Eleven Questions for President Obama

In examining the turmoil going on throughout the Middle East, from Tunisia to Afghanistan, I too often struggle to figure out what the United States is doing. I would love to ask President Obama the following questions. I would not expect him to answer them publicly, but I do hope he has asked and answered these questions for himself.

Many Presidents and other figures have tried to solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue and failed. Do you honestly thing you can succeed where they failed, or are you posturing for political reasons? If you do sincerely think you can solve the problem, what makes your approach different and more likely to work?

Is the current Palestinian leadership ready, willing, and/or able to make a reasonable peace agreement with Israel?

What is our goal in Libya, and what do we do if our initial efforts don't accomplish that goal?

What is our goal in Afghanistan and how far are we from achieving it?

What is your criteria for deciding which uprisings we support (militarily, economically, psychically, etc.)?

How do you see the region in ten years and how do we best position ourselves for that future?

What happens if Saudi Arabia blows up?

Why are we attacking Qaddafi but not attacking more obvious anti-American figures like Assad or the Iranians when they are confronted with domestic pressure? Is it because Qaddafi is an easier target? Are we trying to preserve influence with the current regimes in Syria and Iran? Are we fighting there because David Cameron wants us to?

If the United States is obligated to intervene to prevent humanitarian catastrophe, why are not we not intervening in Syria? Are the events there not a humanitarian catastrophe?

If Iraq falls into a civil or sectarian war, will we still continue our withdrawal on schedule? Would you consider more troops if this situation arises?

What are our plans if revolutions in Egypt, Libya, and elsewhere produce Islamist or other anti-American, anti-Israeli governments?

I'm not convinced the President has any of these answers, because to this observer our strategy seems to simply react to individual events as they occur, without regard to consistency or long term strategy. I hope that is not actually the case.