The Million-Dollar Question

- July 18, 2014

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International Tensions Rise
Our closet ally launches a ground offensive and 300 people are killed as a passenger plane is shot down, all on the same day. Where is the president of the United States? Fundraising. Let's start with Israel, which has endured literally over a 1,000 rockets being launched by Hamas in recent days. After Hamas refused an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, and the rocket fire continued, Israel sent ground troops into Gaza . The purpose of Israel's operation is to focus on the underground tunnels used by Hamas militants. Israel gave Palestinian residents warnings to evacuate before impending attacks. At least one Israeli soldier was killed in the first hours of the offensive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now warning of an expanded operation: "My instructions ... are to prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the ground operation, and the military is preparing accordingly." All the while, President Obama is in New York collecting "much needed" campaign funding. I can't make this up!

The Million-Dollar Question
On the same day that our closest ally launches a military ground offensive, we learn that a passenger plane has been shot down over Ukraine and that our emerging geopolitical foe of Russia may be responsible. It is believed that the plane was shot down by a BUK missile, which is a surface-to-air missile produced by Russia. However, the million-dollar question is who fired the missile? U.S. and Ukrainian officials believe that these pro-Russian separatists are responsible for firing the missile. As you can imagine, Putin vehemently denies this allegation. Russia, meanwhile, is pointing their finger at Ukraine. However, things aren't looking too good for Russia's defense. Russian separatists bragged on social media in June that they had taken control of a BUK missile system after taking control of a Ukrainian military base in the region. A series of leaked calls have emerged, which show pro-Russian militants claiming responsibility for shooting down a plane, which they thought was a Ukrainian military aircraft. There was also allegedly a social media post , which has since been taken down, bragging about downing an Ukrainian military plane. More will definitely come out but it's clear that Putin will be on the hot seat for a little while longer.

Obama's Legacy
Just in the last few months, Russia has been able to annex Crimea, ISIS has established a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, Israel has been forced to launch a ground offensive in Gaza and Russia is being accused of shooting down a passenger plane. Needless to say, the international landscape is awfully tenuous, and yet there is a disturbing lack of urgency on the part of our president. Amazingly, Obama's own press secretary recently claimed that Obama has substantially improved global tranquility. I'm unsure of the examples he can truly cite in order to come to that conclusion, without ignoring the major events I just mentioned before.
With each of these international events, it becomes clearer that Obama completely lacks a vision and a strategy. In this vacuum of perceived weakness, we've allowed ambitious actors like Vladimir Putin to step up and fill the void. In fulfilling his liberal ideology, Obama may not want America to lead on the world stage. But if we don't do it, someone else will. And we don't get to pick whom that person or country may be, and it may be someone who isn't friendly to our values and us. I would imagine that's not a position any American wants our country to be in.

>>TV Tonight (10PM ET on Fox News)
Tonight Sean makes a personal appeal to the president. Plus a friend of a MH17 victim remembers the Indiana University student. And a look at the Israeli government's response to the offensive in Gaza.