Serial Engagement

We knew he wanted to give Iraq to Osama bin Laden.  We knew he wanted to let the Iranian mullahgarchy and the NoKos have their nukes, and embrace the bosom friendship of the Castros and Hugo Chavez.  This year we've learned that he loves Vlad Putin so much he didn't hestitate to shiv the Poles and Czechs on missile defense, adores the ChiComms (and their T-bond buyers) so much that he became the first American president to snub the Dalai Lama, couldn't wait to help Chavista disciple Manual Zelaya overthrow the elected government of Honduras, and gushes with so much affection for the Taliban that he longs to welcome them back into power in Afghanistan (and, eventually, Pakistan).  There truly appears to be no thug, dictator, kleptocrat, or enemy that Barack Obama will not embrace.

But a universally acknowledged war criminal and mass-murderer?  Yes, he can!:

Barack Obama, back on June 23, 2007:

Until we stop the genocide that's being carried out in Darfur as I speak, our conscience cannot rest. This is a problem that's brought together churches and synagogues and mosques and people of all faiths as part of a grassroots movement. Universities and states, including Illinois, are taking part in a divestment campaign to pressure the Sudanese government to stop the killings. It's not enough, but it's helping. And it's a testament to what we can achieve when good people with strong convictions stand up for their beliefs.

You sensed an expiration date on such grandiose language, didn't you? The news, today:

After seven months of internal debate, the Obama administration released its Sudan policy on Monday, warning that country's leadership it will continue to face sanctions unless it makes progress on a north-south peace agreement and moves to end the humanitarian crisis brought about by a government-backed militia campaign in Darfur.

"There will be no rewards for the status quo, no incentives without concrete and tangible progress," said U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, appearing at a news conference with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and General Scott Gration, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan.

Her comments appeared to reflect a tougher approach than the one advocated in recent months by Gration, who had argued that sanctions were counterproductive and that some of them should be lifted as an incentive to the government. His ideas had been strongly opposed by humanitarian groups and prominent members of Congress.

But the administration officials also said Sudan would be rewarded if it moved forward on resolving the conflicts and demonstrated it was not supporting terrorists. The new strategy reflected a softer line than the one advocated by Obama and Clinton during the presidential campaign.

This helps explain why The One's administration is littered, if not crammed to the gills, with avowed communists of all stripes: it's his idea of "triangulation."  An example can be found in the very same WaPo story:

In an interview last month with the Washington Post, [U.S. special envoy Scott] Gration said he wanted to give “cookies” and “gold stars” to Khartoum, infuriating human rights advocates and congressional officials. Under the new policy, Gration will not be authorized to negotiate directly with Bashir, and Sudan will not be removed from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism in the immediate future, officials said…

"Cookies" and "gold stars"?  To an Islamist regime that has systematically slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Christians in the southern part of the country?  Sounds like Mrs. Puff's driving school than it does "tough" U.S. foreign policy.  Thank hopenchangey goodness Foggy Bottom's "adults" stepped in and ensured that Omar Hassan al-Bashir won't be invited to a White House beer summit....yet.

It's a pity Hitler, Stalin, and Mao are dead.  That would have been one helluva four-way.