{President Obama got slammed on his Syria inaction \u2014 with an Al Arabiya interviewer asking if it will go down as his Rwanda \u2014 and claimed yet again that he disposed of Assad\u2019s chemical weapons in a sit-down interview after his Camp David summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.}<\/p>\n
When asked exactly what he meant by vowing to come to the military aid of Gulf countries if needed, Obama went straight to citing an action of President George H.W. Bush: \u201cWe\u2019ve seen in the past what happened in Kuwait when Saddam invaded.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obama divided the aid into \u201ctraditional\u201d military assistance, such as joint exercises and assessing military capability, and non-traditional issues such as distinguishing terrorism from \u201clegitimate political activities.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked why he wouldn\u2019t put his assurances to the Gulf countries in writing, Obama replied that \u201cthe treaty process is very cumbersome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt requires congressional approval and it\u2019s not necessary in this situation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Al Arabiya Washington correspondent Nadia Bilbassy noted that the security arrangement discussed with the GCC does not confront the true nature of the Iranian threat, to which Obama told her, \u201cWell, actually it does.\u201d<\/p>\n
He offered as an example \u201cmaking sure Iran is not pouring arms into Yemen \u2026obviously there\u2019s a long history of political instability inside of Yemen and their own indigenous history inside of Yemen,\u201d but if Iran starts threatening the Saudi border \u201cthat then becomes a source of concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep in mind the United States has been very clear that a nuclear-armed Iran would be potentially even more reckless and dangerous and so it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s interest to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon and that we provide a pathway for Iran to engage in positive behavior, commerce and trade and education and scientific exchange. That\u2019s the path that we hope they take,\u201d Obama said.<\/p>\n
He added that \u201cjust because we\u2019re able to resolve the nuclear issue\u201d doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t the problem of Iran\u2019s state sponsorship of terrorism and \u201ctheir potential for mischief.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bilbassy asked if Obama was just engaging in a \u201cwishful strategy\u201d with the Iran deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a wishful strategy,\u201d he replied. \u201c\u2026 We cannot simply trust the Iranians to abide by the deal, it has to be verifiable.\u201d He said the verification process \u201cextends for a very, very long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOften you talk about Iran with admiration,\u201d his interviewer noted, asking him if he\u2019s thus putting down the Sunni countries in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cAl Arabiya\u2019s going to have to do a better job delivering my message,\u201d Obama shot back. \u201cOur closest friends in the region are the Gulf countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people believe that Syria is your Rwanda, it might haunt you for years to come \u2014 more than 200,000 people dead, 9 million people displaced, the worst humanitarian crisis in the 21st century. Are we going to see the end of the bloodshed before you leave office, Mr. President?\u201d Bilbassy asked.<\/p>\n
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