The title of a recently released MSNBC article is “Obama on Syria: ‘I have NOT made a decision‘” (Web-site/URL: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/28/20227083-obama-on-syria-i-have-not-made-a-decision?lite).
“President Barack Obama made the case Wednesday (August 28, 2013) for a strike against Syria to send a message and discourage the future use of chemical weapons — but said he had NOT YET made a decision on whether to take action”.
“In an interview with PBS Newshour, Obama said: “We have NOT YET made a decision (on whether or not to go to war with Syria), but THE INTERNATIONAL NORM AGAINST THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS needs to be kept in place. If we are saying in a CLEAR and DECISIVE, but VERY LIMITED (?) way, we SEND A SHOT ACROSS THE BOW (?) saying, ‘Stop doing this‘, this can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term“. “clear and decisive” and “very limited” DON’T seem to go together.
“one U.S. official told NBC News“, “This issue is DEAD. The Russians WON’T BUDGE“, AS EXPECTED (Web-site/URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgnAY_eXYbI).
According to State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, “”We’ve consistently said that we support U.N. Security Council action. My understanding is that today (August 29, 2013) WE HEARD NOTHING DIFFERENT from the Russians in today’s (August 29, 2013) meeting than we have for MONTHS and indeed YEARS about Syria”.
“China has also said military action would not help solve the crisis in Syria, but also repeated that it OPPOSED anyone using chemical weapons“. This is an ODD combination. In other words “would not help solve the crisis in Syria” and “opposed anyone using chemical weapons” DON’T seem to go together.
“In a statement on the ministry’s website, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: “A POLITICAL resolution has, from the very beginning, been the only way out for the Syrian issue“. Is “a political solution” possible?
“Shaping up as another obstacle, a bi-partisan group of 116 Congressmen (98 Republicans and 18 Democrats) signed a letter to Obama asking him “to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria. Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States and without prior Congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution”. Once again, we have a BALANCE OF POWER debate.
Finally, “At the U.N., Syria’s ambassador, Bashar Ja’afari, said flatly: “We know that the Syrian government is TOTALLY INNOCENT of these accusations”. This is A DEFENSIVE ASSERTION “He also said that Syrian rebels had unleashed poison gas on regime forces and asked the U.N. to investigate”.
“He insisted that U.N. inspectors be allowed to work without political or military pressure. He would not confirm reports that Syria was already evacuating military bases and government buildings, but he said: “We are in a state of WAR right now“. Syria seems to be “in a state of war” with EVERYONE these days.
obamareelected2012 