[raybbr]

It isn't to say that there is a direct correlation, but what is absolutely true is that there has been a shift in Islam that I believe is connected to the failures of governments and the failures of the West to work with many of these countries, in order to make sure that opportunities are there, that there's bottom-up economic growth.

Oh, not enough money.

He's telling us that he will agree to extortion.

[Chgogal]

You beat me to it. That's the quote that struck me the same way.

PINGING Expatguy!!!!

[princeofdarkness]

If BHO had been the President during the Barbary Pirate era, he would have apologized to the Sultans and drained the Treasury dry to pay tributes and ransoms to them.

[vanishing liberty]

“It isn’t to say that there is a direct correlation, but what is absolutely true is that there has been a shift in Islam that I believe is connected to the failures of governments and the failures of the West to work with many of these countries, in order to make sure that opportunities are there, that there’s bottom-up economic growth.”

Isn’t this more or less the same thing that Bush has been saying, that we have to bring democracy and economic hope to the Middle East so that radical Islam will loose its grip? Sounds like, once again, he’s trying to co-opt a Republican idea.

[maine-iac7]

He's asked about "your first memory of a foreign policy event that shaped you..." and he has no answer to the question = instead deflects again, intimating that moving to Jakarta as a young boy can be counted for foreign policy experience.

And once again, his English is faulty: "was my mother coming to me and saying, "I've remarried this man from Indonesia..."

It should be either "I've married again..." or "She told me she had remarried..." - but she didn't, I presume, remarry the Indonesian man.

But then, what do I know. I didn't graduate from Harvard.

[BusterBear]

It isn't to say that there is a direct correlation, but what is absolutely true is that there has been a shift in Islam that I believe is connected to the failures of governments and the failures of the West to work with many of these countries, in order to make sure that opportunities are there, that there's bottom-up economic growth.

Oh those poor Saudi's. They're so pooor - maybe we should set up a Marshall Plan to rescue the Arabian peninsula countries from their grinding poverty - give them opportunities for economic growth.

What was that? The greatest transfer of wealth in history, to the oil-rich countries? Yes, yes that's what we need. How come no one thought of that?

[magellan]

" ... but what is absolutely true is that there has been a shift in Islam that I believe is connected to the failures of governments and the failures of the West to work with many of these countries, in order to make sure that opportunities are there, that there's bottom-up economic growth."

Why do Democrats continue to believe militant Islam is driven by economic situations when Mohammad Atta and many of the other September 11th hijackers were middle-class college-educated Arabs.

Second, why is it the West's responsibility to "make sure that opportunities are" available in the Islamic world. It is an asinine statement.

[Fresh Wind]

He's telling us that he will agree to extortion.

He's told us that successfully dealing with Iran comes down to offering them a big enough incentive package. Words like "bribe", "extortion", and "appeasement" should never be used to describe policies of His Obamic Holiness. That's racist.

[AppyPappy]

Translation: “If we give them enough money, they won’t kill us”