Even Pres Obama can't spin or "hope and change" this one!
This is embarrassing!
This is a joke!
This is "something" that I can't print in a family blog.
POLITICO explains it this way:
"Warmly greeted by European leaders and the public alike as a welcome relief from his predecessor, Obama’s appeal hasn’t enabled to him to bridge differences on key economic and military issues with American allies.
Obama left the G-20 summit in London without securing any further commitment by individual countries to enact more stimulus spending.
And Saturday he departs from NATO’s gathering in this French-German border town without a pledge by allies to send further combat troops to Afghanistan to bolster the American military surge there."
The US, UK and Canada will continue to fight the Afghan war.
The rest of NATO will send some translators to help out the effort.
I don't minimize the importance of non-military personnel. I'm OK with that.
We probably could use more translators.
However, this is a war, and a very rough war.
Let the Euros explain "their reluctance to get real" to the mothers of young men serving in the war.
They can come to Dallas and start their campaign here!
George Friedman of Stratfor wrote this before Pres BO's trip to Europe:
"Obama will need something in return from the Europeans, and the two-day NATO summit will be the place to get it.
The Obama administration laid out the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan last Friday in preparation for this trip.
Having given on the economic issue, Obama might hope that the Europeans would be forthcoming in increasing their commitment to Afghanistan by sending troops.
But there is almost no chance of Germany or France sending more troops, as public opinion in those countries is set against it and they have vastly limited military resources.
During the U.S. presidential debates, Obama emphasized that he would be looking to the Europeans to increase aid in Afghanistan (the "good" war) while Iraq (the "bad" war) ends.
The Germans will make some symbolic gestures - aid to Pakistan, reconstruction workers - but they will not be sending troops.This will put Obama in a difficult position.
If he donates money to the IMF, some of it earmarked for Europe, while the Europeans not only refuse to join the United States in a stimulus package but refuse to send troops to Afghanistan, the entire foundation of Obama's foreign policy will start becoming a public issue.
Obama argued that he would be more effective in building cooperation with European allies than Bush was or U.S. Sen. John McCain would have been.
If he comes home empty-handed, which is likely, the status of that claim becomes uncertain."
He left Europe empty handed indeed.
He got some translators but not soldiers.
Pres Obama was looking for soldiers because our volunteer army is stretched thin at the moment!
