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Obama's Blink on Syria Could Bring Peril to Allies
Townhall.com ^ | May 2, 2013 | Michael Barone

Posted on 05/02/2013 4:46:51 AM PDT by Kaslin

"We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked," Secretary of State Dean Rusk famously said during the Cuban missile crisis.

Barack Obama has been doing a lot of blinking lately. On Syria especially.

"There would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movements on the chemical weapons front or the use of chemical weapons," he said back in August 2012. Chemical weapons were a "red line."

Presumably the president hoped that his statement would deter Bashar Assad's embattled regime from using chemical weapons. And presumably he hoped that his demand in 2011 for Assad to relinquish power would be obeyed.

Obama surely hoped back then that the Syrian dictator would be overthrown quickly, as his counterparts in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya had been. Unfortunately, Assad has proved to be tougher and more ruthless.

Last December, the U.S. consul in Istanbul reported evidence of chemical gas attacks in Syria to the State Department. Last week, it was reported that all U.S. intelligence agencies believe that sarin gas has been deployed there.

But Obama has been unwilling to change his policies significantly. He has not ordered imposition of a no-fly zone, as Bill Clinton did in Kosovo in the 1990s.

He has not pledged support for the Syrian rebels. Instead, he has indicated that intelligence "assessments" are not conclusive.

"We've got to do everything we can to investigate and establish with some certainty" -- an interesting standard -- "what exactly has happened in Syria," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"We will use all the assets and resources that we have at our disposal. We'll work with the neighboring countries to see whether we can establish a clear baseline of facts. And we've also called on the United Nations to investigate."

These are conditions that seem impossible to meet. The United Nations will not act because of the veto of Assad-supporting Russia.

Other nations' intelligence services have already chimed in, concluding that chemical weapons are indeed being used in Syria. Our ability to "investigate and establish with some certainty what exactly has happened in Syria" is limited.

This president, like his predecessors, has to make decisions based on incomplete and imperfect information. It comes with the job.

The red line has been crossed, but the president has decided not to change the game.

This could have perilous consequences. Will Israeli leaders take seriously Obama's pledge that he will not allow Iran to deploy nuclear weapons?

Will our Asian allies be confident of our backing in their disputes with China over islets in the East China Sea? Will China be deterred from attacking them?

Blinking at the evidence that Syria has crossed what he called a "red line," Obama may be hoping to avoid getting bogged down in a military quagmire there. But weakness is provocative, and appeasement can lead to a wider war.

Last week, Obama also blinked on the sequester, as Senate Democrats led the charge to give the Federal Aviation Administration explicit flexibility after the agency furloughed air traffic controllers.

He had said earlier that he would veto legislation giving administrators flexibility in adapting to spending cuts. But -- blink -- he signed the bill, instead.

"The Democrats have lost on sequestration," wrote the liberal Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein. By agreeing to "ease the pain," he said, "Democrats have agreed to sequestration for the foreseeable future."

That's probably right. Obama's prediction of dire consequences from sequester cuts was undermined by the administration's two most visible cuts in service.

The idea that mandatory cuts required cancelling White House tours didn't meet the laugh test. Fodder for late-night comics.

And the idea that a 4 percent cut in FAA funding required delaying 40 percent of airline flights was equally laughable.

It antagonized two classes of strategically placed frequent flyers: members of Congress and members of the press. No way they were going to tolerate needless flight delays.

Obama's acceptance of the sequester means ratcheting spending levels down in the future, just as the Obama Democrats' stimulus package ratcheted spending up.

That's a policy defeat for liberals, but the general public will probably not suffer much from Obama's sequester blink. The consequences of his Syria blink could be much more ominous.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Israel; Russia; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911truthers; allies; antiwardotcom; impotent; iran; israel; lebanon; lewrockwelldotcom; maheralassad; nato; obamateur; pestcontrol; potassiumfluoride; randsconcerntrolls; russia; sarin; sodiumfluoride; syria; thebrotherdidit; unitedkingdom; waronterror; wetnoodle
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood
The United States military personnel aren’t toy soldiers on a game board for the leftist internationale.'

That sounds good and in theory you are correct. Unfortunately we have 70 years of history telling us they are toy soldiers on a game board for the leftist internationale.'

21 posted on 05/02/2013 5:34:20 AM PDT by Pan_Yan (I believe in God. All else is dubious.)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

Yup. There are no “good guys” in this fight.


22 posted on 05/02/2013 5:35:40 AM PDT by woweeitsme
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To: Kaslin
Other nations' intelligence services have already chimed in, concluding that chemical weapons are indeed being used in Syria.

