Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the United Nations.
This is the first time in a decade that Putin has visited the U.N. and said U.S. interventions and unilateralism have backfired in the Middle East, and it is time to try something that will work.
Putin took particular aim at Obama’s involvement in Iraq and Libya:
[Your involvement] fostered a power vacuum filled with ‘extremists and terrorists.’
‘Do you realize NOW what you’ve done?’
Putin is strongly inferring that Obama’s interventions in Iraq and Libya created terrorist groups such as ISIS (ISIL, Islamic State).
Putin called for a ministerial conference and then a U.N. resolution to reorient strategy against ISIS, even though many U.S. observers believe his real aim is to prioritize attacks against rebels opposed to al-Assad and to thwart U.S. aspirations in a region in which Obama has shown little appetite of becoming embroiled.
While thousands die, all Obama cares about is defending his legacy
Obama appeared particularly contemptuous of Putin, mocking “state-controlled media” notions of a revived Russia. He said Ukrainians wanted to align with Europe not Moscow and pointed out that sanctions had led to a “fallen ruble and the emigration of more educated Russians.”
“History is littered with the failure of false prophets and fallen empires, who believed that might always makes right, and that will continue to be the case. You can count on that,” Obama said.
Republican candidate Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) said back in April, 2015 that only things President Obama cares about are “his legacy and his library, the two L’s.” , saying, “Iran moving towards a nuclear weapon, Syria on fire, video on fire, Egypt under martial law, troubles all across the world, Vladimir Putin charging into eastern Europe. People around the world know the reason for this is because the same thing that the people in the United States know, that we have a weak president, who has weakened our country, and they are taking advantage of that in every way they possibly can. We can no longer afford to have weakness in the Oval Office.”
