In a story that barely got noticed among the issues the media has covered intensively, the Obama administration has managed to offend India’s new government almost as soon as it took office. The first link reports that the Obama administration’s NSA has been spying on the political party that India’s new Prime Minister heads. Obviously, this means India’s new Prime Minister Modi had to have had his emails, cell phones or activities spied upon by Obama’s NSA. India is understandably very upset and is demanding an explanation. The first link describes the USA’s spying on Modi and also indicates how important the defense trade business is between the two nations. Indeed, India and the USA were moving toward an alliance relationship due to shared threats from China, but the USA’s spying on Modi’s party is going to chill the relationship. This spying has been going on for some time, it would appear, as this revelation has come from documents released by Edward Snowden.
The second link reports on this breach as well, but it also has some interesting related links about India that the US press doesn’t cover. I found the story about India’s improving relations with Japan and Germany to be very interesting. India is looking for new allies, and so are Germany and Japan. Indeed, the article seems to indicate some tensions between Germany and Japan over who is India’s newest best friend. I think all nations are very troubled by the strange foreign policy decisions of the Obama administration and they are searching for alternative alliances. It is my view that many nations have come to the conclusion that the USA will not and cannot be a reliable partner as long as Obama is president.
The third link offers a “Pro-Con” set of columns about whether the USA should pursue closer ties with India under the Modi government. It is from a Midwest newspaper, and I was only aware of it as these columns appeared in my local newspaper as well. I think, given the mutual and growing threats from China, the USA and India need to pursue stronger ties, so count me firmly in the “pro” side of this debate, but I present it to you for your consideration. However, this set of two columns appeared before the story broke about Obama’s NSA spying on India’s leader via his political party.
Soon after taking office, Obama offended the British via a degrading and thoughtless gift to the visiting British Prime Minister. Then he offended the Egyptian army by throwing Mubarak under the bus and appearing to back the Muslim Brotherhood. Then Obama really offended Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu by his very demeaning comments about Netanyahu to former French leader Sarkhozy via an open mic that he didn’t know was live. He offended the Saudis by throwing Mubarak, a key Saudi ally, under the bus. Then he offended the German Chancellor Merkel when revelations broke Obama’s NSA was spying on Angela Merkel’s cell phone (based on media stories, former President Bush may have done so as well). Then Obama so infuriated Brazil’s Leader that she cancelled a state visit to Washington, DC and refused to meet Obama at all. Why? Because Obama’s NSA spied on Brazil’s leader as well. Now we learn Obama’s NSA was spying on the future Prime Minister of India. All these nation have the right to be upset at the US because of Obama’s wildly-intrusive spying efforts. You’ve got to hand it to Obama. When it comes to conducting US foreign policy, he is a one man “wrecking crew.”
These kinds of divisive actions could affect the alliances that are formed in the world, or at least the speed at which they form. Once the USA has a president who has an aptitude for foreign policy, many relationships with traditional allies may be speedily repaired due to shared mutual interests. Ultimately, the alliances will finalize along the lines prophesied by Ezekiel 38-39. The alliances are very close to being in their final prophesied status already.
- http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-02/india-demands-u-s-explanation-after-report-modi-party-spied-on.html
- http://www.veooz.com/news/HHIxtY7.html
- http://www.thehawkeye.com/assets/10769160/THE_06142014_A_08.pdf
