a single Republican vote. And yet, the Obama…

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-grenell/our-problematic-syria-pol_b_371677.html