Warning: graphic video
Some say that Bashar al-Assad is viciously murdering civilians in rebel-held areas of Syria with poison gas. Others insist that maybe the rebels themselves are doing it, or perhaps aliens from another galaxy. Although it seems to me that the evidence against Assad is close to overwhelming, it is not apparently not overwhelming enough for the humanitarians of the world to do anything more than talk about it.
For example,
On Friday, Obama also cautioned against “jumping into” immediate action, saying the U.S. needs to think strategically about its long-term interest and needs to work co-operatively with its allies. He also said the belief that the U.S. can end the Syrian conflict on its own is “overstated.”
Intelligence services of US ally Israel have indicated that they think that Assad, and not an alien death star, is actually gassing women and children to death.
Obama is right that the US can’t end the Syrian conflict on its own. But the US can end the gassing. I present the following plan to President Obama at no charge. If he wants, he can do it today.
- Bomb regime targets and inform Assad that this is punishment for his war crimes;
- if there is more gassing, increase the number of targets and go to step 1.
Note that whether this results in regime change in favor of the rebels is entirely up to Assad. Of course nothing is more important to him than staying in power.
But wait! What if all the videos are fakes? What if the rebels or space aliens really are responsible? Simple — just add a step 0: give Assad an ultimatum that he has 12 hours to permit an inspection of the scene of the alleged crime. If he refuses, or if inspectors find that he is in fact guilty, then go to step 1. This requires even less commitment than a no-fly zone, and puts the onus entirely on Assad.
I’m quite serious. This can’t continue, both because it is atrocious and because of the precedent it sets. The West needs to act, for once, against barbarism.
Technorati Tags: Assad, chemical attack, Syria, war crimes
So Israel does not want Iran taking over Syria. And as long as Assad remains in power the Iranian dilemma over Israel grows.
Forcing the US into Syria to control terrorists the U.S. already trained in Jordan is another reason that Israeli Intel wants to force U.S. intervention.
What are we to make of this all happening after Assad requests WMD inspectors come to Syria? Assad calls in the UN to investigate WMD’s being used by FSA supporters. Assad does this because he wants to prove it is not he who is doing it – and then Assad gasses his own people to justify foreign intervention and being himself dragged before the World Court?
Even Assad is not that stupid.
The same Israeli government that supplies free houses and businesses to the PA in Gaza now wants to do the same to the Jews they have made helpless in the West Bank. Soon those Jews will also be put into “temporary”internment camps to languish with the former Gaza Jews. This will be done regardless of any referendum because after Gaza Bibi Netanyahu knows Jews do nothing if a PM ignores a referendum.
You would trust an intelligence service of a government that permanently confiscates the lively hood from it’s own people to appease those that murder Jews?
In light of the forgoing I find it very difficult at this time to believe “sources within Israeli Intelligence” are in any way truthful and are not fabricating accusations against Assad.
So, MDA, who did the gassing? The rebels? Did they kill their own supporters, including children?
Someone else? Supposedly there were no stored weapons nearby, so it wasn’t an accident.
Or are the videos faked? They look real enough. Maybe the CIA or KGB (or whatever it’s called today) did it? Certainly not Assad or the rebels.
Vic, Obama cannot, absolutely cannot, take a stand against this barbarism.
You know he can’t.
He’s got far, far more important things to do.
You see, if he does something about this, it might interfere with those talks that are now taking place, aimed at shoving a Saudi-style “peace” [surrender] plan down Israel’s throat. And you know, there is NOTHING more important than that. This is the Whole Reason For The Obama Presidency.
I mean, if there were a 200 mile-wide asteroid hurtling towards earth, even that would not distract him from his all-consuming quest to f*** Israel (heck, he’d probably blame the asteroid on Israel’s unwillingness to capitulate to the Palestinians…).
So, you think a little thing like some civilians getting gassed next door in Syria is going to be permitted to distract him from this?
The most accurate predictive model for Obama’s foreign policy is this: Does a given action a) increase pressure or b) decrease pressure on Israel? If the answer is “a”, then do it. If the answer is “b”, don’t do it.
