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Vanity: Obama & Syria
Sep 11, 2014 | me

Posted on 09/10/2014 10:00:47 PM PDT by Ray76

Last night, Sept 10, 2014, Obama said the US will train and arm moderate Syrian rebels.[1]

For the past several years we've been hearing various justifications for arming Syrian rebels. This time the justification is to combat ISIS, in the past is was alleged Assad used chemical weapons.

In June 2013 Obama said Assad used chemical weapons, the he had crossed the "red line", and that therefore the US was justified in training and arming moderate Syrian rebels.[2] Yet in early 2012 the CIA had been working with Turkey to arm these groups[3] and in September 2012 Petraeus was visiting Turkey to "vet" and "shape" the Syrian opposition.[4]

This raises the question of just how legitimate was the "red line" justification for arming the Free Syria Army.

In any event, it didn't work out too well.

Previous arming of Syrian rebels has resulted in most of those arms going to "other than moderate" Syrian rebels[4]. Those rebels have gone on to become ISIS/ISIL and now Islamic State. They have seized half a billion dollars by looting Iraqi banks and a large quantity US equipment, tanks, anti-aricraft, humvees, etc. They are now much more powerful than they were, due partly to active assistance from the US.

Why was ISIS allowed to possess US equipment when they could have been wiped out (think "highway of death")? This is passive assistance from the US.

For some reason Obama has wanted to overthrow Assad for several years and has come up with flimsy excuses to do so. At least that's the "optics", Obama's true motivation may be quite different.

Now on Sept 10, 2014 Obama vows more arms to Syrian rebels. What could go wrong?

[1] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/09/10/obama-authorizing-us-airstrikes-in-syria/

[2] http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/13/red_lined_white_house_says_it_knows_for_sure_that_assad_used_chemical_weapons

[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/world/middleeast/arms-airlift-to-syrian-rebels-expands-with-cia-aid.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/world/middleeast/jihadists-receiving-most-arms-sent-to-syrian-rebels.html?_r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&adxnnl=1&emc=edit_th_20121015&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1410408791-6PBmBlNP3RxI54SwXh8VZg


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: obama; syria

1 posted on 09/10/2014 10:00:48 PM PDT by Ray76
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To: Ray76
For some reason Obama has wanted to overthrow Assad for several years and has come up with flimsy excuses to do so.

Well, yeah. Assad and his father killed off tens of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood trash which set the MB and their al Qaeda terror division, back 50 years in their plans for the Middle East.

Obama is the MB's man in the White Hut, and is settling old scores. Same reason for Mubarak and to some extent Qaddafi.

2 posted on 09/10/2014 10:26:43 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (America, a Rule of Mob nation)
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To: Ray76
We could be being snookered into helping the Qatari agenda of overthrowing Assad on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood -

Read Never Forget Qatar's role in 9/11 for one overview on that background, and also Daniel Greenberg's piece about one of our Syrian Rebel "facilitators" and his connections with the DNC, the White House, and McCain,

"Meet the Syrian Islamist Organization Controlling Senator McCain’s Agenda"

3 posted on 09/10/2014 11:00:52 PM PDT by Prospero (Si Deus trucido mihi, ego etiam fides Deus.)
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To: Ray76

This is the sleazy slight of hand you use to implicate the US.

You make this statement sourcing a NYT article in your #4:

“Previous arming of Syrian rebels has resulted in most of those arms going to “other than moderate” Syrian rebels[4]. Those rebels have gone on to become ISIS/ISIL and now Islamic State.... They are now much more powerful than they were, due partly to active assistance from the US.

The actual citation of your #4 source states:

“Most of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply Syrian rebel groups fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists”

There is not “active assistance from the US” just active BS from you.


4 posted on 09/10/2014 11:14:18 PM PDT by Justa
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To: Justa

Do you really believe these “rebels” are organized into formal groups? The membership of these groups is constantly shifting. Groups split, merge, etc.

Arming ANY Syrian rebel is active aid.

December 2013:

“The Obama administration is cutting off aid to rebels in northern Syria amid concerns that it could fall into the hands of Al Qaeda-tied militants.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/12/us-suspends-aid-to-syrian-rebels/

If there was not “active assistance from the US” how could it be cut off?


5 posted on 09/10/2014 11:40:58 PM PDT by Ray76 (True change requires true change - A Second Party ...or else it's more of the same...)
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To: Ray76
Obama said the US will train and arm moderate Syrian rebels

Both of them?

6 posted on 09/10/2014 11:46:19 PM PDT by ArmstedFragg (Hoaxey Dopey Changey)
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To: Justa

It’s indisputable that the US has been arming Syrian rebels.


7 posted on 09/10/2014 11:46:34 PM PDT by Ray76 (True change requires true change - A Second Party ...or else it's more of the same...)
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To: Ray76

Personally, I think we have been snookered again. American fought against last year, getting involved in Syria (remember McCain and his photo-op with the ‘so called good rebels’). There was so much back-lash that I think PLAN B was implemented.

PLAN B= letting ISIS grow and get out of hand and do some shocking things to a degree (like behead American journalists, starve, rape women and children)....that WE THE PEOPLE finally give in and so ok, do whatever you need...

And here we are.....


8 posted on 09/11/2014 3:46:15 AM PDT by Engedi
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