Malicious? Or Incompetent?

Those are the only choices that could explain the insensitivity of the timing of this decision by the Obama Administration:

LISBON — “How could Obama choose such a day?”

That was the anguished outburst of a senior Polish officer attending a meeting of NATO chiefs of defense here when asked what he thought of the U.S. president’s cancellation last week of plans to place missile interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic.

The officer was referring to the fact that the announcement came on Sept. 17, the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. A gesture to Russia on this date — a “brave” decision said Vladimir Putin — was the rough equivalent for the Poles of their announcing concessions to a U.S. foe on 9/11. [ED.: It's actually MUCH, MUCH worse.]

Poland is now one of the very few places in Europe that prefers former President Bush to Obama.

Now I’m sure Obama had no desire to insult Poland [ED.: Either he intended offense, or he's completely ignorant. Those are the choices.], even if the announcement also came as Russia conducted large-scale military maneuvers with Belarus, an exercise on its western flank that summons the darkest specters of post-Soviet Polish and Baltic-state angst. As U.S. timing goes, this was pitiful.

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(editorial commentary added)

Jerks or idiots? Take your pick.