US president Barack Obama.  Michael Reynolds / EPA
US president Barack Obama. Michael Reynolds / EPA

Obama and the crushing failure of his leadership



As the world looks on at the horrors of Aleppo and the recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra by ISIL, commentary by global leaders has not been in short supply. The United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, has said that “Aleppo is now a synonym for hell”, and that Syria represents “a gaping hole in the world’s conscience”.

Barack Obama joined in at his last press conference. He placed the blame squarely on Bashar Al Assad and his allies, Russia and Iran, but added that he would always feel some personal responsibility too.

Harsh though it may be, I would say yes: he certainly should. For whereas the ability of Mr Ban to bring an end to the Syrian civil war was limited, given the lack of unity in the UN Security Council, Mr Obama did have the power to intervene decisively, but chose not to do so. And a sin of omission can be just as bad as a sin of commission.

This goes back to the start of the conflict, when optimism that Mr Al Assad was sure to fall quickly was seriously misplaced. It became clear very soon that there were in fact only two serious options.

The first meant proper backing for the Syrian opposition: no fly zones, serious military assistance, and almost certainly Western boots on the ground. This would have constituted a clear determination to boot out Mr Al Assad, and would have required working very closely with Arab states to ensure that the action was seen to have regional legitimacy and didn't seem like another ill-conceived external intervention.

Mr Obama appeared to acknowledge this at the press conference, when he said: “Unless we were all in and willing to take over Syria, we were going to have problems. Everything else was tempting because we wanted to do something and it sounded like the right thing to do, but it was going to be impossible to do this on the cheap.”

But here is the problem. The only viable alternative to going “all in” was to do nothing at all. It was to be grimly realistic about the balance of, and the determination to cling to, power in Syria.

That second option – to do nothing – was to recognise that Mr Al Assad had no reason to give in, that he would fight to the end or close to it, and that forces loyal to the regime were significant, not least the religious and ethnic minorities who feared a Sunni dominated government. On this view, Mr Al Assad always had to be a part of the solution.

Both were hard choices. Mr Obama, alas, avoided both of them.

He tried to steer an in-between course that has led us to where we are today. He offered enough support to the opposition – that is, when the US could identify which rebels it found acceptable – to give them hope, but nothing like the assistance necessary for them to make a difference on the ground.

Other efforts to help have been farcical. When Gen Lloyd Austin, commander of US central command, was asked by the Senate armed services committee in 2015 how many Syrians had graduated from a programme to train them to fight ISIL, and were now actively doing so, he replied: “We're talking four or five.” The programme was scrapped the following month.

The abandonment of Mr Obama's “red line” over the use of chemical weapons in Syria contributed further to the impression that his administration lacked resolve and conviction – and not just in Syria. US guarantees around the world were then viewed as being somewhat less than ironclad, for as the Wall Street Journal remarked over the weekend: “There never seem to be foreign policy consequences in this administration.”

That is not entirely fair. In many ways Mr Obama is a likeable and admirable character – intellectual, more clear-eyed about culture and religion, and more instinctively tolerant than most of his contemporaries in US politics. His early efforts to reach out to the Islamic world were particularly commendable, coming from a leader whose middle name is Hussein and who has constantly had to battle false accusations that he was not born in America and that he is in fact a Muslim (not regarded as a plus by a majority in his country).

He has been admirably pragmatic in dealing with many allies, stressing human rights issues far less in public than other Democratic party leaders would have done, perhaps realising from his childhood in Asia that finger wagging lectures from superpowers are more likely to antagonise governments of developing countries and that pressure is more likely to be effective if applied privately.

But in terms of Syria he has tried to have it every way and succeeded in none.

America's line should have been clear. Instead it was completely hazy. If he had chosen one of the two courses above the situation would have been resolved much more quickly and with far less loss of life.

Whatever the rest of us think, Mr Obama still believes in American leadership. On Syria he showed far too little. Well intentioned he may have been, but if Syria is seen as a black mark on his legacy it will be well deserved. Yes, Mr President: you are responsible.

Sholto Byrnes is a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia

Brief scoreline:

Al Wahda 2

Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'

Al Nassr 3

Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'

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AT4 Ultimate, as tested

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Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
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Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
  • Floor Standing - Dh495
  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
  • Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
  • Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
  • Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
  • Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
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SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

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Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Results

Stage seven

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s

General Classification

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s

One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.

 

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From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines

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World Cup warm-up fixtures

Friday, May 24:

  • Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
  • Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)

Saturday, May 25

  • England v Australia (Southampton)
  • India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)

Sunday, May 26

  • South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
  • Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)

Monday, May 27

  • Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
  • England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)

Tuesday, May 28

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  • Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe. 

"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.

Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.

"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.