Obama's no-show in Asia a boost for China

I AM NOT THAT GUY · October 5, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's decision to scrap his Asia trip is a setback for his much-advertised pledge to shift the focus of foreign policy to the Pacific and a boost for China's attempt to gain influence in the region.
By staying home because of the partial government shutdown, Obama hands new Chinese leader Xi Jinping a chance to fill the void at two Asian summits Obama had planned to attend. It's the third time since 2010 that Obama has cancelled an Asia trip, all because of domestic political crises.

Washington's budget crisis has reached the point where the White House felt compelled to skip Asia, giving Obama room to work with Congress on reopening the government. Had Obama left to attend the meetings, it would have given weight to critics who have said he's more willing to negotiate with foreign leaders than the speaker of the House.

Secretary of State John Kerry will represent him at the summits in Indonesia and Brunei.

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The situation works for China, which is rapidly modernizing its armed forces and boosting its regional influence. Xi has been visiting Indonesia and Malaysia this week to improve Beijing's reputation at a time when its aggressive stance on territorial issues has strained ties with some countries in southeast Asia. Washington's acute political paralysis gives Xi a freer hand to become the big presence in the room.

"It shows that China has a functional government and America doesn't at the moment," said Kerry Brown, a China expert at the University of Sydney in Australia. "It's just another sign that America is kind of losing its luster, losing its status."

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In Indonesia earlier this week, lawmakers applauded after Xi became the first foreign leader to address Parliament — this in a country where Obama lived as a child. Xi's call for greater cooperation began with an informal greeting in the local Bahasa Indonesian language — a rare display of oratorical skill for a Chinese leader.

Then Xi went to Malaysia, where he and his wife met Prime Minister Najib Razak and received a ceremonial welcome at Parliament on Friday that included a military honor guard and 21-gun salute.

In Indonesia, Xi signed deals worth billions of dollars, while in Malaysia, he agreed to boost military cooperation and training to fight transnational crime and terrorism.

Experts in Asia said Obama's no-show weakens U.S. leadership globally.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20131004/AS--Asia-Obama-Xi/

RGinWA · October 5, 2013

Obama just can't get back to that coveted #1 spot in the world...first Russia and now China?

It's only the federal government shut down. It's not like it's anything important.

I AM NOT THAT GUY · October 5, 2013

Maybe Putin and Xi are better at this neo-commie world domination thing than Obama is. I see they are giving Putin the peace prize this time. Evidently, all of Obama's childhood indoctrination in Mao-Lenin-Marxism were wasted on a guy that just wanted to smoke pot and have a good time chasing skirts.

Peikko · October 5, 2013

Clearly Obama engineered the govmint shutdown to get out of going to the Asia summit. He's a clever little coward!

Now, I know Putin has been nominated for the nobel by some weirdo russian sect but does someone have a crystal ball? Not that I think Obama deserved the nod either, he didn't but Putin? I do not think so.

BatmanUSA · October 6, 2013

why didn't Obama send Biden.???

Oh, Duh... nevermind...

RGinWA · October 6, 2013

Clearly Obama engineered the govmint shutdown to get out of going to the Asia summit. He's a clever little coward!

Now, I know Putin has been nominated for the nobel by some weirdo russian sect but does someone have a crystal ball? Not that I think Obama deserved the nod either, he didn't but Putin? I do not think so.

The guy who handed out daggers to the Russian troops is getting a peace prize...welcome to bizarro world.

Karee · October 6, 2013

I have to take Obama's side on this one. Can you imagine the Fox News head explosions if he went on this trip right after he runs around claiming that the government is shut down?

(Note. The government is not shut down)

BatmanUSA · October 6, 2013

Bizzaro world was created when Obama got the Nobel Peace prize for doing nothing.....oh.. he campaigned for it....

tell everyone what they want to hear, do nothing, and then spin/hide the truth....

Bengazi, Obama.....

RGinWA · October 6, 2013

Bizzaro world was created when Obama got the Nobel Peace prize for doing nothing.....oh.. he campaigned for it....

tell everyone what they want to hear, do nothing, and then spin/hide the truth....

Bengazi, Obama.....

With this logic...

1. Benghazi embassy attacked on foreign soil, resulting in 4 dead. And you attribute this as Obama's major blunder and he's criminally negligent?

2. On 9/11/2001 an attack on 4 ea US targets. The result being 2,996 deaths on the initial day of attacks and 100,000 or more dead as a direct result. Yet this is not Bush's fault?

