the gang who couldn’t shoot straight

Barack Obama, Deutschland, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force June 3, 2014

The sheer mind-numbing incompetence of Obama’s White House foreign policy team; Ukraine—continuing pacifism and appeasement in the West

Developing You can’t make this stuff up. The sheer, mind-numbing incompetence of the White House foreign policy team surpasses the wildest leaps of the imagination….

Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, Deutschland, Germany, International Law, Russia, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, war crimes March 30, 2014

America’s shame: By-passing Europe to meet with Lavrov before NATO foreign ministers meeting aimed at stiffening response to Russian aggression in Ukraine

It has taken a day of reflection to fully grasp America’s perfidious betrayal of Europe in hastily agreeing to bilateral talks on Sunday with Russia,…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, France, Germany, History, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force March 29, 2014

Fear of Provoking the Aggressor: Obama, Putin, and the West

Washington’s difidence in responding to the Ukraine’s request for military equipment, out of fear of provoking Russia to engage in further military aggression in the…

Barack Obama, Intelligence, NSA, Russia, State Department, Ukraine, United States February 7, 2014

“F… the EU!” — U.S. diplomat Victoria Nuland reveals—once again—the incompetence of the Obama administration

When Stanley McChrystal spoke disrespectfully of U.S. and French leaders, and was caught unexpectedly by now-deceased Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings (The Operators), when he…

Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, Germany, History, human rights, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes September 12, 2013

The Leopard and the Impala: Putin astutely plays Obama for a chump

We can’t know for sure what the outcome will be with respect to the Russian proposal to put chemical weapons in Syria under international control…

Barack Obama, CIA, History, Intelligence, Libya, Libya, State Department, syria, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, U.S. news coverage, United States, use of force May 16, 2013

Benghazi reactions: Commentary, opinion and analysis

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool…

Barack Obama, U.S Foreign Relations, United States April 5, 2013

President Obama’s handlers: Ben Rhodes

(developing story) To those who complain that President Barack Obama doesn’t make foreign policy but instead makes speeches, the following article on one of Obama’s key foreign…

Barack Obama, Culture and Communication, International Law, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Security Council, United States, use of force March 20, 2013

President Obama’s 2013 “Statement on Nowruz” (with links to video and full texts in English, Persian and Arabic)

See also the following related articles: The Trenchant Observer, “eide shoma mobarak”—President Obama sends 2012 Nowruz greetings to Persians, denounces “electronic curtain” in Iran,” March…

Barack Obama, Dictatorship, Egypt, elections, freedom of speech, History, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, United States December 7, 2012

Morsi’s coup in Egypt: Obama’s silence, America’s shame

See David Ignatius, “Our man in Cairo,” Washington Post, December 7, 2012 (5:01 p.m.) Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have executed a coup d’etat…

U.S Foreign Relations November 19, 2012

Possible motives for forcing Petraeus resignation

Among the most significant articles to be published in recent days regarding Benghazi and the Petraeus resignation is a Wall Street Journal article posted late…

Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, Germany, human rights, India, Intelligence, International Law, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Morocco, NATO, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Togo, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Intervention, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 27, 2012

Die Zeit (Berlin): Military intervention in Syria is “absolutely essential”—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #79 (August 27, 2012)

Latest Press Reports and Commentary (1) Die Zeit (Berlin) reported on August 27, in an article by Martin Gehlen, that military intervention in Syria is…

Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, elections, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, History, human rights, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, war crimes August 10, 2012

Ban Ki-Moon’s unceremonious dismissal of General Robert Hood; SG on verge of disastrous appointment of successor to Kofi Annan—Obama’s debacle in Syria — Update #73 (August 10)

The mediation mission of Kofi Annan has turned into a hydra-headed monster that the United States, France and the United Kingdom do not seem to…

Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes July 4, 2012

The Obama Leaks: The issue is not the leaks, but whether the president lied to the American people

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” –William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, scene II The key question relating to the so-called “national security leaks” (“or…

Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Iran, Israel, Justice Department, Mossad, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. news coverage, United States, use of force June 26, 2012

Holder’s Investigations into Torture and Covert Operations Leaks–An Obama Cover-up?

Barack Obama thinks he’s always “the smartest person in the room”, and that he is a lot smarter than we are. Or maybe, accustomed as…

Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, History, human rights, human rights reports, International Law, Justice Department, Lebanon, Middle East, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes, Yemen June 23, 2012

Immunity or safe-conduct for al-Assad? Can Kofi Annan fail? Conference before cease-fire?—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #56 (June 23)

A lot of wasted time and diplomatic effort could be saved if the world’s leaders insisted on their top international lawyers sitting in on critical…

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, International Law, Lebanon, Mossad, NATO, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes June 6, 2012

Foreign policy incompetence; further opinion on President Obama as “Executioner in Chief”

[Please check back for updates.] See The Trenchant Observer, “More news and opinion on President Obama as ‘Executioner in Chief,’” June 3, 2012 (Updated June…