US Secretary of State John Kerry sought to secure a pause in Yemen’s war as he arrived in Saudi Arabia Wednesday to meet with the king and other top officials, citing increased shortages of food, fuel, and medicine that are adding to a crisis that already has neighboring countries bracing for a mass exodus of refugees.
What he didn’t say out loud was that disturbing the Houthis was disturbing his Iranian friends.
The Arkansas Republican‘s [first-term Senator Tom Cotton] tactics have drawn praise from his conservative supporters, but irritated some GOP colleagues when his moves have conflicted with their efforts.
And
Mr Cotton has drawn unusual attention, particularly for inserting himself into negotiations with Iran.
Possibly Republican (and Democrat) Senate old heads should be a bit less comfortable in their seniority roles and get a bit more comfortable in their own skins and with the requirements of their employment—their constituents’ instructions. The quality of ideas and of actions don’t stem from whom their authors are; they’re intrinsic in those ideas and actions.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke one out loud while addressing our Congress a bit ago. The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement is more than just a trade agreement, he said.
What the TPP is all about [is an opportunity to] spread our shared values and have them take root: the rule of law, democracy, and freedom.
What he said.
Several Arab states, members of the Gulf Security Council, are looking for
major new weapons systems and security guarantees from the White House in exchange for backing a nuclear agreement with Iran, according to US and Arab officials.
There are a lot of valid arguments on both sides of that question in The Wall Street Journal article at the link (RTWT), but one thing jumps out at me, and it wasn’t addressed in the article.
Suppose the GSC nations get those security guarantees and promises of delivery of those weapons systems. On what basis do they think this administration would deliver on those commitments?
This administration pulled the rug out from under Poland and Czech Republic on missile defense systems. This administration pulled the rug out from under Ukraine, refusing to send them the equipment they need to defend themselves. This administration refused to take meaningful action against the Assad régime in Syria after painting a bright red line around the use of chemical weapons. This administration pulled the rug out from under Israel in the PA’s terror war against Israel just last summer. This administration currently is pulling the rug out from under Israel in agreeing to a framework that lets Iran obtain nuclear weapons.
A commitment to those Arab nations regarding security and weapons would be just another line this administration would shy away from in the moment of truth.
Or something. President Barack Obama, through his Press Secretary Josh Earnest, says that helping with a ransom payment isn’t paying ransom.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the FBI helped the family of Warren Weinstein make a ransom payment to his al-Qaeda captors by vetting a Pakistani middleman who helped deliver the money.
Here’s Obama, through Earnest:
Speaking generally, helping with a ransom payment…is not tantamount to paying a ransom….
Yeah. And my grandson isn’t pulling the cat’s tail; he’s just holding on. The cat is doing the pulling.