Obama's foreign failings put U.S. at greater risk - I

Then there are matters experts wish the president hadn't touched upon, for instance, offering up Sino-American cooperation in space, where China is taking steps to challenge the U.S. for military supremacy.

And others are worried about assisting the Chinese civilian aircraft industry. Making their civilian airliners safer could benefit their military aircraft, too, which could be used against our armed forces — not to mention that Beijing is starting to export jet trainers and fighters, competing with the U.S. defense industry for customers.

There was also no noticeable traction with China on efforts to roll back North Korea's nuclear program, especially important as Beijing has more influence in Pyongyang than any other capital.

Indeed, there has been no progress since Obama entered office in dealing with nettlesome North Korea. With a nuclear and a long-range missile test already, Pyongyang has challenged Washington more in this administration's first year than all eight of the Bush administration.

Nor, arguably more urgent, was the president able to get his Chinese counterpart, President Hu Jintao, to take tougher measures on preventing Iran from joining the Mushroom Cloud Club.

Tehran Trouble

At the beginning of his term in office, Obama went out of his way to extend an unclenched fist toward Iran's mullahs, testing Tehran's diplomatic intentions and offering a new start for the long-tortured, bilateral relationship. But instead of reciprocating, Iran's theocrats have done little more than slap that outstretched hand away — repeatedly — meaning there has been no progress on the front-burner issue of Iran's nuclear program.

Fact is that after a year with Obama at the helm of the ship of state, Iran hasn't halted its nuclear program but, instead, now has enough enriched uranium on hand to make at least one nuclear weapon. Yet as of the late fall, the Obama administration still wants to give the tyrants in Tehran more time to see the error of their ways. That's just not likely, considering Tehran's 20-plus years of denial and deception over its nuclear program.

This “What, me worry?” attitude has interested parties increasingly on edge as they await the day Iran, a country that calls for the destruction of Israel and the U.S. and is the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism, goes nuclear.

One might even expect that U.S. - Israeli relations would be tighter these days, considering the mutual atomic ayatollah threat. But no, instead ties are the worst they've been in, estimably, decades, making progress on Middle East Peace Process even less likely.

And where was the leader of the Free World when Iranians were demonstrating — and dying — for liberty on Tehran's streets this year? Mostly dithering with talking points, trying not to appear to be “meddling,” as the president put it. At one rally this fall, according to press reports, an anti-government protestor carried a sign, directed at President Obama: “Either you're with them [the Iranian government] or you're with us.”

Acting boldly and decisively doesn't seem to be in this administration's DNA, as Afghanistan commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal waited three months before Obama acted on the general's proposed strategy.

As maddening as that sort of delay and uncertainty is for U.S. troops and NATO and Coalition allies and encouraging for the nation's foes, there is another nagging problem.

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