Haaretz Newspaper Says Barack Obama to Go Down in America's History as "the President Who Lost Egypt"

Israeli newspaper Haaretz says Barack Obama "the president who lost Egypt" and saw America's alliances with the Middle East crumble.

I will concede that the Obama Administration was slow out of the gates in getting in front of this mess in Egypt, one of our staunchest allies. As usual, the right hand had no clue what the left hand was doing. By that I mean Vice President Joe Biden was saying that Hosni Mubarak was no dictator and the country was strong, while President Obama was sounding a little more reserved. I'm not sure how one can remain as a country's leader for 30 years and not be considered as a dictator. Mubarak is not different from North Korean madman and leader Kim Jong Il who has led his country for decades, but is considered as a dictator (though Mubarak isn't as crazy or vile).

But does the Obama administration's slowness rise to the level of saying he lost Egypt? Haaretz seems to think so and compares the fallout in Egypt to Jimmy Carter, who they said will go down in history as "the president who lost Iran." Haaretz has also added that Barack Obama will also be remembered for losing Turkey and Lebanon, in addition to Egypt and America's alliances in the Middle East. Isn't that a little over the top? So, what did former President George Bush lose?

The superficial circumstances are similar. In both cases, a United States in financial crisis and after failed wars loses global influence under a leftist president whose good intentions are interpreted abroad as expressions of weakness. The results are reflected in the fall of regimes that were dependent on their relationship with Washington for survival, or in a change in their orientation, as with Ankara.

America's general weakness clearly affects its friends. But unlike Carter, who preached human rights even when it hurt allies, Obama sat on the fence and exercised caution. He neither embraced despised leaders nor evangelized for political freedom, for fear of undermining stability.

Obama began his presidency with trips to Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and in speeches in Ankara and Cairo tried to forge new ties between the United States and the Muslim world. His message to Muslims was "I am one of you," and he backed it by quoting from the Koran. President Hosni Mubarak did not join him on the stage at Cairo University, and Obama did not mention his host. But he did not imitate his hated predecessor, President George W. Bush, with blunt calls for democracy and freedom.

Obama apparently believed the main problem of the Middle East was the Israeli occupation, and focused his policy on demanding the suspension of construction in the settlements and on the abortive attempt to renew the peace talks. That failure led him to back off from the peace process in favor of concentrating on heading off an Israeli-Iranian war. Source: Haaretz

I am a little confused as to why the administration continues to shoot itself in the foot by sitting on the fence when all hell is breaking loose. The BP Gulf oil spill comes to mind. So now President Obama finds himself in another controversy, not of his making. Obama can't win. If he leans too heavily on Mubarak, then many in the Middle East could say we're meddling in their affairs. If he sits on the fence and says very little, he's seen as spineless.