[RobertLS]

Israel is not our ally; it's an expensive protectorate.

why expensive?
most of the money goes back into your defense industry.

And we're a better ally than you know.

Israeli intel has been very critical of CIA reports regarding weapons in Iraq and our defense establishment pretty much warned you against what's about to happen.

The amount of times we assisted your WOT efforts in major ways, is incredible. Your military seemed to appreciate it so much that our chief of staff was surprisingly awarded a medal honoring his help in the WOT.

[bWn4h8QD]

You know, I just saw that and thought, "Which troll on poly will be the first post it?"

[VodsNittats]

Barack Obama 'too tired' to give proper welcome to Gordon Brown

Barack Obama's offhand approach to Gordon Brown's Washington visit last week came about because the president was facing exhaustion over America's economic crisis and is unable to focus on foreign affairs, the Sunday Telegraph has been told.

Sources close to the White House say Mr Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest.

British officials, meanwhile, admit that the White House and US State Department staff were utterly bemused by complaints that the Prime Minister should have been granted full-blown press conference and a formal dinner, as has been customary. They concede that Obama aides seemed unfamiliar with the expectations that surround a major visit by a British prime minister.

But Washington figures with access to Mr Obama's inner circle explained the slight by saying that those high up in the administration have had little time to deal with international matters, let alone the diplomatic niceties of the special relationship.

Allies of Mr Obama say his weary appearance in the Oval Office with Mr Brown illustrates the strain he is now under, and the president's surprise at the sheer volume of business that crosses his desk.

A well-connected Washington figure, who is close to members of Mr Obama's inner circle, expressed concern that Mr Obama had failed so far to "even fake an interest in foreign policy".

A British official conceded that the furore surrounding the apparent snub to Mr Brown had come as a shock to the White House. "I think it's right to say that their focus is elsewhere, on domestic affairs. A number of our US interlocutors said they couldn't quite understand the British concerns and didn't get what that was all about."

The American source said: "Obama is overwhelmed. There is a zero sum tension between his ability to attend to the economic issues and his ability to be a proactive sculptor of the national security agenda.

"That was the gamble these guys made at the front end of this presidency and I think they're finding it a hard thing to do everything."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...don-Brown.html

That's good governing right there.

[Carfanate]

[...]
I see little room for alliance with Iran, even if we did remove Saddam Hussein, their old worst enemy.[...]

Just to elobarate: Hussein was pushed into war against Iran by the US (it´s not too hard to find pictures of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam, taken during this period), while at the same time, the US sold weapons to Iran, in order to finance some anti-socialist gurilliros in central america (the so-called iran-contra-affair). It´s this kind of crooked policies, that made almost the entire middle east hate the US (the Taliban were built up by the US as well, against the USSR, only then they were called ´mujahedin´). It´s really not startling that Hussein didnt trust the US ever again, and played the same crooked game from then on (to the effect, that we never saw his pledoyers during his trial - he probably had A LOT to tell, that the US didnt want the world to know). Bad morale spreads more easily than a good one. During the 80´s american policy discreditated itself all the way from anatolia to the hindukush for an estimated lifetime. It will take a longer period of honest policies (a decade or so at least) and a lot of woeing for a renewal of trust on the side of the US to fix that. An openly announced bias towards israel does not really help, but is still a lot better than claiming neutrality, while still giving one-sided support (or even supporting both sides for a profit secretly).

[Anneskobsen]

If you think, that what i am saying, is not true, than call what i said a lie (and possibly eloborate on it), and refrain from personal insults (as i take the word ´liar´).

(i am actually getting sick of having to point out the very basics ´netiquette´ here)

EDIT: From Wikipedia about the first gulf war:

Der Irak genoss im Gegenzug erhebliche diplomatische, militärische und wirtschaftliche Unterstützung seitens der Sowjetunion, Frankreichs sowie Aufklärungsdaten von den Vereinigten Staaten. Er bezog außerdem finanzielle Hilfe von anderen arabischen Staaten (vornehmlich dem ölreichen Kuwait und Saudi-Arabien).

Translation: The Iraq enjoyed considerable diplomatic, military and econmic support from the soviet union, france and surveillance data from the US. It also received financial help from other arabic countries (mainly kuwait [!] and saudi-arabia [!]).

- [!] added by me

Sure, the ambition was Saddam´s, but he was widely encouraged in his ambitions at the time, by (and not only) the US and its allies. How startling that Iran decided to isolate itself after this experience. Buying weapons from the US, they knew best how crooked the whole thing was.

[cliceperperIa]

EDIT: From Wikipedia about the first gulf war:

Ok seriously. Are you Oerdin's DL?

From Wikipedia about the Iran–Iraq War:
The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia majority influenced by the Iranian Revolution (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution).

[RonPeeredob]

The only issue is the dis of Brown. I can't think of any good reason for that and it could have repercussions beyond Britain.

If he disses Brown, or if he engages in the latest trend of throwing green goo at Peter Mandelson, he'll be popular with the British people. Brown is probably the most despised British Prime Minister in my lifetime, and British politics is in serious disarray.

To be honest, the US could do with better allies than Britain, which is a pretty useless country, all be told.

Well, at least it isn't a liability like Israel.

[brorialsibers]

Oh, snap.

[Maryjasmine]

You did indeed.

[Oberjej]

That pretty much confirms zero thought went into the 'gift' for Brown.

[CKDIWEQ]

I'd assume that gifts to heads of state are pretty low on Emanuel's priority list at the moment. I hope so, anyways.

[ManHolDenPoker]

Yeah, he should be more aggressive in calling out Republican obstructionism against Treasury appointees.

[maks_holi]

Looks like the Republicans finally dropped their holds on Goolsbee and Rouse (to the CEA) several days ago. Kudos.

[DavidQD]

Some of the folks are temporarily serving in confirmationless positions, waiting for the vetting to get through (as Goolsbee and Rouse were). The vetting is definitely excessive (the stricter standards are googoo bullshit that should've been ditched at the beginning), but it's not like Treasury is empty.

[espenijij]

I'd assume that gifts to heads of state are pretty low on Emanuel's priority list at the moment. I hope so, anyways.

I thought it was obvious that I was talking about the work volume that apparently was overwhelming Obama. It's Emanuel's job to regulate how much work Obama needs to do. If Obama's tired and out of sorts for a meeting with foreign dignitaries, then Emanuel is not doing his job correctly.

[Tactattcahhaw]

Oh dear, did I just quote the National Enquirer, or something?

If JM is LOLing, it must be bad...