September 11, 2012

My brother, Mark Bigger wrote this in a short time this morning after hearing criticism of President Obama’s response to the September 11 embassy and consulate attacks in Egypt and Libya. He was asked "What Would Romney do differently?"
 

 "What would Romney do differently?”

First, President Romney, or anyone who is striving to be someone other than the Neville Chamberlain of the Middle East, would refrain from apologizing for leading a free nation where little known filmmakers are actually allowed to express unpopular views. Certain hard words, or perhaps even actions would follow this week’s attack on United States sovereign soil. The President of the United States would cancel any trip to Las Vegas that he may have planned, call leaders of different nations to build support for whatever action he may take, and then act like responding to a terrorist attack on 9/11, of all days, is the highest priority.

I should also mention that a President Romney would actually have taken part in his security briefing in the week leading up to 9/11. But this should go without saying. I have observed (from President Obama’s not convening his economic growth team for months at a time during a time of recession), that meetings are not a high priority for him. Rallies are so much more fun and there are almost 17,000 golf courses in the United States to be played. Meetings seem like a waste of time.

To recap, protests started in Egypt and then Libya, over a video made in California that made fun of the founding Muslim prophet. It quickly became violent, the Embassies were attacked, our flag was burned, and then replaced with a flag stating that Allah was the one true God and Muhammad, his prophet. As the attack on the Libyan consulate grew more violent, an evacuation was ordered. During the evacuation, three American Embassy staff members were shot and the Ambassador was suffocated to death. This was the first American Ambassador killed in the line of duty since 1979, under the last notably pacifist President, Jimmy Carter.

When word first leaked out of the attack in Egypt, the burning of our flag, and the invasion of our sovereign nation, all done in flagrant disregard of all rules of civilization instituted among nations to govern their dealings with each other, President Obama’s administration responded with mollifying our enemies. On the 11^th anniversary of the greatest terrorist attack ever propagated on American soil, President Obama responded to a new terrorist attack with an apology for opinions held in the United States by private citizens that may be deemed offensive.

This is no surprise. His greatest foreign policy achievement has been to apologize. Which is why the extremist behind these attacks are emboldened to attack in the first place. It should be no surprise that in Libya the violence orchestrated against the consulate extended to killing our diplomats sent to keep the peace. 

Unfortunately, this action by the President means that every American diplomat or support staff serving overseas in a potentially hostile nation will have the certainty of knowing that as they try to represent America with diplomacy, they have a President who does not have their back. Their personal safety is not a priority for the President. The feelings of people sympathetic to a group of extremists who disregard the international rule of law and the well established rules of engagement regarding diplomatic staff and the embassies of foreign nations, are more important than protecting American property and lives.  Our American diplomats have targets on their backs.

What must American soldiers feel like? Perhaps that is why one of the most cited reasons among soldiers for the death of their comrades is that they do not believe they will be backed up for making life and death decisions on the battlefield. If President Obama feels the need to make an apology for some filmmaker, then it’s only logical he will not hesitate to hang soldiers out to dry when they make a mistake and kill the wrong person when confronted with enemy fire.

This attitude of mollification will further serve to embolden extremists to attack Americans, and our allies, such as Israel, England, France, or even Jordan or Turkey, for almost any and every reason. Because if attacks on an embassy because of a film made in American are met with apology, what other justifications to attack us will be adequate?

If you remove the fact that the protesters were extremist Muslim, I suspect you would see a different result. if you made them WASPS, or Catholics, or Jewish, or Atheist, or following geo political, or geographical, or any other form of strategic alignment, this behavior would require a strong announcement demanding the Egyptian and Libyan governments to capture these terrorists who invaded foreign soul, burned our flag, and in Libya, murdered our ambassador. We would have immediately asked for them to be turned over to us to be prosecuted under American laws because most of these actions took place on American sovereign soil or as part of an attack on American soil. But instead, the administration issued an apology.

Now under the direction of Hillary Clinton and other more seasoned foreign policy leaders, a more traditionally American response will be issued.

But it will be too late. We issued an apology for something in the United States that we do not control in a free country.

By apologizing, like Chamberlain did for England, Obama is sentencing American's to die. He is sending a message to Iran that their nuclear program can be converted to use as weapons without a check; that we will not defend our regional allies if they are threatened or attacked. Because if we will not step up for our own sovereign embassy and our representatives abroad, it follows that we certainly will not stand up for our allies.

Perhaps you think that is not what Obama is trying to convey. And perhaps you are right.

But it is the message he conveyed.

It is the message he conveyed to hundreds of millions of people overseas, some our allies, some who seem hell bent on being our enemies. Our allies will be afraid and may make rash decisions that cause unnecessary war. Our enemies will be emboldened and believe they can attack our allies and us without fear of serious economic, diplomatic, or military consequences.

Just like in World War II, pacifying those who do not follow the same rules of engagement and who are bent on destruction will only lead to more destruction. It is a sad day. Not only because of the American lives lost serving our country, and the attack on our embassy and what that means for diplomatic relations in the middle east. But what the American response means for our future.

Now that deaths have occurred the administration will make a show of force. They will bluster, or maybe even take some significant action.

But when the cards are dealt, it is the first tell that counts. Hundreds of millions of people overseas have seen that tell in response to this crisis. No matter how tough the administration tries to sound now, it is too late. The damage is done. Our friends and our enemies know that President Obama’s heart is not into defending our interests, or soldiers, or our diplomats.  President Obama is a lightweight President leading a heavy weight country.  His reluctance to stand up to bullies ensures that more people will want a piece of the champ.

Romney will be different. Any good President would.