Team Obama vowed that Assad would topple and that would usher in a new era of peace and tranquility in Syria. He set red lines, he boasted of a 65 nation coalition, yada-yada-yada. Turkish officials reportedly visited Riyadh this week to discuss a Sunni Muslim intervention force for Syria. The force would establish a safe zone on the Turkish border. Saudi defense officials also are to attend a NATO meeting in Brussels this week to discuss the Saudi proposal.
The Russians are laughing. (having dropped Barack’s trousers once again)
The Turks and Saudis appear desperate to try to keep Aleppo under opposition control. Aleppo’s capitulation would virtually end the organized opposition in western Syria. ISIL and militant groups affiliated with al-Qaida. At the recent pace of the offensive by the Syrian government and allied forces, the Turks, NATO and the Saudis appear to have missed the opportunity to rescue the Syrian opposition forces in western Syria.
While all this was going on, Syrian and allied forces continued their offensive to encircle Aleppo. Several news services reported that Aleppo is effectively cut off from any high volume line of communication to Turkey. A million people are trapped in Aleppo, according to one credible report.
Russia’s ambassador to Syria said that the Russian air task force’s operation has destroyed plans for a military solution to the Syrian crisis, meaning the overthrow of the Asad government by force. He said all sides involved are aware that there would be no quick fall of the Ba’athist government.
The Guardian reported that the opposition fighters in Aleppo said they are counting on the military support of those Arab states whose leaders said they will send ground forces to Syria to save them from defeat at the hands of Russian bombers and pro-Asad militias.
For the first time, the New York Times described the security situation as a developing into a rout of the opposition forces north of Aleppo.
A factor that has been neglected in most press coverage is that Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have been important combatants in the fighting north of Aleppo. On the 8th, they captured several towns in coordination with the Syrian government forces and with Russian air support. The Russians are making good on their promise to cut Turkey off at its knees. As for the opposition fighters in Aleppo, the likelihood that the Arab states would deploy a ground force capable of rescuing them is vanishingly small. Russian air superiority has deterred even the Turks from executing their plan to create a safe zone in northern Syria.
I hate to see US policy so effectively stomped, but I have become accustomed to it.
America, purveyor of firearm sales to Mexican cartels in Operation Fast and Furious, and to the Syrians through the Benghazi Consulate – the exposure of which prevented Hillary from sending help on 9/11-12/2012 since dead men tell no tales – creates consequences that a five year old could predict, but not Barack and Hillary, his imp.
We have become the gang who can’t find its ass with both hands. What a disgrace. I’m not saying that our foreign policy was correct in Syria, but once we had a vague notion of what needed to be done, we should have done it if for no other reason than to save face.
P. S. Please, no matter what, don’t give the nuclear launch codes to senile old Bernie Sanders. Just don’t. Not ever.
It's all a matter of perspective regarding the consequences of our feckless foreign policy.
The mullahs in Iran with nukes is a bad turn of events.
But Syria, it has always been a pus pot, is a pus pot, and will always be a pus pot. No oil, to speak of. Nothing produced that anybody wants. Screw Syria. As long as everybody understands that anybody coming from Syria is a toxin, and they treat them accordingly, then we are on the same page.
Ditto with Libya. It's too bad the Democrats screwed that situation up, too. But still, Libya is an inconsequential area of the world that has almost no impact on the US if they completely collapse into crap. Some oil, but oil is everywhere, apparently.
What a rip-roaring foreign policy success…
Syria has always been a tumor. Old man Assad just killed anybody who disagreed with him and the Russians sold him bargain basement military junk that worked internally (not so well against the Jews). Assad the younger wasn't tough enough and he didn't have the East German and Soviet advisors and equipment to keep it together. So like any cancerous tumor that festers without chemo, it spread. That's where we are today.
Our policy of replacing Assad was stupid. With whom? It's the same in most of those Middle Eastern hell holes. Saddam Hussein was a murderous thug, but without him we have Iran to deal with, which is worse.
One in a long chain.
The Syrian tumor is only local, however. Yes, some societies welcome the metastasis into their systems, but that's their problem. If anyone does this knowingly, they should consider applying for the Darwin Award. Their application will be positively received, believe me
Syria is akin to a basal cell carcinoma, not really malignant to the whole body, but rather it wreaks havoc on tissue adjacent to it. Eventually, if not treated, it will reach a vital organ. But that takes time.
The Germans are a practical people in most situations. I have faith that they will act to eject both the infection and the puss that surrounds it.
Your first assumption, that the US has ANY policy on the Mideast is likely to be false, unless Obama's ability to speak out of both sides of his mouth happens to be considered policy these days.
I thought that Obama's mutterings were American policy in the ObamaNation.
In the surrogate war, Russia is kicking our asses… sigh
That's because Barack, the professor, is running things based on his own vast lack of military experience.
Don't worry. Bernie wouldn't remember the codes anyway.
That's one bright, shining ray of hope for all of humanity.
This is true, and his hatred of the military. They are throwaway toys to him…
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