What Obama is facing.

[Preacher]

This isn't meant to be a political thread as much as it is an assessment of all the hot spots in the world he will have to deal with as soon as he gets into office.

1. India-Pakistan. This on-again off-again cold-war look-a-like seemed like it was about 24 hours from an actually war 6 years ago except for the intervention of the U.S. Both of these nations are nuclear. I fail to see how anything more than a border-skirmish between these two nations fails to go nuclear, and it is heating up again.

2. Iran. This nation is openly defiant towards the U.N. and the U.S. It is, in essence, in the same place Iraq was in the late 1990's. The only difference, is that this nation is processing and is very close to nuclear weapons, and is OPENLY flaunting them. A nuclear armed Iran changes the mideast picture WAY too much and is simply too scary to ponder.

3. The brewing Israel-Palistinian conflict is getting nasty again. Add into this conflict that nations such as Iran back Palistine, which means the unstability is funded to the hilt by a nuclear nation-state that funds terrorists. Ouch.

4. Russia is playing cold war games again. From bomber flights down the Barent sea to the invasion of Georgia as a "warning" concerning NATO, from the visits to South America to the continued centralization of power, Russia is looking more and more scary.

This president has almost as much to deal with coming into power as Reagan had. He is leading my nation. I pray for him and hope he is up to the challenge.

[revefsreleets]

That's just foreign policy. He's actually a much more domestically focused guy. I think he's pretty much assembled a team of foreign affairs experts that he's going to rubber stamp. In his defense, they are a lot more "center" then I might have expected.

The best we can hope for is a DLC/New Democrat approach (which is what Hillary SHOULD bring to the table) to foreign policy from the Obama White House. It is, IMO, the strongest and most conservative viewpoint the GOP and Democrats share.

[millwalldavey]

Originally Posted by Preacher

1. India-Pakistan. This on-again off-again cold-war look-a-like seemed like it was about 24 hours from an actually war 6 years ago except for the intervention of the U.S. Both of these nations are nuclear. I fail to see how anything more than a border-skirmish between these two nations fails to go nuclear, and it is heating up again.

The sheer multitude of persons who could be exterminated makes this one extremely scary to me....

[revefsreleets]

Originally Posted by millwalldavey

The sheer multitude of persons who could be exterminated makes this one extremely scary to me....

Detente will rule: These people aren't stupid or crazy. But it is volatile.

I'm MUCH more worried about the religious nuts in the middle east.

[Preacher]

Originally Posted by revefsreleets

Detente will rule: These people aren't stupid or crazy. But it is volatile.

I'm MUCH more worried about the religious nuts in the middle east.

But that is just it... there is SO much tension between Islam and Hinduism as well, not to mention the bad blood from from Pakistan seceding from India.

In all seriousness, I think I am most scared of this scenario. The mid east knows that if the US wants, we can release our subs to hunt and choke off all their oil exports. Furthermore, we and the west can freeze their assets.

We don't have much on India and Pakistan in that way.

[beSteelmyheart]

In my ignorance, all I have to say is..
"Jeez, what a mess"

[steelreserve]

Oh, but who even cares what kind of a job Obama does as president? Now we have HOPE.

[Godfather]

Originally Posted by smokin3000gt

Russia makes me nervous. They have been itching to throw around a mushroom cloud for a while now. Now they are sneakin around under our noses.

I'm not as worried about them. Putin is trying to restore the Russian Empire, not the Soviet Union. The key difference is that the USSR's goal was Communist world domination. Putin's more of a nationalist, and if his two brain cells ever mate he'll come to the realization that it's in the best interest of Russia to be our ally.

[Dino 6 Rings]

Plus, you know China is still chomping at the bit over Taiwan and the Japanese and Chinese are still hating on each other over fishing lanes and what not.

Africa as well, its a complete mess. No one pays attention to Africa, but its a total nightmare over there, the Congo, Sudan, Somalia, its all a mess. That is where I fear we will be sending our troops sooner than later under the UN banner.

[Dino 6 Rings]

Today's African Headlines:

http://allafrica.com/

AEP (Ghana) Ghana: Polls Close in Presidential Election
Shabelle Somalia: MPs Flee Ahead of Ethiopian Pullout
Vanguard Nigeria: Atiku to Run for Presidency Again
New Vision Central Africa: DRC Says Uganda Rebels Near Defeat
New Vision Uganda: Cabinet to Be Reshuffled?
Garowe Online Somalia: 10 Killed as Groups Clash
AEP (Ghana) Ghana: Counting Begins in Presidential Election Runoff
Garowe Online Somalia: Gunmen Kill a Member of PM Nur Adde's New Cabinet
Vanguard Nigeria: Alleged New Militant Training Camp in Niger Delta [analysis]
This Day Nigeria: Govt Deploys Military Against Armed Robbery
Leadership Nigeria: Atiku Denies Ties With Germany Bribery Scandal
Vanguard Nigeria: Govt Pressed to Disband Delta Task Force
Shabelle Somalia: Local Militias Seize Town From Islamists
New Vision Uganda: Christmas in Joseph Kony's Camp
AEP (Ghana) Ghana: Voting Gets Under Way in Presidential Poll
This Day Ghana: New President Emerges Today
Liberia Liberia: Presidential Pardon Benefits Prisoners During Holidays
AEP (Ghana) Ghana: Voters Line Up Before Polls Open
allAfrica.com West Africa: The Return of the Military Coup
UN News Zimbabwe: Cholera Deaths Exceed 1,500
UN News Congo-Kinshasa: Ugandan Rebels Massacre Civilians in East
New Times Rwanda: Crowds Welcome Arrested Kagama Aide
Vanguard Nigeria: Govt Force Kill Delta Militants
Shabelle Somalia: Explosion Kills Three Ethiopian Soldiers
AEP (Ghana) Ghana: Parties Hold Final Election Rallies
allAfrica.com Somalia: New U.S. Moves Ill-Advised, Counter-Productive [guest column]
Reporters sans Frontières Zimbabwe: Abducted Journalist Could Face Death Penalty [press release]
AIM Mozambique: Govt Sets Up Human Rights Body
Garowe Online Somalia: President Yusuf Wants to Address a 'United Parliament'
New Vision Uganda: LRA Kills 33 in Eastern Congo
This Day Nigeria: 50 Foreign Nationals Arrested Over Jos Riot
Daily Trust Nigeria: Inside Hot, New Kidnapping Business [analysis]
Vanguard Nigeria: Kidnapped Professor Released After Family Pays Ransom
Shabelle Somalia: Ahlu Sunna Takes Control of Central Town
Shabelle Somalia: Fresh Fighting Erupts in Galgudud
The Herald Zimbabwe: Police Refuse to Release Detained Activists