By Walt Zlowtow
As a member of the peace community seeking to end perpetual U.S. warfare, I looked forward to Barack Obama’s presidency. He had an opportunity to pivot away from forever wars under George W. Bush. Expectations Obama would promote peace were high.
His eight years largely disappointed but accomplished one of the most important diplomatic achievements in modern U.S. history: the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The JCPOA was the seminal agreement between Iran and the U.S., Russia, China, Germany, the United Kingdom and France to limit Iran’s nuclear program and prevent it from building nuclear weapons. In return, these nations and the European Union would provide sanctions relief and eventually resume normal diplomatic relations.
Alas, the opponents of any détente with Iran, led by Israel, politically motivated Republicans seeking to undermine the Obama presidency and U.S. war hawks, conspired to destroy the JCPOA. Sadly, they captured the narrative and the White House. Donald Trump as president withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018. Obama’s greatest foreign policy achievement was destroyed. Today, we are at war with Iran, threatening worldwide economic collapse.
Obama’s foreign-policy low point was his regime change operation against Libyan strongman ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Obama intervened in the Libyan civil war, greenlighting military strikes on the Gadhafi regime in 2011. After insurgents killed Gadhafi, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gloated, “We came, we saw, he died,” possibly the most grotesque public statement ever by a top American diplomat.
Today, Libya is a failed state. Its failure has bled into warfare and political and economic destabilization throughout Africa. Even Obama realized the damage his misguided intervention caused. He stated that his decision to intervene in Libya was the “worst mistake” of his presidency.
When the Obama Presidential Center opens June 19, there will be little to celebrate or revere regarding his foreign policy. His low point will haunt Libya and much of Africa for years to come. His high point will be long forgotten, disastrously undone by his successor to plunge the world into recession, if not depression.
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn
Also by Walt
The Iranian people achieved decisive victory against America’s criminal war on them
U.S. Media finally acknowledging Israel’s central role in Trump’s criminal war on Iran
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As of today, Monday 15 June we are being told for possibly the fortieth time that an agreement has been reached between the USA and Iran to cease hostilities for at least sixty days and for both the US and Iran to lift their blockades and to open the Hormuz Strait to all shipping.
Trump has praised himself on achieving what no previous US President could achieve.
We are told that this agreement includes a cessation of Israel’s bombing of Lebanon and that Israel, whilst not a party to these talks, will vacate their occupation of Lebanon – no mention of the situation is Gaza but we are assured by the Head of the Board of Peace (Trump) that all goes well with the reconstruction.
This new agreement is due to be signed off in Geneva on Friday 19 June subject to no further hostilities arising and, in particular, no further Israeli bombing of Lebanon. Hezbollah is not a party to these negotiations but has stated that it will cease military actions in Lebanon and Northern Israel if Israel reciprocates and withdraws from Southern Lebanon.
What could possibly go wrong ?
This century, the USA has suffered leadership defective error with Bush jnr,. the shrub or weed, Obama, a show pony, Trump 1 and 2, the fiesta of creeping shit, and, old Joe,! whaddya know (wake up!). If this is a run of good government, then the Pope is jewish, Adolf was a sweety, entirely misunderstood, Hanson is a real brain, and, Donald Dogshit delivers…and all this blocked bowel filth follows a chain of worse…so, there is no better future, for enough stupidity has always existed in USA voters and their utter defective emptiness. The mirage of maturity shimmers…