Bush’s Legacy; Obama’s Ability

What point will be reached as the American president Barack Obama absorbs the legacy of his predecessor Bush, and its domestic and global implications? This question seems to be premature, especially since Obama is still in the early days of his term – too early for him to feel frustration.

But a look at the legacy of the former U.S. President George W. Bush, anticipates despair and frustration sooner or later, because the consequences of this heavy legacy are many – from the global financial crisis to the unnecessary tensions with Russia and North Korea, to the Iranian nuclear crisis and the crises in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, and many other areas of the world.

However, one of the most prominent of these consequences is what is happening in Afghanistan, the country in which Bush launched his global campaign: the Taliban controls almost three quarters of the country, and NATO forces are losing one of the most important supply routes. The Taliban and its supporters in Pakistan are now able to threaten the main route for NATO supplies in Afghanistan.

The situation that has been created by NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan is serious and acute, and has become all the more difficult because of the global financial crisis; troops have been forced to fly in military and logistic supplies, especially now that the Pakistani route is no longer safe the and Kyrgyzstan has decided to close the largest U.S. military base in the region, which is the only supply hub for NATO and the Americans in Afghanistan. All of this is motivated by Russia, as revenge against the United States’ policy of moving closer to its borders.

Therefore, the only option is supply by air. Here is the problem: the cost of an air shipment is about Euro 150,000, or $190,000, and you can imagine how many shipments of water bottles alone must be made to the U.S. and NATO troops in their tanks and planes.

These are just some aspects of Bush’s legacy after he left the Oval Office. How will the world look when Obama closes the Oval Office door? Let’s wait and see.