What Will Obama Say in Cairo?

Al Azhar University, Cairo


With President Obama on his way to Cairo to deliver an address labeled as a message to the Muslim world, speculation is rife that this will be yet another "apology" to be issued on behalf of America for all the "wrongs" we have committed.

The speech, which will be given at Cairo's Al Azhar University, has now been preceded by Obama's puzzling statement that Iran is entitled to pursue "nuclear energy", probably a sign that the Obama Administration will stand down from our resistance to Iranian nukes.

So what will Obama say to the Muslim world? Will he remind them of America's long history of foreign aid to poor Muslim nations, such as Indonesia in the wake of the tsunami that hit that nation not so long ago? Will he remind them how America liberated Kuwait-a Muslim nation- from a brutal Iraqi occupation not so long ago? Will he remind them of how America came to the aid of Muslims in Bosnia when they were being besieged by Serbs not so long ago? Will he remind them of how America liberated Afghanistan and Iraq from horrific (Muslim) regimes and gave them the chance to live in freedom? Will he remind them of how Muslims are allowed to worship freely in America while in many Muslim countries, non-Muslims are routinely persecuted and/or outlawed?

Probably not.

What I expect will be apologies for Gitmo (which he says he will close but has not yet done), enhanced interrogations and the war of terror. He will wring his hands about how America has failed to "understand" the Middle East. He will never think of asking anyone for any apologies for 9-11. Whether he will even bother to ask decent, peaceful Muslims to join us in defeating terrorism is doubtful.

What is especially frustrating is that conciliatory talk from Obama will fail to wean over the radicals who hate everything we stand for. On the contrary, it will only demonstrate weakness and a lack of resolve on our part. They are already drawing the obvious conclusions that this president will not seriously fight terror or take hard measures to protect America from future attack. Iran (and North Korea) are free to pursue their nuclear weapons while Israel is on notice that America will now tilt to the Palestinian cause and the Arab world. Far from being grateful or moderating their objectives, they will now push full steam ahead.

That is what I expect Obama to say in Cairo and the effect it will have. If he does, in fact, say those things, it will deepen the suspicion in my mind that this president is not overly proud of his country. It's bad enough if he sends that message to us; it's worse if he sends that message to our enemies-and those who are straddling the fence.

I hope to God I am wrong, but I am not looking forward to this trip.