Some commenters did turn their anger on the West, especially on President Barack Obama, whose Mideast policies they see as destructive, inhumane, and feckless. The Iraqi journalist ‘Aziz Al-Hajj, writing on the Elaph website on September 3, charged that, “The West is responsible [for the crisis], not because it is unable to absorb millions of refugees that might transform Europe’s social and cultural fabric… but because of the wretched and dangerous Western policy, in particular Obama’s policy, which has helped spark crises of conflict in our region, especially in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq.

“If those who preach humanitarianism—in fact, if the international community at large—had cared for the lives and security of our [Arab] peoples, they would not have abandoned Libya mid way, and would not have shrugged off the decisions of the [June 2012] Geneva I [Conference on Syria] when it was still possible to find a balanced, gradual and peaceful solution [to the Syrian crisis] that did not include Assad. Back then ISIS did not exist and there were no deadly barrel bombs… Another opportunity came when it was proved that Assad had used gas [i.e., chemical weapons]… [But] Obama withdrew his threats [to act in Syria]… and, backed by the EU, he allowed Putin and Iran to do as they pleased, yet now he is shedding crocodile tears over the tragedy of the [Syrian] refugees…

(What Al-Hajj calls Obama’s “crocodile tears” is a theme that has arisen with a vengeance in the Western press as well, an example, perhaps, of “shame” at work among Western commenters, too.