Obama on ABC's This Week

President elect Barack Obama indicated his foreign policy priorities to George Stephanopoulos of ABC's This Week. On Gaza, Obama said he would begin work immediately.

"The reason it's so important for the United States to be engaged and involved immediately, not waiting until the end of their term, is because working through the politics of this requires a third party that everybody has confidence [in], wants to see a fair and just outcome," he said.

How does an AIPAC affiliated, neocon qualify as a fair third party? Dennis Ross is the President elect's top adviser on the Middle East & Iran. On Iran, America's 44th President offered:

Obama also said he would take a new approach toward Iran that would both emphasize respect for its people and spell out expectations for its leaders.

Obama said he was concerned about the Islamic republic's support of the Lebanese Shi'ite movement Hezbollah and about Iran's nuclear enrichment, which he said could trigger a Middle East arms race.

And Israel's steamrolling of Lebanon in 2006 and Gaza today haven't encouraged Middle Eastern countries to rapidly arm? Who's selling those arms to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Turkey? America is.

He indicated the approach to Iran. America will tell Persian leaders what they must do to comply, with answers required in short order.

"We are going to have to take a new approach. And I've outlined my belief that engagement is the place to start," he said.

"We are in preparations for that. We anticipate that we're going to have to move swiftly in that area," Obama said.

Rep. Howard Berman was remarkably prescient on Gaza, laying out the strategy nine days before Israel pulled the trigger. Is he visionary on Iran? If so, expect a three month window of engagement. If Iran doesn't comply? Bunker busters over Bushehr.

Obama Pulls a McCain

Senator Barack Obama scored points by saying John McCain should be able to campaign and deal with an economic crisis at the same time. Suspend his campaign? No, a President will have to deal with multiple priorities simultaneously. Guess what came out of the Obama camp?

Economy May Delay Work on Obama’s Campaign Pledges

Although Mr. Obama has not publicly identified which priorities will have to wait, advisers and allies have signaled that they may put off renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, overhauling immigration laws, restricting carbon emissions, raising taxes on the wealthy and allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

Suspend campaign promises? Progressives might start raising Cain. They voted for someone who can deal with issues and an economic crisis simultaneously. Loser McCain said "there will be more wars, my friend." And regarding Iran's nuclear capabilities, Obama plans to move quickly. Who's pulling his strings or did he pull the public's during his "change" campaign? Now Change means No Change from W.

Progressive Website Misses Obama's NeoCon Appointment

One might expect a progressive website to note the appointment of neoconservative as President Obama's Special Middle East & Iran Adviser. The region warrants considerable mention in the Project for the New American Century paper "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century." It served as Bush's bloody playbook for international security.

But ThinkProgress chose not to share what Bloomberg, the Financial Times and Haaretz reported. Dennis Ross will become the President's top adviser for zones where PNAC'ers recommend making more war. This lack of attention is magnified by Ross' service as a trust advisory board member for the I. Lewis Libby Defense Fund.

Obama's PNAC'er Adviser on Middle East, Iran

President elect Barack Obama will appoint Dennis Ross as his top adviser for the Middle East and Iran. What's surprising about this move? It's not change. Ross is a member of the Project for the New American Century, the neo-conservative group that shaped Bush's disastrous, heavy handed foreign policy the last eight years.

Ross co-founded the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a group sponsored by AIPAC, the American-Israel lobbying group. The Institute's advisory board is heavily populated with NeoCons.

Now Change means, "No Change from W."

Hamas Carrot Snatched, UN pushes PA for Gaza, Rice Spits on Dead

To save Gaza, Israel had to destroy it. Hamas needed removal to implement that super secret two state agreement. Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair mentioned a deal in early December.

Yesterday's story, that low level Obama representatives might meet with Hamas, turned out to be wrong. At least the Jerusalem Post gave that indication:

Obama won't deal with Hamas, 'Post' told

The incoming Obama administration will not abandon US President George W. Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas, the chief national security spokesperson of the Obama transition team has told The Jerusalem Post.

Proof that removal of Hamas from Gaza came from the latest UN cease fire effort. It would establish the Palestinian Authority, i.e. Fatah, as the power for Gaza.

'UN drafting ceasefire plan that would reinstate PA in Gaza'

A day after a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire was dismissed by both Israel and the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip, a new plan was being hatched to reinstitute the Palestinian Authority on the Gaza-Egypt border, according to a report in a British paper.

The horror of 1.5 million civilians trapped in a stinking, charnel house was noted by U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice. Her compassion ranks with Madeline Albright's concern for 500,000 dead Iraqi children, as a result of U.S. policies. "The price was worth it."

Rice: Civilian casualties hard to avoid

The United States on Friday expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, but officials blamed Hamas for Palestinian suffering and said it was difficult for the Israeli military to avoid civilian casualties.

"It is very difficult in a circumstance like Gaza, which is a very densely populated area," to protect civilians.

It's difficult to leave planes, loaded with cluster bombs, white phosphorous and DIME bombs, on the ground. It's brutally hard not to herd civilians into a house and bomb it the next day. It's Bush brush clearing hard to shell a UN school, lie about it, and later admit they lied. It's hard to maintain a two year siege in a time of war. Do you know how difficult it is to keep the International Red Cross out of bombed areas for four straight days? During that time how many mothers died, with their emaciated young children standing sentry?

What's lacking from the Gaza conflict, according to Christiane Amanpour? Mile long lines of civilians fleeing the fighting. The Bush administration helped plan and arm Israel's Gaza incursion. Did it craft their psychological operations? The United States, my country, is responsible for war crimes, using the same agency logic it applies to terrorists. The fair price to pay should be a concern of leaders using heavy handed, violent methods to gain advantage in their hypercompetitive aims.

Bush: Unseer, Not a Diviner

Eight years of President George W. Bush produced surprise after surprise after surprise. Not only did no one see them coming, responses often were haphazard and unfocused.

1. 9-11 got us Iraq
2. Hurricane Katrina produced a report with no mention of the hospital with the highest patient death toll
3. September's financial implosion produced a record round of Bush corporafornication

Thus the Bush Library has choices for the library's overall theme. I offer two options:

a. Bush was "an Unseer, not a Diviner"
b. How to turn the world's lone superpower into a third world nation in just eight years

I'm sure they're more.

Israel's Intent: Steamroll Hamas & Free Shalit

The Senate resolution on Gaza provided more hints at Israel's true aim, denuding Hamas and freeing captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Harry Reid introduced the bill with this statement:

When we pass this resolution, the U.S. Senate will strengthen its historic bond with the State of Israel, by reaffirming Israel's inalienable right to defend against attacks from Gaza as well as our support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Why didn't Harry mention Israel's seige of 1.5 million people, most not Hamas? Does he know about Israel's use of cluster bombs, white phosphorous, and DIME bombs? Has Reid heard the Israeli military herded Palestinian refugees into a house, only to bomb it a day later? Or the IDF lied about shoots fired from the United Nations school to justify shelling that killed dozens of innocent people. How about blocking rescue efforts of the wounded for days?

Harry Reid and the U.S. Senate mentioned none of these points in their resolution, which read like an AIPAC position statement. The bipartisan Congress is a Fox on Israel, fair and balanced.