US President Barack Obama made hundreds of promises during his 2008 Presidential Campaign.Watchdog organisation Politifact has been keeping track of Obama's promises and put the list at a staggering 506.
As most politicians would know, and most level-headed citizens would expect, it is not possible to fulfill all campaign promises and Obama is no different from the rest but Obama is also not what he is.
I am not concerned with what he promised the American people on the domestic front but with what he promised the world he would do to improve decades of American belligerent foreign policy that have wrecked untold miseries on the rest of the world particularly the US initiated wars that have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians in mostly Muslim nations.
The Afghan War began in 2001 when America commenced its war on terror as retribution for 9/11.Hardly 2 years later it invaded Iraq under the pretext of dismantling Saddam Hussein's WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) which later was found to be a big lie perpetuated by the US and her close ally Britain to justify the invasion of Iraq.
It is now over a decade and the US is no where near winning the two wars.The contagion of war has even spread to Pakistan where the Talibans have regrouped and more determined then ever to drive the American out of Afghanistan and put an end to its military influence over the Pakistani government, which has become a beggar's state, a failed state and not able to resist American aids in exchange for its soul.
For the last century the US has reversed its own "Monroe Doctrine" (the restraining of European powers from continuing hegemonic influence and control over the Americas) using military intervention in any trouble spots, anywhere around the globe that they deemed might endanger American global interests, without due consideration for the massive collateral damages they might inflict on the country concerned. Their military excursions had taken them to the Korean War,the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Afghan War and the Iraq War not taking into consideration other skirmishes and stealthy wars in some Latin America countries.
The biggest torn in the Islamic world is the Palestinian issue. Since its abrogation as a state and the making of a Jewish state in 1948 by the Western powers the issue of an independent Palestinian state have been sidelined by every US President in favour of Israel.The Palestinians are in complete limbo because the big guns are on the side of Israel.
Obama made a number of universal promises which are listed below and which he has clearly failed to fulfill.
1.Guantanamo Bay
Within days of his inauguration, Obama signed executive orders to close down the military prison within one year and to end torture in interrogation.
Gitmo is still operating and torture of prisoners are still on the suspect list.
FAILED!
2.Iraq
He promised to end the war in Iraq in 16 months and to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by August 2010 and remaining troops by end of 2011.
For almost a decade of American occupation the country remained a war zone with highest probability of returning back to sectarian violence the moment US troops left Iraq.There are 3 more months remaining to the dateline.
FAILED!
3.Palestine/Israel States
He made a promise to make sustained push for the existence of two states - a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state.
The Israeli government as usual is the spoiler of any peace negotiation, resisted Obama's calls to stop settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.Construction freeze was a condition set by the Palestinians for the peace talk.Like all past presidents the talk remained a talk ending up in a deadlock because the President can only provides lip service, have no sincere intention of creating a Palestinian state.
FAILED!
During the campaign period in 2008 Obama was nothing less but impressive.His oratory skill was intensely felt by those watching him speaking, his style immaculate and his extemporaneous speeches gave air of confidence. The American people, overtly impressed, voted him as president.Still in the honeymoon period, by January 2009 his approval rating jumped to 69 %, by August 2011 declined to 38 % and the latest rating hovering around 41 %.
I was personally impressed by Obama's messianic orations during the 2008 campaign period and was hoping he would be elected. I now realised he, not unlike our Anwar Ibrahim, is just a smooth "Yes, we can" talker and a non-performer.
His lack of purpose, lack of direction and lack of leadership made his administration slow on action losing precious moment initiating major reforms domestically and in its foreign policy.
His bumbling and slow response to the Gulf oil spill which has caused major environmental disaster was a picture of his slowness and incompetence.His expended war effort in Afghanistan has failed so miserably even his General in charge of operation openly admits "nobody is winning" the war.
Though, the American people are more concerned with domestic affairs and don't really care about America's foreign policy, let's hope this man don't get re-elected for another wasteful term.
Since Jimmy Carter he would probably be the next biggest Democratic disappointment in the White House.
