Obama offloads Libya blame onto UK

[Sultan Of Swing]

David Cameron became "distracted" after the 2011 intervention in Libya, US President Barack Obama has said.

Obama criticises Cameron over Libya - BBC News

Dear Americans,

Why is your President trying to offload the blame on our Prime Minister (and the rest of Europe) for his own hawkish foreign policy failures?

Yours sincerely,

A Brit

(Granted, our PM shares blame for following your President into the war to begin with, but I can't see the President's rationale for offloading blame in this manner)

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Why is your President trying to offload the blame on our Prime Minister (and the rest of Europe) for his own hawkish foreign policy failures?

It's the American way. We mess up, and it's your fault. No questions. Don't bother pointing out logic. It's your fault!
What? Reason? *blah! blah! lah! lah!* I can't hear you!

 

[Sunstone]

I suspect it might be a ploy to defuse domestic criticism of Clinton's role in messing up Libya. But then, I'm a cynic when it comes to politicians.

 

[Sunstone]

It's the American way. We mess up, and it's your fault. No questions. Don't bother pointing out logic. It's your fault!
What? Reason? *blah! blah! lah! lah!* I can't hear you!

You dare question American Exceptionalism? How is it at all possible it could be our fault given that our actions as a nation are always morally superior?

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

David Cameron became "distracted" after the 2011 intervention in Libya, US President Barack Obama has said.

Obama criticises Cameron over Libya - BBC News

Dear Americans,

Why is your President trying to offload the blame on our Prime Minister (and the rest of Europe) for his own hawkish foreign policy failures?

Yours sincerely,

A Brit

(Granted, our PM shares blame for following your President into the war to begin with, but I can't see the President's rationale for offloading blame in this manner)

So this is what the special relationship with America gets us...

Actually he's dumping the blame on David Cameron who actively chose to continue this stupid arrangement. So I'm going to sit back and laugh at Cameron for being ripped on by his boss.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

So this is what the special relationship with America gets us...

Actually he's dumping the blame on David Cameron who actively chose to continue this stupid arrangement. So I'm going to sit back and laugh at Cameron for being ripped on by his boss.

Well yes, Dave shares a lot of guilt for this, but I still don't like the idea of the US President feeling it's appropriate to publicly criticise another world leader, of a country he claims to have a 'special relationship' with. Just shows how much they take us for granted.

I doubt you'd see Obama making any sort of criticism against the Saudi Arabian leader. (Correct me if I'm wrong, I very well could be.)

 

[Sunstone]

So this is what the special relationship with America gets us...

I rather wish your leaders would oppose our leaders a sight more when our leaders propose jumping off cliffs. But I'm not blaming your leaders for going along, just wishing it were different at times.

 

[Aquitaine]

David Cameron became "distracted" after the 2011 intervention in Libya, US President Barack Obama has said.

Obama criticises Cameron over Libya - BBC News

Dear Americans,

Why is your President trying to offload the blame on our Prime Minister (and the rest of Europe) for his own hawkish foreign policy failures?

Yours sincerely,

A Brit

(Granted, our PM shares blame for following your President into the war to begin with, but I can't see the President's rationale for offloading blame in this manner)

Cameron has acted in a very hawkish manner in relation to both Syria and Libya, so I'll happily see him take flak from his boss.

Not that I understand why a "fiscal conservative" such as Cameron supported needless government expense via military intervention in Libya and aid to the Syrian rebels.

 

[Sunstone]

I suspect it might be a ploy to defuse domestic criticism of Clinton's role in messing up Libya.

If I'm right about that -- and I think there's some chance I might be -- I'd bet Cameron was fully informed by Obama of what he'd be saying to The Atlantic before he said it.

 

[Valjean]

We don't really grasp the concept of "defence" over here.

 

[Sunstone]

We don't really grasp the concept of "defence" over here.

In what way?

 

[Augustus]

David Cameron became "distracted" after the 2011 intervention in Libya, US President Barack Obama has said.

Obama criticises Cameron over Libya - BBC News

Dear Americans,

Why is your President trying to offload the blame on our Prime Minister (and the rest of Europe) for his own hawkish foreign policy failures?

Yours sincerely,

A Brit

(Granted, our PM shares blame for following your President into the war to begin with, but I can't see the President's rationale for offloading blame in this manner)

IIRC, the Libyan intervention was strongly advocated for by several European countries (France, Italy, UK?) and America played a secondary role (I seem to remember the phrase 'leading from behind' or something like that). Am pretty sure the majority (almost all?) of combat sorties were flown by European air forces.

Europe is capable of being stupid without following orders from America after all.

 

[Valjean]

In what way?

After WWII the War Department became the Defense Department, and the Secretary of War the Defense Secretary.
But since the war there has been no threat to the integrity of the United States; nothing to defend against. The military has been used almost exclusively to extend imperial power and secure markets.
"Defense" seems to mean military aggression and intimidation.

 

[Sunstone]

After WWII the War Department became the Defense Department, and the Secretary of War the Defense Secretary.
But since the war there has been no threat to the integrity of the United States; nothing to defend against. The military has been used almost exclusively to extend imperial power and secure markets.
"Defense" seems to mean military aggression and intimidation.

I agree for the most part. I think the exceptions were the stationing of US forces in Europe during the Cold War to counter what I believe was a genuine Soviet threat to Western Europe, and the Korean War. But it seems to me just about every other hot war or "conflict" we've gotten into was, as you say, to extend imperial power and secure markets (or resources).

 

[Valjean]

Agreed. That's why I stuck in "almost."
Berlin air lifts, Kosovo interventions &c are the rare exceptions.

 

[SpeaksForTheTrees]

David Cameron became "distracted" after the 2011 intervention in Libya, US President Barack Obama has said.

Obama criticises Cameron over Libya - BBC News

Dear Americans,

Why is your President trying to offload the blame on our Prime Minister (and the rest of Europe) for his own hawkish foreign policy failures?

Yours sincerely,

A Brit

(Granted, our PM shares blame for following your President into the war to begin with, but I can't see the President's rationale for offloading blame in this manner)

I dont know pal , he just a puppet
Syria on George Bush s Axis Of Evil f**ing short memory .
Bush and Blair , blair a weak son of a non englishman
God told blair to go to war with an unarmed man , bush wanted the oil for his pals
Least Bush was honest

 

[Revoltingest]

Why is your President trying to offload the blame on our Prime Minister (and the rest of Europe) for his own hawkish foreign policy failures?

Yours sincerely,

A Brit

(Granted, our PM shares blame for following your President into the war to begin with, but I can't see the President's rationale for offloading blame in this manner)

Because he couldn't pin it on Bush.

 

[4consideration]

Because he couldn't pin it on Bush.

Best post ever.

 

[Flankerl]

and the rest of Europe

That is of course wrong. It should only be targeted at the following countries.
Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

The rest of Europe didn't participate.


The funniest thing about the Libyan Civil War is that so much that Gaddafi said came to be true.

 

[SpeaksForTheTrees]

Because he couldn't pin it on Bush.

American empire , best of everything someone else has to pay , peak oil strategic and they are crazy killing each other been killing each other for 10,000 years
Do not ever let them devide us values , america full of English man name **k that i dont ever draw a weapon on a cousin , some of those are not cousins .
Once we gone the rest of the world become assimilated slaves again