Is America still a superpower? Russian President Vladimir Putin sure doesn’t think so, a point he made clear yesterday by granting refuge to one of our biggest traitors, Edward Snowden.
Snowden’s leaks have done untold, irreparable harm. He’s wanted on federal felony charges and has been hiding in a Moscow airport. America asked Russia to hand him over, but Putin had no fear of consequences by instead granting Snowden asylum, the international equivalent of aiding and abetting and a blatant nose-thumb to America.
Nor has Putin helped on other vital matters, like stopping Iran’s nuclear drive or ending the brutality of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Quite the opposite: He’s been sending weapons and military equipment to Assad and the terrorist group Hezbollah, including anti-ship missiles that US and Israeli officials see as a direct threat. Yesterday, The New York Times reported that Russia is believed to be sending “technical experts” to Syria to help set up new missile systems.
Terrorists don’t much fear US consequences, either. A CNN reporter recently met with a suspected ringleader in last year’s Benghazi attack, Ahmed Abdu Khattala, described him as “confident,” adding: “His demeanor [was] most certainly not that of a man who believed he was going to be detained or targeted any time soon.” Last fall, the Times found the same guy sipping mango juice on a hotel patio, laughing off threats from Washington.
Such views — by Khattala, Putin, Iran and others — are understandable. US officials have imposed no consequences on anyone for the Benghazi attack. Assad crossed President Obama’s red line in Syria, using chemical weapons, with impunity.
Obama’s approach to Iran: lame diplomacy. He’s forced Israel to release terrorists just to start peace talks, and halted US missile-defense programs in Europe. Elsewhere, he’s set on reducing America’s presence.
Lawmakers are fuming over Putin’s move. Sen. Lindsey Graham called it a “game-changer” and a sign of Putin’s “clear lack of respect” for Obama. Sen. John McCain called for serious “repercussions.”
One thing’s clear: The world is watching Obama’s response. And America ultimately will feel the consequences of that.