Robert Spencer at FrontPageMag:
Obama doesn’t even have any real allies inside Syria…The major rebel groups are all allied with al-Qaeda. John Kerry insists they’re “secular” and John McCain assures us they’re “moderates.” None of these groups, however, have shown any sign of being either.
Vladimir Putin:
“They lie beautifully, of course. I saw debates in Congress. A congressman asks Mr Kerry: ‘Is al Qaeda there?’ He says: ‘No, I am telling you responsibly that it is not.’ Al Qaeda units are the main military echelon, and they know this. It was unpleasant and surprising for me – we talk to them, we proceed from the assumption that they are decent people. But he is lying and knows he is lying. It’s sad.”
Related: “Al-Qaeda Vows to Slaughter Christians After U.S. ‘Liberates’ Syria”.
No worries, OBamBam will launch a few cruise missiles, Damascus will get a military grade fireworks show, Chris Mathews will get the thrill up his leg again, CNN will claim Obama showed Syria what happens when you cross red lines he didn’t make and everyone else will wait for the gong show to end so Shrillary can get her turn.
It is such a wonderfully progressive world.
I’m in awe as to what lengths (depths) this peace prize winner will go to to get involved in a needless no-win war. What a psychopath.
How refreshing to see that Putin sees through all the posturing within the B. Hussien administration.
Everything that is said by this regime is a lie told in order to further their marxist agenda. Everything B. Hussien says is a nod towards legitimizing islam as something to be respected. It wouldn’t matter how horrible the behavior of the islamists, B. Hussien would find a way to defend it, or to minimize the damage to their cause.
To hell with all of them.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obama-syria-vote-house/2013/09/05/id/524077
Obama on Verge of Historic Rebuke Over Syria
“Various news organizations are contacting members of Congress to see where they stand on the attack authorization. While each outlet has different numbers, the ominous sign for the administration is that all of them show the “no” votes outpacing the “yes” votes by a more than a 3-to-1 margin.
Most alarming for the administration may be The Washington Post whip count.
As of Thursday afternoon, it showed 183 representatives either declaring their intention to vote against authorization, or leaning against it. That compares to just 20 members who have stated they favor authorizing the strike.”
It would appear the “Obama-Nation(tm)” would have more luck mustering support for the UN resources in the Congo where 5-6 million have perished in the quest for coltan because everybody needs an “Obamaphone”…
But of course another genocide in Africa would be racist…
Meanwhile, extensive lobbying by Golf Cart I continues as it circles the sand trap…
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner
UPDATE: Thursday, 5:40 p.m. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that President Obama and top officials within the administration have now lobbied 60 senators and 125 house members in an effort to win support for the authorization of a military strike on Syria. Those involved in the outreach effort include President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Kerry, Secretary of Defense Hagel, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power. While Obama has won support of the many prominent House leaders, including Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi, he seems to be facing strong opposition among much of the rank and file of both parties.
Well naturally, as Ms Pelosi would have it, paraphrasing Obomba-care, ‘You have to bomb Syria, to find out what’s in it.’
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
I am beginning to think the only hope for the USA is if some well-positioned members of the military find their inner Pinochet.
Sarah Palin says don’t get involved and let Allah sort it out
There are lots of good reasons to stay the hell out of Syria but the notion that AQ dominates the anti-Assad opposition is not factually supported. Here is a ground report.
The conventional wisdom holds that the extremist elements are completely mixed in with the more moderate rebel groups. This isn’t the case. Moderates and extremists wield control over distinct territory. Although these areas are often close to one another, checkpoints demarcate control. On my last trip into Syria earlier this month, we traveled freely through parts of Aleppo controlled by the Free Syrian Army, following roads that kept us at safe distance from the checkpoints marked by the flag of the Islamic State of Iraq. Please see the nearby map for more detail.
Contrary to many media accounts, the war in Syria is not being waged entirely, or even predominantly, by dangerous Islamists and al Qaeda die-hards. The jihadists pouring into Syria from countries like Iraq and Lebanon are not flocking to the front lines. Instead they are concentrating their efforts on consolidating control in the northern, rebel-held areas of the country.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324463604579044642794711158.html
It’s kinda funny watching Putin call Kerry a liar. They are both psychotic liars just Kerry is too dull to know the truth or care about it while Putin is kind of an insecure wannabe He-man. They should both get a room and fight to the death.
It’s a good article, LAS. I’ve seen other, differing accounts of who the main players are, and maps of the region showing who controls which areas, but it’s such a chaotic, mutable situation with so many unknowns, in part because there’s not a lot of on-the-ground reporting from areas or those held by the most Islamist of the rebels, who can be a little standoffish to westerners in general, and western American women in particular.