Examples:
– Support anti-government protestors in Iran in the wake of a rigged election? Clearly, this is a “b” case, so nothing was done.
– Support MB overthrow of staunch Western ally Egyptian leader? Now, this is an “a” case. DO IT!
– Support Islamist overthrow of Libyan leader, so his arsenal can be freed up to support jihadist anti-Israel elements, in Gaza among other places? Another “a’ case in spades!
– Take action to topple Iran’s key Arab ally and thus effect a major setback to Israel’s greatest regional enemy? Definite “b” case.
So, since getting involved in Syria as you suggest, Vic, would very likely decrease pressure on Israel, this is a no-go for Obama. It would be even worse than that; it would even highlight how desirable/valuable Israel is as an ally to the U.S.
Therefore, there is ZERO chance of Obama doing anything about this.
I wish I could be saying this tongue-in-cheek, as a joke. But as you can see from the examples I cite above, this is no joke. I only wish it were.
That is how insane the world of today is, Vic.
The pictures of the dead from the chemical attack are horrifying.
The moral imperative is to prevent such actions in the future.
The moral imperative is to destroy the perpetrators of such attacks.
But how to achieve this? And will U.S. action in fact do this or rather lead to a Syrian reaction of a total missile attack on Israel which will bring the horror directly on us?
I feel I am simply not in the position to know the right response here. I do by the way also fear that a U.S. attack on Syria is one which Israel will pay the major price for. So with all the moral outrage I do not know what course of action it is right to recommend here.
Shalom:
First priority of Assad is to stay in power. Attacking Israel would be beyond stupid — reaction would be to destroy all of his military assets.
Why would Assad launch chemical attack against rebels? Only because he thinks he can break their backs and there will be no repercussions.
The very knowledgeable J E Dyer points out here http://tinyurl.com/m6ed9dr that there are more Russian ships in the Eastern Med now than US ships. She doesn’t think the US will act.
So perhaps Assad is right.
On the other hand, Obama is stupid, stupid, stupid.
There is also a French carrier in the Med (US has destroyers with Tomahawk missiles, no carriers).
Assad is issuing threats of a wider war if attacked. But he fully understands Israel’s capability to respond.
Best if Obama would go back to sleep for a while.
Yes, Vic. That is what makes this new emerging situation so dangerous. But I’d go further.
We’ll start with Obama is stupid, stupid, stupid. A clear given that even barnyard animals can readily see.
Same for John Brennan.
Same for John Kerry (whose only real accomplishment in life was marrying a rich woman…)
Same for Chuck Hagel (the “UberStupid”).
Same for Susan Rice.
Same for Samantha Power.
Probably same for CoS Dempsey (only reason why Obama would have chosen him for that post….he couldn’t tolerate someone smarter than himself…connect the dots).
So, um, where is Obama going to get any good advice, that he would follow even if he did?
So, the players in this situation start with Obama, who has to finally prove that he “means it”.
Then there are all the other players, who likely correctly see this as a very serious game of brinksmanship. Who have a lot at stake. Who will go pretty far to protect their position.
I am not sanguine about this.
The only good I can see coming out of any scenario would be three things:
– Israel plays a role that forces Obama & Co. to appreciate Israel’s value as an ally., which in turn…
– …perhaps finally persuades them to BACK THE F*** OFF on the Palestinian issue already!! (I can dream, can’t I?…Maybe Congress will react in such a way as to indirectly lead to this outcome?)
– In the course of the fireworks, Israel takes the opportunity to do something decisive about Iran’s nuke program (I think this is what Obama is most afraid of, along with distracting from the Most Important Problem To Be Solved In The World Today; i.e., the Palestinians).
I can also see a lot of bad things coming out of this. Even if the good things I list above happen, a lot of Jewish civilians are probably going to get killed. And as far as I’m concerned, that is ALL blood on Obama’s hands. He could have acted on Syria a long time ago, at far less risk to all concerned, but NOOOOOO, he couldn’t do ANYTHING that MIGHT serve to relieve pressure on Israel!! NO, NOT THAT!! NEVER THAT!!!
Let’s hear it for Mr. Hope & Change, eh…?
Worst president ever….worst president ever….