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March 09, 2010

Biden's Visit to Israel
Posted by Shadi Hamid

I hope to have a proper post up on Biden's visit to Israel soon. In the meantime, I've been live-tweeting the visit, which you can follow here.

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Israel soon. In the meantime, I've been live-tweeting the visit, which you can follow here.

In an effort to reach out to Muslims, Obama made several high-profile trips to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. But the lack of a visit to Israel alienated many here. Now Obama has acknowledged that his strategy did not work as hoped.

Thnk You Editors..

But as I tried to point out earlier, there is no long-term strategic planning processa line western wedding dresses in this Administration. I can't help but think that part of the reason for this is that Obama's foreign policy apparatus is manned by people who don't necessarily see what the QDR is suggesting as a bad thing. (And for what it's worth,Gucci leather Duchessa Medium Boston Bag my understanding is that there are at least some folks at the highest levels of the NSC who recognize that this is a serious problem in need of immediate rectification).

And I have to say while Spencer is correct that Adminal Mullen has laid out "the early phase of the first vision for the responsible use of military force from a Joint Chiefs Chairman since Colin Powell" - that vision is, inLouis Vuitton PM Patch Agenda Cover my humble opinion, completely wrong. Look at what Mullen had to say:

We must not look upon the use of military forces only as a last resort, but as potentially the best, first option when combined with other instruments of national and international power.

We must not try to use force only in an overwhelming capacity, but in the proper capacity, and in a precise and principled manner. And we must not rolex air kingshrink from the tug of war -- no pun intended -- that inevitably plays out between policymaking and strategy execution. Such interplay is healthy for the republic and essential for ultimate success.

I'm sorry, but to me this is pretty close to the mindset that got America involved in Iraq in the first place; the last thing America needs after the disaster of Iraq is a further loosening of the constraints on thebuys montblanc pens use of military force. If Mullen's view are reflective of the president's than I'm lot more depressed about the direction Obama is going to be taking American foreign policy.

And look Spencer may well be correct that "broad strategic constructs are taking form" but I just don't see it. I see a lot of discordant pieces and words that are being contradicted by actions. What I do see is an escalation in Afghanistan that only perpetuates the stranglehold that terrorism has over our foreign policy debates and a direct contradiction of the great speech that John Brennan gave last year in which he called for "the fight against terrorists and violent extremists" to be "returned to its right and proper place: no longer defining—indeed,tiffany gold accessoriesdistorting—our entire national security and foreign policy, but rather serving as a vital part of those larger policies." What I see is nibbling around the edges on defense spending; increased resources for civilian agencies and a rhetorical focus on development but none of the sort of big picture, systemic thinking that the country needs.

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Applying for my first job, I realized I had to be creative in listing my few qualifications. Asked about additional schooling and training, I answered truthfully that I had spent three years in computer programming classes. I got the job. I had neglected to mention that I took the same course for three years before I passed.

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I just got a new pair of Nike Air Force One shoes, and I could not be happier. My custom Nike Air Force Ones are the coolest thing that I have seen in years. These ones are a special St. Patrick's day addition, done in bright green and white. Very retro. I am tempted to save my Nike Air Force One shoes for playing basketball, but the thing is, I just can not keep them off of my feet. Everyone who sees me gives me a look of envy when they check out my Nike Air Force One shoes, because they know that I've got the cash flow to buy the nice threads.

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