the world is not sony
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

The world is not Sony

Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

the world is not sony

Tariq Alhomayed

During his end-of-year press conference on Friday, US President Barack Obama, the leader of the world’s only remaining superpower, spoke for an hour and a half without saying anything of any worth related to political issues, and without receiving a single important question from the visiting journalists. Instead, Obama spent far too long talking about the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which the US blames on North Korea. He didn’t talk about his country’s current landmark talks with Iran, for example, nor about Syria or Iraq, Russia, or the Arab–Israeli conflict.
It is well known that questions in press conferences at the White House are not posed in haphazard fashion; instead, they are carefully chosen and ordered—all the journalists chosen to attend Friday’s year-end presser were women, for example, and the White House confirmed this was done by design.
It is true that news of the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment and the pulling of its movie, The Interview, broke that day—but the world is not Sony. The biggest news story of 2014 is surely not the cancelation of a comedy film but the scale of the human tragedy occurring in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere. Countless people are being killed and whole countries are being threatened, global security is facing real dangers. So when President Obama said during the press conference that his country has proven its position as a leader in the world, we really should have heard more questions about some of the more pressing matters in the world today and the views of the leader of the world’s only superpower regarding them.
Among these: the reason for the stalling of the US–Iran talks; why former US secretary of defense Chuck Hagel resigned (or was fired); the president’s vision for fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS); how he sees the future of Iraq, and why he is sending troops to that country once again; why some US troops will remain in Afghanistan; the methods that can be used to fight Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s crimes; his position on the recent terror attacks in Australia and Pakistan; why he held a recent telephone conversation with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and whether this means he has changed his position on Egypt; the state of the crisis with Russia, the status of the sanctions, and what is required of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Indeed, the world was awaiting much more from the US president during this press conference: allies awaiting reassurances, and enemies curious as to whether the US administration really means what is being said by those representing it. For the world is not Sony, and nor are the peoples of countries currently blighted by violence and oppression, such as those of Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Palestine and others, really that concerned with a “crisis” relating to a movie; such things represent luxuries these people cannot afford right now. Furthermore, the US president did not clarify the exact nature of the US response toward North Korea, and was not asked a single serious question on the matter—what if the US launched counter cyberattacks on the country, for example, or its banking or air navigation systems; or if Iran might follow North Korea’s lead here?
And so, those who believe in Santa Claus, and were perhaps awaiting a “gift” or two from the US president during the festive season, are to rue their bad luck—because the international community got nothing from Obama during his year-end press conference.

The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arab Today.

GMT 13:29 2018 Friday ,31 August

Iran and the Luminary from Saarland

GMT 13:14 2018 Friday ,31 August

Qaradawi: Politics is more important than Hajj!

GMT 17:03 2018 Thursday ,30 August

EU must help heal the sick man of Europe

GMT 15:49 2018 Thursday ,30 August

Women in Saudi municipalities

GMT 13:43 2018 Wednesday ,29 August

Amir Hatami in Syria: To stay or withdraw?

GMT 09:56 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Washington chooses Syria as its battleground

GMT 09:52 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Road ahead full of danger as new front opens in Syria

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

the world is not sony the world is not sony

 



Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017

GMT 09:22 2018 Monday ,22 January

Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way

GMT 11:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Modern colorful bedroom renovation

GMT 10:57 2017 Thursday ,21 December

Modern colorful bedroom renovation
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president

GMT 13:56 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Turkey detains dozens more

GMT 10:47 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Turkey detains dozens more

GMT 09:47 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

To 'eternal style' of late Alaia

GMT 17:12 2012 Wednesday ,16 May

LG unveils new user interface for ICS devices

GMT 15:03 2013 Thursday ,25 July

Belgium under heat wave

GMT 04:59 2015 Tuesday ,01 September

Qatar coral reef at risk from warming seas

GMT 21:51 2016 Friday ,14 October

3 frontier corps personnel killed in Quetta

GMT 14:42 2012 Saturday ,21 January

Bella Cruise debuts new main squeeze

GMT 13:52 2013 Tuesday ,26 March

Indian director talks about Himmatwala remake

GMT 22:26 2017 Sunday ,08 January

1 Turkish soldier, 37 Daesh militants killed

GMT 02:35 2014 Sunday ,29 June

Hilton Jaipur unveils new main restaurant

GMT 20:51 2015 Saturday ,10 January

Twofour54 will train Saudi journalists

GMT 21:47 2015 Tuesday ,20 January

Kuwait shuts newspaper critical of government

GMT 09:38 2013 Tuesday ,31 December

SRA discovers new plant species in UAE
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
 
 Almaghrib Today Facebook,almaghrib today facebook  Almaghrib Today Twitter,almaghrib today twitter Almaghrib Today Rss,almaghrib today rss  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

.almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday almaghribtoday almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday