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发帖数: 29846 | 1 Posted 04/18/2012 06:34 PM ET
Special Relationship: As Argentina marshals diplomatic support for its claim
on Britain's Falklands Islands, the best President Obama can declare in
response is U.S. "neutrality." It's an insult to our top ally — and trouble
for us.
One can only wonder what an irresponsible Evita Peron wannabe like
Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner must think when she
sees the shabby way President Obama treats America's leading ally, the
United Kingdom.
At the weekend's Summit of the Americas, President Obama reiterated U.S. "
neutrality" toward Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands, the Atlantic
islands under the British flag for 180 years, and the site of a 1982 war
where Britain had to defend them from Argentina. At the time, the U.S. and
Chile provided key help.
Obama's neutrality wasn't even that, though.
At the summit he attempted to use the Argentine term Malvinas, but mangled
the term to "Maldives."
Not only does that show contempt for the U.S. "special relationship" with
Britain, it bodes ill for the future.
Obama's failure to show U.S. leadership in the region, along with his
decision to limit U.S. oil output, are triggering aggressive moves to energy
resources.
Argentina under Fernandez is a fresh new troublemaker acting up badly on
energy issues, this week seizing Spanish oil company Repsol-YPF to whip up
nationalist sentiment and distract from her own mismanagement — the same
causes of the 1982 Falklands invasion.
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Unlike the generals, she's cleverly marshaling global opinion to checkmate
Britain in international forums.
At the recent Summit of the Americas, she tried to get every nation to sign
a statement affirming Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands. Only U.S.
opposition to an unrelated Cuba passage in the statement kept it from
passing. Still, U.S. neutrality serves her purpose well.
The U.S. should be concerned about this bid to harm the U.K. because it's an
ally, but also because it's stoking a new race to seize resources as oil
prices rise.
Fernandez's effort to isolate Britain and seize the Falklands is all about
grabbing the oil-rich waters around it.
Echoes of this are found in resurgence of Peru's Shining Path terrorists,
who are kidnapping oil workers — the same grab. With China adding Argentina
to its list of nations it seeks an oil monopoly on, the game is clear.
The U.S. gains nothing from isolating itself from its best friend Britain,
but lays the ground for new conflicts over energy. Obama's neutral stance is
cowardice and irresponsibility that will bite us in the end. And all
because he cannot respect our dearest and best ally. |
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