3.29.15: Is The Obama Administration A Player or Just Being Played?

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It's a predictable notion that we’ll comment on the Germanwings plane crash which turned out to be a deliberate act, because we want to share our perspective on what some are calling an inexplicable act.  But before we get into that, we must skip over to the subject of Yemen and what is happening in the greater Middle East along with what the United States is doing in the region. The proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been going on for the better part of 30 years, and now that Cold War in the Middle East could become quite hot.

The Saudi ambassador to the United States, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, said on today's program that the Saudi military was conducting airstrikes in Yemen against Iranian-backed Shia militias at the invitation of the Yemeni government with the goal being, as the ambassador stated, to protect the Yemeni people from these extremists. The ambassador also explained that they are conducting these airstrikes with the full support of the United States. Meanwhile on the other side of things, the Obama administration is in talks with the Iranian regime over its nuclear program. It was outlined on the program that the United States is presenting a pessimistic view of the negotiations while the Iranians are framing things in an optimistic light.

Here’s what we have to say:  At this point in time, there can be no deal no nuclear deal with Iran.

First, as former Ambassador Christopher Hill said, the mullahs in Iran have no interest in normalizing relations with Israel, let alone recognizing the country's right to exist. He used the phrase “a bridge too far” when Chuck Todd asked him why recognition of the Israeli state is not on the table for these negotiations.

Of course this column is a strong supporter of Israel, but, that is not the sole reason why we say that there should be no deal.  The other is that we just don’t see the wisdom in enabling Iran in extending its reach across the region by putting this deal in place, which would essentially lift sanctions give them greater resources. Now, it was brought up that if there is no nuclear deal then that would allow Iran to try and constitute its nuclear program freely as they would be able to kick out U.N. inspectors. The essential problem is that Iran is not acting in good faith – it will say what it has to so that the sanctions are lifted but still pursue a nuclear weapon.

The discussion on today’s program explained that while the US is supporting the Saudi's in their airstrikes against Shia militias in Yemen, the United States is also on the same side as Iran in the fight against ISIS. However, just to stay up to speed, it was reported in the New York Times this morning that Iranian led militias in Iraq left the fight for Tikrit in protest because of United States involvement in the form of airstrikes.  

Unless the Obama administration has some sort of Jedi chess move that we're not seeing, it seems like to us that it is being played by lead by both sides.  The Saudi's and the Iranians are essentially war with one another – hot, cold, lukewarm, covert, overt, whatever - and the U.S. is enabling both of them, but to what end?

The United States in no way should help Iran accrue the resources it needs to spread more of its control throughout the Middle East. What's tricky is that what you are left with is partnering with a regime that protects individuals that export extremism and terrorism targeting the United States, and that is Saudi Arabia. And that's not even to mention the Saudi's horrible human rights record and the way that they treat women.

The United States military in the Middle East should take a stance and posture of support. And what we mean by that is no airstrikes on ISIS. If the Iranians want to take that fight, let them, but the United States should keep the hefty sanctions in place as a certain deterrent to interfering with Kurdistan, Jordan, or of course Israel.

Because in this fight between Saudi Arabia and Iran, one which both sides clearly want to have, the United States shouldn't be fighting for either side. However, we've already thrown our support to the Saudi's, that's clear, but at the same time appeasing Iran is not the way to go.  Why be played by both sides?

It's not so much that we have a problem with the goals that the Obama Administration is trying to achieve – peace in the region. The problem we have is no one's listening to the Obama Administration; no one cares what they have to say; they are basically just in the way in the minds of the major regional players and are carrying no clout. No one is listening to them. 

Update: We want to add here that there could be a deal but there shouldn't be when all of the players involved are presently firing rockets and dropping bombs.

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And now will briefly comment about the Germanwings plane crash, to try to provide a little insight. It's been reported that the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been suffering from depression, and The New York Times reported this morning that he was having problems with his eyesight.  The latter possibly causing Mr. Lubitz anxiety about losing his job, possibly ending his flying career.   Whether the concern about eyesight is legitimate or not, make no mistake the depression was there first. Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker said on today's program that she wasn't completely convinced that the deliberate act of crashing the plane was due to a mental health issue. We don't have all the evidence so it is possible that there was a motivation that hasn't been identified as of yet.

But if, in fact, it was due to mental illness on the part of Mr. Lubitz, let's put that into a little perspective. Think about society today and how individuals are so physically cut off from one another. We live predominantly communicating through screens -the information that we give and the information that we receive.  We are more and more isolated, living inside our own heads too much and pre-occupied with self, especially true of younger people who have grown up in this technological isolating context. On top of that, take into consideration a general feeling around the world that economically life is never going to be easy, throwing a shadow of foreboding for massive amounts people.

It’s reasoned that someone who is suicidal will go and commit this act, and given that analysis, Mr. Lubitz should be considered a mass murderer of 149 individuals.  While he is, indeed, a mass murderer, maybe he was also (wrongly) thinking that for anyone to sympathize and understand his pain – to hear the cry - he had to bring spectacular attention to it and himself.  For him, the way was to down a passenger jet with all of those people on it.   That in no way explains away anything, serving no justification, but the notion that it was some inexplicable act we just don't buy.

Panel: Joe Scarborough, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe;” Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post; Sam Stein, The Huffington Post; Neera Tanden, CEO of the Center for American Progres