WhatFinger


How can the United States be a role model when our president believes that bending over is more effective than standing tall

A Feckless Response



Feckless can mean irresponsible, incompetent, ineffectual, feeble, weak, futile and useless. All of the possible meanings for feckless apply to the US Government’s response to the incident involving the Qatari diplomat who Wednesday lit up on United 663 while on route to Denver.

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On Thursday, the bloggers were expressing anger at the actions of Mohammed al-Modadi, who broke two laws, first when he smoked on the plane and then when he joked about it. While the anger is justified, the greater anger should be directed at our government’s handling of the matter. I’m not talking about the law enforcement actions taken by the air marshals aboard the plane, or the decision to scramble F-16 fighter jets. Those were right on target. I’m talking about the failure of our government to ask the government of Qatar to waive al-Modadi’s diplomatic immunity so that he could be charged with the crimes he had committed. In light of the brush-off remarks made by Al Hajri, Qatar’s ambassador, Qatar would have refused to waive diplomatic immunity. The ambassador wrote that al-Modadi was “traveling to Denver on official embassy business” and “that this was a mistake.” He didn’t write that al-Modadi had made a mistake; he didn’t apologize on behalf of the government of Qatar; he didn’t write that Qatar would hold al-Modadi accountable for his actions; and he didn’t offer to compensate the United States for the expenses incurred in this incident. Instead the ambassador condoned al-Modadi’s actions, which were not a mistake but a deliberate affront to every American. Instead of being offended by al-Modadi’s actions and the Qatari ambassador’s insolent attitude, our government announced that there had been no real bomb threat, and released al-Modadi from custody. In view of the firestorm his actions created, the government of Qatar is recalling al-Modadi, but that falls short of having our government expel him from the country and list him as permanently ineligible to return to the United States. Had our government asked Qatar to waive his diplomatic immunity and upon their refusing to do so, deported al-Modadi, the United States would have been acting in accordance with our and international law. Our government had a perfect right to demand compensation as well, and given the assets subject to being frozen that Qatar holds in the US, Qatar would have quietly acquiesced. The Obama administration places great store on the results that can flow from positive engagement with the Muslim world. What reason does any nation have to feel that it must pay attention to the US if we can’t stand up for ourselves in matters as simple and straightforward as this. The Obama administration is acting as if we need Qatar so badly that we dare not offend them even when their diplomats treat our laws with impunity, and their ambassador scoffs at any hint that one of his people could possibly have done something that was rude, arrogant, insolent and offensive. In 1777, as Lafayette sailed to America to join the Continental Army, he wrote a letter to his wife explaining why he was choosing to risk his life by fighting on the side of the colonists in the American war for independence. He wrote, “The welfare of America is bound closely to the welfare of all humanity. She is to become the honored and safe asylum of liberty!” In his famous Shining City Upon a Hill speech Ronald Reagan quoted Pope Pius XII’s comment that “into the hands of America God has placed the destinies of an afflicted mankind.” Reagan concluded that speech with the words “we are today, the last best hope of man on earth.” How can the United States be a role model when our president believes that bending over is more effective than standing tall.


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Al Kaltman -- Bio and Archives

Al Kaltman is a political science professor who teaches a leadership studies course at George Washington University.  He is the author of Cigars, Whiskey and Winning: Leadership Lessons from General Ulysses S. Grant.


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