Obama Is Not a George W. Bush

Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 9 September 2013
by Andreas Schwarzkopf (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Maxi Benndorf-Brown. Edited by Brent Landon.
The United States’ persistence toward Syria’s leader Bashar al-Assad has persuaded Russia to give in. That gives us hope. However, those who criticize Obama and his threat of punitive actions will merely disparage his approach, as they have before.

The Obama administration is still trying everything to avert a military intervention in Syria. There is no other way to assess Secretary of State John Kerry’s advance that Assad merely has to hand over Syria’s chemical weapons to avoid an attack. This persistent approach finally caused Moscow to give in. That gives us hope.

However, those who criticize Obama and his threat of punitive actions will merely disparage his approach, as they have before. They are piling on accusations: He was weak when he asked Congress for his endorsement, even though he was actually following democratic rules. He lied regarding the evidence, like his predecessor George W. Bush did when he sent his secretary of state to the U.N. to justify the war in Iraq. But in fact Obama chose not to verify several accusations brought up by Assad’s opponents. What would have happened if Bush had taken the course of action that Obama has previous to the war in Iraq? An armed engagement would have been avoided.

It is easy to lose sight of the actual dilemma. How are we supposed to treat a leader who used one of the most outlawed weapons against his own people? This is a question the most powerful man in this world needs to answer. He is not to be envied.


Obama ist nicht George W. Bush

Das beharrliche Vorgehen der USA gegenüber Syriens Machthaber Assad hat Russland dazu bewegt, einzulenken. Das lässt hoffen. Allerdings werden die Kritiker Obamas und dessen angedrohter Strafaktion auch diesmal wieder nur sein Vorgehen madig machen.

Die Obama-Administration lässt nichts unversucht, die Militärintervention in Syrien noch abzuwenden. Nicht anders ist der Vorstoß von US-Außenminister Kerry zu werten, wonach Diktator Assad die syrischen Chemiewaffen nur abgeben müsste, um eine Intervention zu verhindern. Dieses beharrliche Vorgehen hat nun Moskau dazu bewegt, einzulenken. Das lässt hoffen.

Allerdings werden die Kritiker des US-Präsidenten und dessen angedrohter Strafaktion wieder nur sein Vorgehen madig machen. Was werfen sie ihm nicht alles vor: Er sei schwach, wenn er den Kongress um Zustimmung bittet, obwohl er sich an demokratische Spielregeln hält. Er lüge bei den Beweisen wie Vorgänger Bush, als dieser seinen Außenminister zu den Vereinten Nationen schickte, um den Irak-Krieg zu rechtfertigen. Dabei hat Obama viele Anschuldigungen der Assad-Gegner ungeprüft verstreichen lassen. Was wäre wohl geschehen, hätte Bush vor dem Irak-Krieg gehandelt wie Obama jetzt? Der Waffengang wäre ausgeblieben.

Das eigentliche Dilemma gerät schon mal aus dem Blick. Wie soll ein Machthaber behandelt werden, der wohl eine geächtete Waffe gegen sein Volk eingesetzt hat? Diese Frage wird der mächtigste Mann der Welt beantworten müssen. Er ist nicht zu beneiden.
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