What are other nations doing about it?

23 posted on 05/02/2013 5:40:41 AM PDT by 0.E.O
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To: woweeitsme

Assad Pest Control, Inc. spraying for roaches is actually doing us a favor...


24 posted on 05/02/2013 5:41:05 AM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood ("Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???")
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To: 0.E.O
What are other nations doing about it?

They are too busy with gay pride marches in their armies...

25 posted on 05/02/2013 5:42:12 AM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood ("Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???")
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To: Pan_Yan

We should send Chris Matthews and Bill Maher...

That way, the Salafist terror groups opposing Assad could cut off Matthews’ tingling leg and shove it up Maher’s åss.


26 posted on 05/02/2013 5:45:37 AM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood ("Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???")
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood
Syria is simply none of our business...

I agree. It's time for the world to stop expecting the USofA to be the solution to their problem.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that what the UN is paid to do? Call them instead!

27 posted on 05/02/2013 5:48:19 AM PDT by beachn4fun (Why are Hispanics being given special treatment?)
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To: beachn4fun

Koffi Anna went over there and made all kinds of “baby milk factory signs” but there was nothing to steal...


28 posted on 05/02/2013 5:50:13 AM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood ("Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???")
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To: beachn4fun
Bambi is backed into a corner. Civilian Slaughter,Chemical weapons, Al Qaeda running the Rebel Offensive. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy /s
29 posted on 05/02/2013 6:03:08 AM PDT by DAC21
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To: DAC21
"Civilian Slaughter"

In a Muslim society there are no civilians.

30 posted on 05/02/2013 6:14:45 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Kaslin

Mullah Bombma is encountering resistance to his Fatwas.


31 posted on 05/02/2013 6:17:05 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Kaslin
 photo LINE_zps4804e624.jpg
32 posted on 05/02/2013 6:30:28 AM PDT by baddog 219
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To: Kaslin

There is a very good possibility that the use of sarin gas, resulting in the death of a number of civilians, is a “false flag” maneuver by some dissident rebel group, in an attempt to get the Current Occupant of the White Hut to make good on his promise to intervene in Syria if a “red line” is crossed.

Well, the red line has apparently been crossed, yet we can not get a statement one way or the other from The Won acknowledging that his original assertion still stands. All we get is weasel words.

Syria, in fact, is NOT our war, and we have litle interest in the success of either side. A despot would ony be replaced by perhaps an even WORSE despot, neither of which would have any allegiance to the US, not even to the Current Regime in Washington. But as long as Muslims are fighting other Muslims, they are not available to be fighting in the West, or making mischief in the Far East.


33 posted on 05/02/2013 6:30:59 AM PDT by alloysteel (Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.)
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To: Kaslin

People generally blink alot while they’re lying, which explains Obabma’s excessive blinking.

Frankly, he shouldn’t have said anything about Syria. While it’s a terrible shame that so many civilians have been killed, should the US get involved with either side (remember Hillary praising Assad not all that long ago?), we either help a brutal dictator who’s slaughtering his own people, or we help a coalition of terrorists, many of whom are Al Queda, who slaughtered 3000 Americans on September 11 (although I’m sure Jay Carney would say “that was a long time ago.”)

Sorry but we need to stand back and simply allow themselves to slaughter each other, because as soon as we help one side, they’re going to set aside their differences, and unite against US!

Mark


34 posted on 05/02/2013 6:32:47 AM PDT by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: Kaslin

I think it has something to do with trusting his “filter” or world view...I may be wrong.


35 posted on 05/02/2013 6:49:53 AM PDT by TheGunny
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To: Kaslin
"There would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movements on the chemical weapons front or the use of chemical weapons," he said back in August 2012. Chemical weapons were a "red line."

And just what are those enormous consequences? A letter to the UN? Leaders around the world have appraised obama, and they know the bball-playing-golfing faux president isn't going to do a damn thing. He won't even support and protect US personnel in the field (Benghazi).

36 posted on 05/02/2013 6:51:28 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: PghBaldy
I read the issue more as we can’t be trusted, that we are weak.

Under obama, we are your worst friend and your best enemy.

37 posted on 05/02/2013 6:53:24 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: 0.E.O

um...Israel for one.


38 posted on 05/02/2013 6:53:36 AM PDT by TheGunny
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To: 0.E.O

Didnt Israel strike a chemical wpns plant last week? I thought I heard that??


39 posted on 05/02/2013 6:55:13 AM PDT by TheGunny
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To: TheGunny
um...Israel for one.

Then what do they need us for?

40 posted on 05/02/2013 7:02:38 AM PDT by 0.E.O
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