Obama Undergoes 'Pacifist' Crisis – Italian Media

US President Barack Obama is currently moving from his pacifist standpoint toward the risk of a big war, Il Giornale wrote.

American foreign policy has been quite idle recently, the Italian newspaper wrote, but it would be a mistake to take the country's lack of intervention in the Middle East for pacificism. However, now that the US is "psychologically suppressed" by Russia's actions in Syria, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Obama is showing signs of shifting toward the risk of a big war.

The US stands on the threshold of four potential battle grounds, the article says, and each of these possible wars could be disastrous.

"The first war arena is obviously Syria and Iraq," the wrtier notes. "Obama followed the footsteps of George Bush when he decided to bring troops to Syria."

The second war scenario — with China — came to light when the US torpedo boat destroyer USS Lassen was sent "on purpose" within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands built by China in the South China Sea. Chinese flag-officers made it clear that if this happens again, gunfire is inevitable.

"The political paradox is that US president decided to fly in the face of Beijing by claiming its free navigation rights, which in Anglo-Saxon tradition could be interpreted as a motive for declaration of war," Il Giornale wrote.

The third war scenario is also a marine one — this time in the Atlantic Ocean. Recently, US intelligence agencies were highly alarmed when they spotted the Russian oceanographic vessel The Yantar (Amber) close to the Naval Base at Kings Bay. American authorities believed that the ship had equipment capable of severing communications systems, which could prove catastrophic for Europe and the US.

"That situation was especially nerve wracking for Norway, which is obsessed with the Russian Threat," the author argued.

"And then comes the most dangerous scenario: in Eastern and Northern Europe. Obama has already regretted withdrawing almost all US troops since the end of the Cold War (there used to be about 300,000 troops in Europe, and now less than 30,000 are left). Now he is trying to create an illusive army to scare Russia," Il Giornale wrote. But bringing troops and military equipment would be too expensive for the US at the moment.

Currently, anti-Europe sentiment is growing among US citizens and Congress, the newspaper stressed. People don't understand why Europe can't protect itself without using American resources and the money of its taxpayers.

According to Il Giornale, while the US feels suppressed by Russia's actions in Syria, Obama's "pacifist doctrine" is no longer working, and the American President is shifting towards the risk of a big war.