Are you on Obama's 'favorites' list?

I couldn't believe the headline on the Weekly Standard, that according to Obama – you know him, the man who is president of the U.S. – the "U.S. Has Fallen 'Short of the Ideal' in Afghanistan."

Obama expressed the sentiments during press remarks after last week's White House meeting with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

According to the man who inhabits the Oval Office, this country has fallen "short of the ideal" of what we might have wanted to achieve in Afghanistan.

He went on to say we've achieved some measure of success and posed the question, "Did we achieve our central goal?"

Unfortunately, as Obama often does, he never answered that question nor did he specify just what exactly was our central goal. He did say we have a strong relationship with the Afghan government.

He said, "We have achieved that goal. We are in the process of achieving that goal."

Huh?

Come on, Obama, either we achieved it or we haven't! You can't have it both ways, but then this is Barack Obama. For him, truth is anything he wants it to be.

I'll bet the parents and families of our Afghan dead and injured are so pleased to know that their loved ones gave their all so we can hear our president tell the world that we have fallen short.

But then again, it's probably because the audience that Obama is aiming at is not American citizens but Middle Eastern peoples who share his sympathies for Islam and Islamic beliefs.

How about the new handbook the U.S. Army has put out meant for troops headed for Afghanistan?

Instead of alerting them to the prejudices and biases of the people there – friends and enemies – the 75-page manual lays out the details of why we are at fault when our so-called Afghan friends turn their guns on our troops, killing and maiming them.

You see, according to Army researchers who wrote the book, those so-called "green on blue" attacks are caused because we just don't understand the sensitivities and customs of Muslims.

In addition to laying a guilt trip on our troops, the book also lists things our troops can say or not say to avoid offending people we're there to help.

Don't say anything about Islam or any other religion, for that matter. Don't speak of homosexuality or equal rights. And whatever you do, don't say anything critical about Afghans, the Taliban or even anything about the war.

Other than that, relax and enjoy.

The book is so insulting to Americans that Gen. John Allen has refused to endorse it.

Does it surprise you that the man who is president has said not a word about this?

It's gotten to the point that I'm not surprised at how the man who is president and his administration never fail to place their sympathies with the wrong side. That is, the other side, not the United States and the Americans who risk their lives for freedom and get slapped in the face by their own government.

We all know this administration has done all it can to avoid facing up to its failings in handling the attack on our facility in Benghazi and the murders of our ambassador and three other Americans.

Are you aware that the Associated Press reported that the Yemen branch of al-Qaida has posted a reward of 3 kilograms of gold ($160,000) to anyone who kills the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa and 5 million Yemeni riyals ($23,000) for killing any American soldier in that country?

What's the White House reaction to such an outrageous threat?

Dead silence.

Did you know that Saeed Abedini, an American pastor of Iranian heritage, who was working In Iran with Iranian orphans, has been a prisoner in Evin Prison since September, being beaten and under threat of death for his Christianity?

It's reported in WND that his case has been turned over to "one of Iran's hanging judges" and, according to Jay Sekulow, president of the American Center for Law and Justice, the situation is dire.

Comment or support from the White House?

None.

Did you know that a former Marine was chained to a bed in the notorious Cedes Prison in Mexico since August on trumped-up charges of possessing an illegal shotgun and facing more than 12 years in jail?

Jon Hammar had an antique family heirloom gun, which had been cleared by both American and Mexican customs for a family trip.

No matter. He was arrested, mistreated, extorted and threatened with beheading while his parents received threatening phone messages demanding money.

What did the White House or the State Department do?

Nothing.

Finally, with the assistance of U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.; U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.; and others, Hammar was released at the end of December.

Were you aware that the Taliban kidnapped an American doctor, an Afghan doctor and their driver on a Wednesday in early December? They were working with a Colorado-based nonprofit focusing on Afghanistan.

Were you aware that within 11 hours, the two Afghans were released and the U.S. sent the Special Forces to rescue the doctor?

It was successful, but at least six people were killed, including a U.S. SEAL, 28-year-old Petty Officer 1st Class Nicholas D. Checque of Monroeville, Pa. There were no details about the circumstances of his death.

But the man who is president praised our efforts, as did the defense secretary.

U.S. Gen. John Allen said the mission was ordered when it was known that the doctor was in danger.

Yes, Dr. Dilip Joseph was rescued.

Why was he so important that action was taken for him almost immediately? Why was the doctor important enough to have SEAL Team Six involved and we suffered a fatality?

Who is Dr. Dilip? No one is really saying.

In light of that, why isn't something being done to rescue Bowe Robert Bergdahl? He's an Army man who was kidnapped in 2009 and is still rotting in a likely Taliban prison with not a word of support from the Obama administration.

Somehow it appears that the Obama people move quickly to help a certain group of people, but if you are not one of them – they don't even know you exist.

We are about to embark on four years of more of the same, and probably worse.

If you believe in prayer, pray.

If you don't, do it anyway, it can't hurt.

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