missile-defense

[oldhardhead]

Obama Offered Deal to Russia in Secret Letter

WASHINGTON — President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Moscow would help stop Iran from developing long-range weapons, American officials said Monday.

The letter to President Dmitri A. Medvedev was hand-delivered in Moscow by top administration officials three weeks ago. It said the United States would not need to proceed with the interceptor system, which has been vehemently opposed by Russia since it was proposed by the Bush administration, if Iran halted any efforts to build nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.

"if Iran halted any efforts to build nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles."

so! Does this mean that:

1. He's acknowledging that Iran has efforts to build nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles
2. He's saying Russia has control over the situation and can stop Iran's effort
3. He's willing to throw Europe under the bus

That's what it implies...

Obama Offered Deal to Russia in Secret Letter - NYTimes.com

Obama, Polish president at odds on call
Disagree over support for U.S. missile-defense plan

CHICAGO | President-elect Barack Obama's private conversation with Poland's president created an international disagreement Saturday, with President Lech Kaczynski saying Mr. Obama promised to continue a missile-defense system and the transition office saying the Democrat made no such commitment.

Do you believe Barack?

Obama senior foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough released a statement once the news came from Poland.

"President-elect had a good conversation with the Polish president and the Polish prime minister about the important U.S.-Poland alliance," Mr. McDonough said. "President Kaczynski raised missile defense but President-elect Obama made no commitment on it. His position is as it was throughout the campaign — that he supports deploying a missile-defense system when the technology is proved to be workable."

Uh... when the technology is "proved to be workable?" I'm sure Iran loves to hear that.

Washington Times - Obama, Polish president at odds on call

Obama, please... can we have some grown-ups in charge now?

[Pineygirl]

He's acknowledging that Iran has efforts to build nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles
He's saying Russia has control over the situation and can stop Iran's effort
He's willing to throw Europe under the bus

Yes, yes, and yes.
But mention the potential danger of Putin and people think you're crazy.

And no, I never believe Barack.

[oldhardhead]

This is smart diplomacy? This is a debacle. The Russians dismissed it contemptuously.

Look, if we could get the Iranian nuclear program stopped with Russian's helping us in return for selling out the Poles and the Czechs on missile defense, I'm enough of a cynic and a realist to say we would do it the same way that Kissinger agreed to delegitimize and de-recognize Taiwan in return for a large strategic opening with China.

But Kissinger had it done. He had it wired. What happened here is it was leaked. The Russians have dismissed it. We end up being humiliated. We look weak in front of the Iranians, and we have left the Poles and Czechs out to dry in return for nothing.

The Czechs and the Poles went out on a limb, exposed themselves to Russian pressure, and we have shown that Eastern Europe is not as sovereign as it appears if the Russian influence is there, and we will acquiesce in what they consider their own sphere of influence.

This administration has prided itself, flattered itself on deploying smart diplomacy. "Smart diplomacy" is a meaningless idea, but if it has any meaning at all, it is not ever doing something as humiliating, amateurish, and stupid as this.

Krauthammer's Take - NRO Staff - The Corner on National Review Online

Well, hey, you know what? With all his foreign policy experience, his 143 days in the US Senate.... his Excellent Tour with Katie, and Charlie and Brian... Media Stars Will Accompany Obama Overseas - NYTimes.com Oh, nevermind.

Historic. Did they accompany anyone else, oh... I don't know, say... John McCain overseas? The media Stars are... what's the word?

Bush, Obama. Camp Lejeune. Marines.



Huh.

[oldhardhead]

There are a number of important lessons for Obama in this rookie misstep.
1. Don’t trust Russians.
2. Don’t write when you can speak.
3. Don’t speak when you can nod.
4. Don’t nod when you can wink.
5. Don’t wink if you don’t have to.
6. Don’t trust Russians.
7. Don’t try to haggle in matters of vital national security.
8. Consider how far you can throw your Russian counterpart. Don’t trust him that far.
9. Never offer everything as your opening position. Also:

9.A. Don’t trust Russians.
9.B. Never offer anything that is worth more than whatever it is they don’t intend to give you anyway.
9.C. Don’t trust Russians.

10. And finally, don’t trust Russians.

Jules Crittenden Plausible Hilarity

[Pineygirl]

I particularly liked this comment:

Another reminder that Obama’s intelligence, which is real, is neither informed, nor deep, nor thoughtful. It’s the feral, manipulative intelligence of the sociopath. Clearly, in dealing with the Russians, he’s been out-sociopathed.

And above all, remember the value of proxies when you're conducting foreign negotiations. That way the egg (or blood) doesn't splash on your face, humiliating you in front of the rest of the slobs who want your head.