Washington: What a peculiar speech by Barack Obama on Wednesday evening. The US President has personally led an army of diplomats around the globe in the past week, pleading for leaders to sign on as members of his coalition to destroy Islamic State.
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But listening to the speech I was left wondering if his allies, particularly those in the Middle East, were too embarrassed to be mentioned - or perhaps Obama was too ashamed to name the types he's palling around with, to use a Palinism.
Who's in?
Page 1, paragraph 1: "Our friends and allies."
Seriously, who'll the US be leading to war?
Page 2, paragraph 4: "We can't do for the Iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region."
Ah, Arab partners! And they might be...?
Page 3, paragraph 4: "We cannot rely on the Assad regime [in Syria] that terrorises its people…"
So, many tasks for the coalition, but who...?
Page 3, paragraph 5: "Working with our partners, we will..."
We've passed the halfway point and you're still being cute, Mr President...
Page 4, paragraph 3: "America will be joined by a broad coalition of partners."
Might Iraq be involved? After all it is the country being torn apart by this war...
Page 4, paragraph 3: "Secretary [of State John] Kerry was in Iraq today, meeting with the new government and supporting their efforts to promote unity and...
I can really feel it, we're getting down to specifics here - surely he's about to name names.
Page 4, paragraph 3: "…in the coming days he will travel across the Middle East and Europe to enlist more partners in this fight, especially Arab nations..."
And which of Obama's coalition partners in the region has signed on for the President's own regional endeavour?
Page 5, paragraph 4: "It is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world, not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, tolerance and a more hopeful future..."
And finally, an Obama cri de coeur that will have them splitting their sides from Bahrain to Cairo:
Page 6, paragraph 1: "From Europe to Asia, from the far reaches of Africa to the war-torn capitals of the Middle East, we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. These are values that have guided our nation since its founding."
Bizarre. In a White House background briefing three hours before Obama spoke, reporters were told quite specifically that Obama had spoken to the Saudi king earlier in the day - and that King Abdullah was on board.
Could that have been an important line in the speech? But then, what do the Saudis know about opportunity, tolerance or hopeful futures; or about freedom, justice and dignity?
Watching the Obama speech in their gilded palaces, the princes and generals were probably rolling on the floor, adding their own chorus as Obama listed those fine ideals - "only when it suits you, only when it suits you".