On that latter note, it’s understood that not everyone fighting Assad is an Islamist bogeyman or a member of al-Qaeda, but Elizabeth O’Bagy’s account is just (another) partial window to the truth, inasmuch as she admittedly (and quite understandably) spent her time with the more reasonable and civilized and democratically-minded rebel groups – the sorts who would be friendly to a western women — not with the radical Islamists doing barbaric things in other regions. It’s easy for anyone to be swept up in the particular narrative in such a circumstance.
What nobody including O’Bagy knows (and to her credit, she doesn’t pretend to) is who will form the government, and what sort of government it will be, and what will happen to Christians and the more westernized woman and particular Islamic sects, etc., if Assad is overthrown. I don’t think any honest man or woman on earth would say they have an answer to that question — we don’t even see dishonest Democrat politicians, or Republicans like McCain, even pretending to go anywhere near that question — and that’s troubling. One should have a goal, other than political jockeying, when one opts for military action.
Speaking of Ms O’Baggage, she was on Cavuto today and exposed as a paid mouthpiece for the so called rebels. I’d trust her word about as much as Justin Trudeau.
The only choice is to vote present. If they vote yes they’ll wear the results, if they vote no Obama will say the evil republicans in congress are responsible for the deaths of innocent babies and cute puppies and then he’ll send in missiles anyway. Voting present is the only option.
See the following:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2652116150001/questions-arise-over-background-motivation-of-syrian-rebels/?playlist_id=930909826001
Pay attention at the 1:12 mark.
True all that EBD. This is case where we should just let Israel handle it. Israel: is there anything it can’t do?
Related: John Baird really wants the world to bomb Assad.
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/straighttalk/archives/2013/09/20130904-161747.html
Putin re Kerry and Zero: “It was unpleasant and surprising for me – we talk to them, we proceed from the assumption that they are decent people. But he is lying and knows he is lying. It’s sad.”
Who would’ve thought that Putin would be right? When Russia, not the U.S.A., has the moral high ground –whaaaaat? — you’ve just gotta wonder …
Agreed.
Somehow I do not think that Putin just discovered that Kerry always has been a liar. You can bet the Russians did a full background check on the swift boat hero.
Rush Limbaugh, regarding the liars:
“RUSH: Folks, the Syria news today — it was bad yesterday. It was embarrassing yesterday. Today the whole world is laughing at us, and I am not kidding…”
“Obama doesn’t even have his base on this. And according to whip counts and head counts right now, it looks like Obama’s request for a congressional authorization for the use of force in the Syria isn’t going to pass the House…”
and:
“Now, you know, Vladimir Putin is saying that Obama and Kerry are lying. And I don’t know about you, but I find myself to be in a really curious situation. Who do I believe, Vladimir Putin or Barack Obama and John Kerry? See, this may be a little tough to hear, but I know that John Kerry lies about things. I know that Barack Obama big time misrepresents things. That’s what the whole Limbaugh Theorem is. I know liberals lie as a matter of course. They have to. We know that they lied about Benghazi and the stupid video. So here they’re telling us one thing, and Putin says, “No, no, no, no, it’s just the exact opposite.”
Russia says they have compiled a 100-page report blaming the Syrian rebels for the chemical weapons attack, not Assad, just as we reported on this program on Tuesday. A 100-page report. Now, I don’t know about you, but what does it feel like to have to agree with a former KGB agent? “The Russian statement warned the United States and its allies –” which, in this case, is France “– not to conduct a military strike against Syria until the United Nations had completed a similarly detailed scientific study into the August 21st attack.” Russia’s done their own. It’s a 100-page report. Russia has found that the Syrian rebels did the attack…”
Quite a bit more at this link:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/09/05/everyone_in_this_syria_play_is_a_liar
“On that latter note, it’s understood that not everyone fighting Assad is an Islamist bogeyman or a member of al-Qaeda”*
At this point it behooves me to point out that it’s kinda obvious from the lack of lip service that the Iranian secular protest movement or the Christian genocide by the Janjaweed militia in Sudan got, that Obama is interested only in helping Islamist militants internationally.
So if Obama wants to help, he’s helping the bad guys. Prove me wrong by citing an opposing example.
*it may or may not be true that the Free Syrian Army is not al-Qaeda affiliated, but the al-Nusra Front is the group kicking ass and they are al-Qaeda.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Nusra_Front
Now you have the name. Do your own research on it.
islam is the problem. it does not matter whether you call it al-Qaeda, the Taliban, al-nusra or any other name. those who think they are obscuring who or what organizing group is in charge are just fooling themselves.
What would Mao do?
In the words of Mao Tse-Tung: “Kingdom A won because while fighting Kingdom B alongside Kingdom C it simultaneously undermined Kingdom C.”
So, the FSA can win if they fight against the Assad Kingdom alongside Al Nusra, while simultaneously undermining Al Nusra. Israel, Saudis, Turkey and the US can provide passive assistance.
