by
Joel B. Pollak
Obama offers thanks to the Emir of
Qatar--showboating some rather halting Arabic skills in addressing "His
Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani"--and praising the inspiring
democratic example of the Arab Spring, which happened to leave the
absolute monarchy of Qatar untouched.
He also offers support for
his envoys, including Attorney General Eric Holder, who is attending the
Arab Forum conference as the chief U.S. representative. The Arab
Forum's goal is to recover assets stolen by formerly autocratic regimes,
including Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. (But not Qatar.)
The video, posted on the
White House YouTube channel today, makes no mention of 9/11, the rise of
the Muslim Brotherhood, or the role of Qatar-based Al Jazeera in
broadcasting radical anti-American propaganda. And while offering
support for democratic change, Obama neglects to ask the Emir to step
aside.
Ironically, Obama caused a scandal last year when CBS News caught him criticizing the Emir of Qatar
after reporters had left a fundraiser in Chicago: "He is a big booster,
a big promoter of democracy all throughout the Middle East...He himself
is not reforming significantly. There is no big move towards democracy
in Qatar."
Obama has evidently chosen to make up for the insult--by insulting fellow Americans on 9/11.
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