WHEN WILL OBAMA REBUKE HIM? – AT 10:02 A.M. ET:  We get the sense, in examining the world's press, that many Europeans, especially conservatives, are growing wary of Obama and are articulating their own defense policies.  Consider:

In a speech prepared for delivery at a conference in Brussels Saturday, alliance Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a NATO-wide missile defense system would show collective will to defend against a growing threat.

He immediately goes on Obama's "dangerous Danish imperialist" list. 

"We need a decision by NATO's next summit in November that missile defense for our populations and territories is an alliance mission. And that we will explore every opportunity to cooperate with Russia," Rasmussen said in an advance text of the speech made available by NATO.

In reiterating his wish to see collaboration with Russia, Rasmussen said this required a decision by Moscow "to see missile defense as an opportunity, rather than a threat."

Why should Russia cooperate, when non-cooperation has gotten them pretty much what they wanted from Obama – the cancellation of missile defense for Eastern Europe.

He said current trends showed a "real and growing" threat from weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, with more than 30 countries possessing or developing missiles with greater and greater ranges.

And...

Iran, which the West suspects of working to produce nuclear weapons, has said it possesses missiles with a range that would put NATO members Turkey, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria within reach, Rasmussen said.

If Tehran were to complete development of intermediate and intercontinental missiles after taking a key step in introducing its SAFIR 2 space-launch vehicle last year, "then the whole of the European continent, as well as all of Russia would be in range," he said.

Doesn't Rasmussen know that The One will place his hands upon the Iranian shoulders and turn the mullahs into peaceful moderates.  Just give the man some time.

"Proliferators must know that we are unwavering in our determination to collective defense."

No we're not.  We were unwavering.  Then we had something called Inauguration Day.

March 26, 2010