Wouldn’t the Ayatollahs of Iran and Lebanon be mad when they lose Syria — the centre of the Shi’ite Crescent?
@ old white guy: Exactly right. What does it matter if Putin is right or wrong or Obama/Kerry is. It makes no difference. What matters is that the U.S. has no long term (or short term) interest in this war. Unless the plan is to actually take over the country and run it, something that is completely out of the question, there is nothing to be gained by supporting either side. That should be the end of the conversation. But it never is……….
I don’t want to sound like an Iranian sympathizer but who can really blame them for wanting a bomb. Saddam invaded their country, over 2.5 million killed. No UN call for relief then.
Who is really responsible for the unrest in the ME. IMHO it is the Saudis. They fund radical Islam all around the world. It is the Saudi Sunni movement which is funding the revolt in Syria. It is the Sauds that promote the most feudal aspects of world Islam.
Oh good, there are “moderates” whose side we can be on. (Are they as moderate as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt?)
LAS and his crusty old buddy John McCain can only defend Al Qaeda for so long.
It’s not hard to see why LAS also defends home grown pedophiles on other SDA threads as well now.
Vlad Putin said: “They lie beautifully, of course.” Well, he would be able to appreciate an accomplished liar wouldn’t he? Being one himself, y’know. Putin would be a world class connoisseur of lying.
Saying Obama is lying is like saying the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. You don’t get credibility points for stating the obvious.
Picking a side in Syria is like picking a side in a Crips vs. Bloods rumble. The correct course of action is to stand back and wait for them to get tired, then machine gun whoever is left standing. Rinse and repeat as necessary.
The very most any Western nation should be doing is putting up some temporary aid for the refugees. Thats what the UN is supposed to be for, and we should be flogging them like a rented mule to get it done. Some tar and feathers judiciously applied to UN apparatchiks might help speed things along and reduce pilferage.
Whole thing is making me cranky.
Yeah well, it’s just another battle for hearts and minds….
The question of course is whose hearts and whose minds…..
And regardless….does it really matter?
Regardless whatever action taken, or how things resolve there seems an indication that there will be a chemical attack on Europe or NA.
Tain’t right, tain’t wrong …just is…
I am in awe regarding the disappearance of most if not all of the far left peace protestors. Where are the giant pink dancing vaginas of code pink?
“the FSA can win if they fight against the Assad Kingdom alongside Al Nusra, while simultaneously undermining Al Nusra”
al-Qaeda are past-masters at undermining governments and organizations.
Yeah, you keep believing that up is down. The Syrian rebels(al-Nusra) were being supplied by the U.S. from Benghazi Libya. Syria is Libya redux.
Doomed to repeat history because we don’t learn from it, eh?
Geez, looks like you’re right, TrueNorthist (9:20 PM), that O’Bagy is a paid advocate for the rebels:
When The Daily Caller spoke to O’Bagy about this she “said that despite her titled as the group’s political director, she is paid as a contractor.”
In other words, she’s paid to put a smiley-face on the rebels for American audience, including politicians who try to pass along the smiley news:
PUtin had no qualms about gassing Chechen terrorists and their hostages, so he has a lot more real-life experience than the part-time university professor.
“Secretary of State John Kerry encouraged …”
Yes, that would be the same State Department that labeled the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as ‘moderate’ and ‘secular’ and has been secretly funneling arms from Benghazi to the ‘Syrian Rebels’.
Let’s not forget that LAS or Libertarians-are-Smarter as it may have been called back then was in total denial of the al-Qaeda presence and strength in Libya. One only has to peruse the archives here at SDA to review the facts.
Let’s not forget that LAS or Libertarians-are-Smarter as it may have been called back then was in total denial of the al-Qaeda presence and strength in Libya.
And I was once again right: AQ has not succeeded in taking Libya. They could only attack a US consulate. God I’m awesome and you suck.
I just saw a “body language expert” on CNN say that during the initial meeting recently between Obama and Putin, where she said that Putin was deferential to a strong Obama in their handshake. Never have I seen such unmitigated BS from CNN. And that is saying a lot.
I’m curious to hear what commenters think about the position O’Reilly laid out yesterday. Here’s my synopsis of his POV:
Consider a) that Iran is the biggest threat in the Middle East and our largest foe in that region strongly supports the Assad regime.
Consider b) that the Russians and China, also foes of America, strongly support the Assad regime.
Consider c) retaliation for the use of illegal chemical weapons is acceptable for moral reasons(our PM has said as much).
Taking these 3 main points into consideration, it appears to me that you can make a convincing case for military intervention in Syria on behalf of the Syrian rebels; and ore importantly, that it’s in America’s best interest. Assisting the rebels would damage the interests of Iran, Russia and China. That is good! It would also, if done correctly, set an example as a deterrent as Iran continues to move towards nuclear capabilities.
