69 million page views

Too bad Eugene Rostow is no longer around to advise.

Reader comment on item: Obama's Diplomatic Acrobatics

Submitted by Wallace Edward Brand (United States), Sep 12, 2013 at 22:56

"This is what Rostow, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs under Johnson had to say in 1978:

"Slowly and reluctantly, Europe and the United States are coming to realize that the pattern of events in the Middle East reflects more than random turbulence in the aftermath of the British and French Empires. For nearly thirty turbulent years, the Soviet Union has sought control of this geo-political nerve center in order to bring Western Europe into its sphere. Even if Soviet ambitions were confined to Europe, Soviet hegemony in the Middle East would profoundly change the world balance of power. But Soviet control of the Middle East would lead inevitably lead to further accretions of Soviet power if China, Japan, and many more smaller vulnerable countries should conclude that the United States had lost the will or the capacity to defend its vital interests, and that sauve qui peu, and devil take the hindmost, had therefore become the order of the day.

The exploitation of Arab hostility to the Balfour Declaration, the Palestine Mandate, and the existence of Israel has been a major weapon in the Soviet campaign. . . ."

Now Putin's op eds criticizing the US are welcomed at the New York Times. According to Major General Ion Pacepa in his new book "Disinformation", engaging with Putin is about as useful as engaging with the Muslim Brotherhood who plots to take over the US by subversion. But Obama engages with both. Rostow taught International Law and was Dean of the Yale Law School. He was one of the drafters of UN Security Council Resolution 242.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (38) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
This is a completion to a submission that somehow got away from me, and an attempt to explain that [445 words]Ron ThompsonSep 14, 2013 23:10209752
Response to Ron Thompson [377 words]AKdocSep 23, 2013 10:19209752
reply to AKDoc [544 words]Ron ThompsonSep 25, 2013 21:56209752
Obama's Incompetency in Executing Sound Foreign Policy [154 words]RexSep 14, 2013 15:31209743
Obama is the best [8 words]shanSep 14, 2013 08:15209737
The Litany of Misdirected, Gutless Presidents [323 words]Mark WerfelSep 13, 2013 23:33209730
1Disastrous policies, neutral outcomes [248 words]Dan SimonSep 13, 2013 16:37209724
Cruel (and revealing) pix [4 words]FFSSep 13, 2013 01:05209681
Too bad Eugene Rostow is no longer around to advise. [266 words]Wallace Edward BrandSep 12, 2013 22:56209678
1What a disaster [73 words]dhimmi no moreSep 12, 2013 19:27209672
2Reasons to support Syrian rebels [432 words]PrashantSep 13, 2013 06:52209672
Another candidate for "worst'? [101 words]Ron ThompsonSep 14, 2013 22:25209672
Bush and history [20 words]dhimmi no moreSep 18, 2013 07:35209672
1Capturing the Essentials of Failure [247 words]Bill PaxtonSep 12, 2013 14:53209670
Moving on [56 words]David W. LincolnSep 12, 2013 13:31209669
Never before... [17 words]james sorianoSep 12, 2013 13:24209668
1Very strict critics [348 words]AlexandrosSep 12, 2013 11:45209667
how about the Saudis or Turkey taking care of Syria? [373 words]lippySep 12, 2013 10:17209665
Diplomatic Acrobatics [372 words]StephenSep 12, 2013 04:52209661
Election reform idea to minimize the impact of failing administrations [116 words]PezDispenserSep 12, 2013 04:47209660
6President Obama and Syria [216 words]Ilbert A. PhillipsSep 12, 2013 03:02209659
Epic Failure [91 words]TomSep 16, 2013 10:30209659
Obama's Diplomatic Acrobatics [15 words]steven LSep 11, 2013 23:46209656
1The True Apology To The World [192 words]Mike RamirezSep 11, 2013 23:08209651
Re: Obama's Diplomatic Acrobatics [27 words]Rich McMahonSep 11, 2013 22:20209650
3Fall of Rome [144 words]jamesSep 11, 2013 21:38209648
1.. and its modern-day empire [134 words]Brigitte in ParisSep 22, 2013 07:47209648
1No, it isn't just Obama [159 words]SoloviewSep 11, 2013 21:27209647
Comment for Geekmom [172 words]CassandraSep 14, 2013 06:51209647
WHAT TO SAY ? [17 words]Susan KSep 11, 2013 21:21209646
end game for Obama's style of peace making, [320 words]rodney allsworthSep 11, 2013 20:13209645
1Still better then Bush [71 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
BillSep 11, 2013 19:15209643
Really Bill? No one wanted the Iraq war? Looks like at least 72% of the people did. [21 words]geekmomSep 13, 2013 16:45209643
not true that 72% "wanted" war [105 words]Ron ThompsonSep 14, 2013 23:22209643
crowds [62 words]Gunther H. SciffSep 11, 2013 18:44209641
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW [99 words]JACQUES HADIDASep 11, 2013 18:38209640
Image Caption [17 words]Mike RuebnerSep 11, 2013 18:12209639
He is the Emperor with no clothes [7 words]Robin RosenblattSep 11, 2013 18:12209638

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)