Obama’s campaign is showing a large amount of ignorance and idiocy. Not only with the ridiculous no-green rule, but also with the strict dress code for Israel. Israel is a modern, Westernized country and women are perfectly free to wear shorts and tank tops there. There are dress codes for the holy sites, but Obama’s campaign didn’t mention that at all - they’re making it sound like their rules are for the country in general. Either Obama is ignorant about what Israel is really like, or he’s fantasizing about Israel turning into a Muslim country.
Also, we don’t require Muslims, citizens or tourists, to take off their headscarves or turbans when they live in or visit the United States. Therefore, they have no right to demand that Western women dress like chattel when we go over there. I’m not saying American women should go to Muslim countries in shorts and tank tops - I think we should dress conservatively to avoid trouble - but long pants and a blouse should be fine. There’s no need for ridiculous mandatory-headscarf rules. And if we happen to show our ankles or forearms over there, they should be able to handle that without exploding (literally or figuratively). Do women with toned, muscular arms offend and threaten the fragile egos of Muslim men?
If he had dared to bring his loose lipped wife along on the trip you can bet Michelle would be wearing a head covering unlike Laura and Condi who don’t bow to such nonsense.
I guess you don't remember the big brouhaha here over the requirement that a female Lt. Col. Warthog driver and commander, wear the Muslim abaya, not drive, go nowhere unescorted by a male (her deputy in some cases) in Saudi Arabia? Here's the story about CentCom removing the requirement after Lt. Col. Martha McSally filed suite.
Many here supported the rule, or at least insisted that she should shut up and obey it. According the story above, at that point female military personnel were *still* not allowed to drive off of their bases, even on official business.