Makes PERFECT sense...that is if you throw logic and reason out the window.

The Benghazi incident isn't even remotely close to the abysmal leadership failure surrounding 9/11...yet Republican's still want "benghazi" investigated?

A hint, Benghazi was a US front for an illegal CIA operation and the parties involved (including the diplomat who stayed "willingly" on site) in this operation without question knew of the imminent danger involved in their covert activity.

The victims of 9/11 are the casualties of a president NOT acting one iota, even after being briefed with the verified threat of "terrorist flying planes into buildings".

But please continue rolling out the 4 dead as the most egregious misdeed of a president. If so, you need to have Mr. Bush charged with incompetence immediately. The facts surrounding his inaction on 9/11 have never been disputed. Yet you're still shrieking Benghazi? Simply stunning...

BatmanUSA · October 6, 2013

Wow... I only commented about Obama receiving the Nobel peace prize considering he really didn't do anything to earn it..

Please.. tell me what he did to earn it.!!!

1) I never said anything about Bengazi being Obama"s major political blunder (we know he has much more than that), and I certainly didn't say Obama was criminally negligent (thanks for putting words in my mouth).. I simply stated that the truth was withheld.., Yes the Ambassador stayed willingly, but you failed to mention that he had repeatedly asked for additional security and he was denied by Secretary Clinton..

and I never mentioned 9/11/01

2) you are absolutely correct and I will not argue with you, 9/11/01 was President Bush's fault, and I am a racist....(sic)...

Please explain why you blame President Bush for the tragedy of 9/11/01, and you do seem to not blame or hold accountable the muslim terrorists who carried out this attack.??.. simply stunning.... and since you want to highlight your insight about previous presidents and what they did and did not do... can you tell us why, when President Clinton had an opportunity to get Bin Laden, he simply, let him go.???

BatmanUSA · October 6, 2013

Oh...

you said the Bengazi embassy was on foreign soil..

when did this happen.???

I thought that US embassies were considered American soil...

RGinWA · October 6, 2013

Wow... I only commented about Obama receiving the Nobel peace prize considering he really didn't do anything to earn it..

Please.. tell me what he did to earn it.!!!

1) I never said anything about Bengazi being Obama"s major political blunder (we know he has much more than that), and I certainly didn't say Obama was criminally negligent (thanks for putting words in my mouth).. I simply stated that the truth was withheld.., Yes the Ambassador stayed willingly, but you failed to mention that he had repeatedly asked for additional security and he was denied by Secretary Clinton..

and I never mentioned 9/11/01

2) you are absolutely correct and I will not argue with you, 9/11/01 was President Bush's fault, and I am a racist....(sic)...

Please explain why you blame President Bush for the tragedy of 9/11/01, and you do seem to not blame or hold accountable the muslim terrorists who carried out this attack.??.. simply stunning.... and since you want to highlight your insight about previous presidents and what they did and did not do... can you tell us why, when President Clinton had an opportunity to get Bin Laden, he simply, let him go.???

Since the entire operation in Benghazi was not only covert, but involved in circumventing normal channels of cooperation within that country, how do we really know what Clinton really did or did not do? The illegal way that they were attempting to obtain weapons was not something Clinton would be approving or ever be directly involved in. It's pure CIA boots on the ground black ops, they don't want political appointees involved for obvious reasons... one being plausible deniability and secondly they've got nothing operationally to offer.

First off, you can't ask for additional forces while attempting to remain covert and supposedly still acting as a diplomat...which I seriously doubt he was even in that country for. You don't just accidentally become a spy involved in CIA operations overnight.

I imagine nobody in the White house was privy to this intel initially because they would have not made statements that they initially made.

On the peace prize:

He received the peace prize because electing a black man as the leader of the free world gave many many people all over the world hope and a sense that the world was changing in a positive way towards all people of all races.

Obviously many in this country still haven't got that memo.

RGinWA · October 6, 2013

Oh...

you said the Bengazi embassy was on foreign soil..

when did this happen.???

I thought that US embassies were considered American soil...

It was the embassy annex...which I do not think was the actual embassy nor sovereign soil.

And thanks for the attempt at splitting international hairs.

I guess the World Trade Centers in New York City and an Embassy Annex in Benghazi are almost identical in your mind? Of course...what was I thinking?

