http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Bolton-Obama-Apologies-US/2012/02/25/id/430544?s=al&promo_code=E44B

Amb. Bolton: Obama’s Apologies for US ‘Incite’ Violence Abroad 

By David A. Patten

Saturday, 25 Feb 2012

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President Barack Obama’s readiness to apologize for an apparently accidental Koran-burning incident is a signal of weakness that actually incites further unrest, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton says.

In an exclusive interview with Newsmax Saturday afternoon, Bolton said that President Obama’s apologies are only making things worse.

“Look, you apologize when you’ve done something wrong and you want to make amends,” Bolton said. “You don’t apologize when makes you admit to a mistake that you haven’t made, and in fact in this case incites the people to do some of these things, because they think the apology is an admission of wrongdoing.

“When in fact,” he added, “I think the facts are still murky as far as I’m concerned, but I don’t think anybody set out intentionally to desecrate the Koran. I think quite the opposite is true.”

Bolton stipulated that the administration is not intentionally trying to fan the flames of religious violence in the Middle East.

“But I do think … they assume our people had made a mistake, and that I think is going to have a very negative effect on morale in Afghanistan at exactly the time when operations are beginning to decline.

“And the reaction,” he said, “shows how incorrect it is for the administration to follow this arbitrary timetable to suspend combat operations next year,” said Bolton.

Bolton also commented on last week’s remark by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey that Iran, which has been implicated in several recent assassination attempts, is a “rational actor.”

Bolton said Iran’s view of what is rational is vastly different from the U.S. definition.

He cited the death sentence handed down by Iran against an Iranian pastor who converted from Islam to Christianity.

He called Iran’s action against the pastor “a plain offense against freedom of religion,” adding, “It shows in their system, freedom of religion and freedom of conscience really does not count for anything at all.”

Despite its lack of progress, Bolton said the administration still believes Iran can be brought to the negotiating table and won’t do anything that could endanger that.

He said Dempsey and others in the administration appear to be guilty of “mirror imaging,” that is, the tendency to assume others think the way you do. The fact that an apparently accidental Koran-burning incident would touch off weeklong rioting suggests that is not the case, he said.

“You’re sitting at the table, you’re prepared to try and reach a solution, so surely the other guy is prepared to reach a solution, too,” Bolton said. “But if the guy on the other side of the table thinks that you’re a depraved representative of an immoral, degenerate, declining civilization, maybe his thoughts don’t exactly go along the same lines as yours do.”

Bolton said mirror imaging is a common problem in the State Department, adding, “But as this reveals, it’s obviously a problem at the Defense Department, too.”

One reason for U.S. misconceptions regarding Iranian intentions, he said, is that an increasingly secular America appear increasingly ill-equipped to fathom the depth of religious fervor motivating extremists.

“The left in this country, following the economic determinism of Karl Marx, thinks everything is motivated by economic factors,” he said. “And that’s simply not true.”

That the president is apologizing for the United States, rather than strongly condemning religious persecution in many Islamic countries, sends signals of weakness to America’s enemies, he said.

“I think the perception internationally, and I think particularly in the Middle East, is that the president is weak, he does not assert American interests, that he can be pushed,” Bolton told Newsmax. “And every time that he does something like this, it just simply confirms that impression.

“I think the president thinks that American strength is provocative,” Bolton said. “And in fact, it is 180-degrees the opposite: American weakness is provocative. And Obama is a very provocative president.”

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  •  This president has been apologizing since he's been in office.  A muslim plain and simple.  He could care less about offending Americans and what damage he has done to our great country.  Our only hope is to make sure he is a one term president.

  • Yes, Harry Riley! OBAMA is spam BRAIN DEAD! Obammy is not provocative, he just is brain dead and a narssicist on top of that as well! If he didn't have so many cheat sheet peoplearound him and George Soros wiping his behind ,he'd be in dDEEP DEEP POO POO, which I think is very shortly gonna swallow him ad the rest of the democRAPS, OUT OF THE COUNTRY POSSIBLLY! Maybe we can trade them all for debt reduction to CHINA! .......
  • A STATESMAN who is Sorely Needed. Hopefully Obama's successor will bring this man on board in 2013 to begin to repair Our Disastrous Foreign Policy, ( If you can call it policy that is).  

  • "...make the rich pay their fair share!" and similar utterings from this administration indicate that "fairness" (radical socialism) is foremost in everything that has been done recently in D.C.  It seems obvious that Barry and his fellow travelers believe that it is simply not "fair" for America to be more powerful than any other country, no matter how small or backward.  He has been going around the world since his election -- even before -- apologizing for America's one-time superiority, no doubt promising that he will rectify that "problem".  He is doing a good job of it so far.

  • Protect and Serve was his oath, but he's confused as to whom he should be protecting and serving. If he's confused he should be committed and if not, he should be arrested for being responsible for the death of soldiers and further endangering the lives of those harms way.

  • The filthy book is to be burned if the trash is written in, it is in their own laws as written by the pedophile himself. They are pissed because Coalition forces did it in a pile of trash. It was burned in the place it should have been, with the rest of the trash. Obama, Hillary and the rest that have been apologizing need to learn to listen to the people and shut up. The Muslims burn the Bible all the time, Christians do not act as they do. They are heathens and should be dealt with accordingly. Bring the troops home, cut off ALL the aide to the entire region, cut off aide to those that help them and support them. When they start to pull their ignorance abroad, give it back to them tenfold.

  • When will America get fed up with this POS and storm the White House?

    Taking Barry to the wood shed is long over due.

    If we keep taking it, he/they will continue to dish it out, get use to it or grow a pair!

    When several of the more prominent politicians photos appear on the milk carton with an expiration date, perhaps someone will take us serious!

    I take what he is doing seriously, but our reaction/response cannot be taken seriously,YET!

    A serious reaction gets serious results.

    The conspiracy is getting results,... we are not!

    I have "A" answer, perhaps not "THEE" answer.

    I'll guarantee it will get results and get noticed without putting one American patriot in harms way.

    It will take a little horse trading.

  • "I wish to express my deep regret for the reported incident," hussein wrote in the letter delivered to karzai, and released by the afghanistan gov't. "I extend to you and the Afghan people my sincere apologies. The error was inadvertent," the letter added.  "I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible."8142859088?profile=original

    Translation: 'I wish to express my deep regret for some soldiers burning of your and mine holy book, I extend to you and the Afghan people my sincere apologies. The error was inadvertent (=burning the holy part was unintentional since these books were already violated by muslims), I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence (=we will ignore future violations to your holy book by muslims)*, to include holding accountable those responsible (=behead all non-muslims* before I go to hell)’.

    *ignoring koran violations by non-muslims is just as bad as violating them (eg often they blame non-muslims for their own wars), yet they can, so we’re damned by allah if we do and damned if we don’t… Thank God.

  • OBLAHMA'S even remotely good deeds in office VS. ALL OTHER PRESIDENTS' - if measured in nickels - will buy just ONE of us a stick of gum......or a barrel of spit.

  • Yep......SGT Born lived just down the road from me...didn't know him but mourn for his family, our community and America.  Obama is the enemy to America's way of life...a socialist/communist following a destructive path, foreign to our Constitution.  Mobilize and bring your friends along.for the November ballot box exercise and follow-on enforcement....

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