I know, I know, saying the Islamic world is "pissed" is like saying Michael Moore is a "fat fuck" or Jimmy Carter is a "human shit stain".....
BEIRUT — President-elect Obama's silence on the weeklong conflict in Gaza is drawing criticism among Arabs who have grown skeptical about hopes that his administration will break with the Mideast policies of the Bush era.
Obama, who is moving to Washington, D.C., this weekend, was on vacation in Hawaii when the crisis erupted and has made no statements, either about Israel's bombing of Gaza or Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel. His aides say that he does not wish to address foreign-policy issues in any way that could send "confusing signals" about U.S. policy as long as President Bush is in office.
They suggest that his refusal to speak out on Gaza — where more than 400 Palestinians have died in the Israeli airstrikes, compared with four Israeli deaths from the rockets — implies indifference to the Palestinians or even complicity with Israel's bombing campaign.
The satellite TV network Al-Jazeera contrasted footage of Obama wearing shorts and playing golf in Hawaii with scenes of the carnage in Gaza, by way of highlighting what it called "the deafening silence from the Obama team."
"People recall his campaign slogan of change and hoped that it would apply to the Palestinian situation," said Jordanian analyst Labib Kamhawi. "So they look at his silence as a negative sign. They think he is condoning what happened in Gaza because he's not expressing any opinion.
ZIP
He cant do anything anyway. One reason Israel is doing this now instead of after the One takes over.
Posted by: Elric66 | January 04, 2009 at 07:38 PM
They can have his 'hope and change'...then he can raise THEIR taxes, and leave ours alone.
Posted by: GW | January 04, 2009 at 08:29 PM
Good, I'm glad they're pissed. Makes me feel better, I do not want them to like us. There, I said it.
Posted by: JDAM | January 04, 2009 at 10:41 PM
Good point, JDAM; if they like what we are doing, we must be doing something wrong.
Posted by: GW | January 04, 2009 at 11:44 PM
Not true. He clearly responded "present" when asked about the conflict.
Posted by: Clink | January 05, 2009 at 03:05 PM