BatmanUSA · October 6, 2013

honestly I do not know what the difference is between an embassy and an embassy annex.. do you.??

I guess you agree 100% with secretary Clinton when she said, "what difference does it make"....

How sad when some Americans do not care that its citizens are attacked, tortured and killed, even when the President has intel in advance of an attack.... but Like you said, Bush did the same thing, so its all ok.??

Thank you for admitting that Obama won the Nobel peace price just because he was the first mulit-racial American President.... Thank you for admitting that his only accomplishment was "giving hope to the world"... as I said, he really didn't do anything to deserve it....(doesn't every newborn baby give hope to the world?)

You said the entire operation in Bengazi was covert..... but all the local people knew it was an American embassy..

The fact remains that they did ask for additional security... Ambassador Stevens was an official recognized diplomat in the country to represent America..

You can't even say his name...

The US secretary to the UN, Mrs Rice, was briefed by the white house prior to going on the talk shows.. The white house, the Obama administration lied to her..

If they had nothing operational to offer, how did the personnel in Bengazi know who to call for military support.? why was it denied.??..

and this whole conversation was started simply because I said Obama didn't earn the Nobel Peace Prize, and that he spinned the truth about Bengazi....

Thank you for helping me make my point...

RGinWA · October 6, 2013

honestly I do not know what the difference is between an embassy and an embassy annex.. do you.??

I guess you agree 100% with secretary Clinton when she said, "what difference does it make"....

How sad when some Americans do not care that its citizens are attacked, tortured and killed, even when the President has intel in advance of an attack.... but Like you said, Bush did the same thing, so its all ok.??

Thank you for admitting that Obama won the Nobel peace price just because he was the first mulit-racial American President.... Thank you for admitting that his only accomplishment was "giving hope to the world"... as I said, he really didn't do anything to deserve it....(doesn't every newborn baby give hope to the world?)

You said the entire operation in Bengazi was covert..... but all the local people knew it was an American embassy..

The fact remains that they did ask for additional security... Ambassador Stevens was an official recognized diplomat in the country to represent America..

You can't even say his name...

The US secretary to the UN, Mrs Rice, was briefed by the white house prior to going on the talk shows.. The white house, the Obama administration lied to her..

If they had nothing operational to offer, how did the personnel in Bengazi know who to call for military support.? why was it denied.??..

and this whole conversation was started simply because I said Obama didn't earn the Nobel Peace Prize, and that he spinned the truth about Bengazi....

Thank you for helping me make my point...

See below about the "criteria" used to designate a winner. You realize a "peace prize" is not like getting a high SAT score or graduating from rehab.

But keep whining about Obama...I suppose you consider being elected president of the United States and NOT coming from money, well that's not a great achievement? Come on, he's just better than all of you...embrace your inferiority. Nobody you will ever know will achieve anything close to that.

As funny as it is, most of the people that hate President Obama couldn't even get a job delivering the Harvard Law review...all while he was the editor of it.

But you all keep dreaming that you're so much more entitled and he's not qualified...lol. Sorry, those days are coming to an end. You are not a special snowflake. Get use to it.

The Nobel Peace Prize 2013

The 2013 Nobel Peace Prize has not been awarded yet. It will be announced on Friday 11 October, 11:00 a.m. CET.

The Nobel Peace Prize 2012 European Union (EU)

"for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2011 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman

"for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2010 Liu Xiaobo

"for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2009 Barack H. Obama

"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2008 Martti Ahtisaari

"for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr.

"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2006 Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank

"for their efforts to create economic and social development from below"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2005 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Mohamed ElBaradei

"for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2004 Wangari Muta Maathai

"for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2003 Shirin Ebadi

"for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2002 Jimmy Carter

"for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2001 United Nations (U.N.) and Kofi Annan

"for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world"

The Nobel Peace Prize 2000 Kim Dae-jung

"for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular"

The Nobel Peace Prize 1999 Médecins Sans Frontières

"in recognition of the organization's pioneering humanitarian work on several continents"

The Nobel Peace Prize 1998 John Hume and David Trimble

"for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland"

The Nobel Peace Prize 1997 International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and Jody Williams

"for their work for the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines"

The Nobel Peace Prize 1996 Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and José Ramos-Horta

"for their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor"

The Nobel Peace Prize 1995 Joseph Rotblat and Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs

"for their efforts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms"

The Nobel Peace Prize 1994 Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin

"for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East"