The way I see things, the Russians are bluffing. Hard! If I was the President, I would call this bluff; and retake the respect, the moral high ground, and the moral authority as the world’s leader. The time is now! This opportunity for Obama is a gift.JMO
All of that said, I do not believe Obama has the desire, nor the will to do such a thing(the right think); as it goes against his core belief that America has no right to lead the world; and, it gravely hurts his domestic agenda, which was the reason he drew the “red line” in the first place. Plus, he has no intention of stopping Iran from going nuclear, but I digress. Quite frankly, I don’t believe Obama gives a flying fcuk about the women and children being slaughtered in Syria. The “red line” BS was naught but a deflection tactic to avoid discussing why Obama wasn’t threatening war in 2012, when it was clear Syria was slaughtering citizens by the 1000s.
So to wrap it up, if John McCain was POTUS, I’d be saying “go for it; call those Russian bastards out!”; but, unfortunately Obama is POTUS, so I must say “can you please go golfing or something?”.
No kidding. If Putin put Obama in a full nelson CNN’s “body language expert” would probably have have called it a “warm hug.”
I seriously doubt that Vladimir Putin feels anything even remotely resembling deference towards the TOTUS.
You make an interesting point but I still think the US should stay out of it. For one thing, Assad cannot win. Right now, Syria is a self-running garbeurator for all of our enemies to stomp each other to bits free of charge to us. Iran, Hezbollah, and probably Russia are going to jam their hands in and lose their shirts. AQ will expend a lot of resources and The Saudis will also burn a lot of money and that’s good. This civil war has been an absolute godsend. It’s even empowering the Kurds, who are very pro-western.
I thought O’Reilly was overdoing his support for military action a little too much and ignoring what happens if the rebels win and when the al-Qaeda takes over. This is a tough call as to who to support. Palin is right in suggesting let Allah sort it out, and give Israel a green light to cripple Iran’s nuclear bomb efforts.
Libya has worked out real well, as has Egypt, and no doubt there is trouble brewing elsewhere. The Islamists are determined to re-establish their so-called caliphate.
Point taken. To continue my poker analogy, calling Putin’s bluff will be difficult, because he would likely “re-raise” the stakes correctly expecting Obama will fold. Obama’s no poker player; he’s the chick that interviews the real players after they’ve been booted from the table.
Better yet, speaking of “chicks”; it’s an international game of Chicken which I frankly don’t think POTUS has the intestinal fortitude to stay the course. So, by default, I concede my point to the majority POV which you happen to be taking.
Valerie Jarrett.
She’s Iranian.
Closest adviser to Oblameya.
Where to her allegiances and core beliefs lie?
The total destruction of Israel perhaps?
Would that be in America’s best interest or the foreign backers of Oblameya’s campaign?
I don’t know.
Are the enemy’s of America outside it’s border or internal at this point?
Putin is trained to think strategically and will capitalize on any perceived weakness the present regime in the White House offers up.
That’s his job as the leader of Russia.
That’s a given.
Why this clu$terf#.. of an administration is giving him a roadmap to help him over a dump like Syria is unbelievable
When Palin said “let Allah sort it out” I think she was trying to protect the USA from aiding and abetting the Russians strategic support of Syria and Assad vis a vis a clueless American State dept.
JMO
Understood; but, is the problem the proverbial car, or the person driving the car?
As I’ve said above, my views on this issue are being swayed to the mainstream opinion that you, LAS and Sarah Palin share; but for slightly different reasons.
As I alluded to above, I don’t even think we’d be in this situation if John McCain was POTUS; because it appears to me, THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THE CHEMICAL ATTACK WAS TO ANTAGONIZE OBAMA, AND EXPOSE HIS INPETITUDE; AND BY DEFAULT, AMERICA’S INEPTITUDE.
The attack IS the proverbial “shot across the bow”; with the strings being pulled by Russia and Iran. They can do this because Obama’s “red line” bluff is paper thin. Obama has no clue that our foreign enemies have been watching US domestic politics very closely; and they are easily able to project exactly how Obama will react: PITIFULLY.
It’s no coincidence that this is happening AFTER the 2012 election; and, it’s no coincidence that Obama’s foes are his onetime SUPPORTERS DURING THE 2012 ELECTION. Hmmmm.
This entire scenario IS A SET-UP!
A “Damned if you do, Damned if you don’t” scenario; but ONLY because of Obama’s foreign policy impotence, as a result of his domestic political calculations, and his prime ideological distaste for America’s leadership role in the first place.
The ONLY way to come-out ahead, and to regain the clout I mentioned, is to do exactly as I’ve proposed. That which I’ve proposed which POTUS is incapable of doing for the aforementioned reasons.
Lastly, the will of the American people to do this difficult thing (CORRCTLY) has been eviscerated by the Dems and the MSM via their pillaging of GWB and the Iraq war.
The bottom line is this… today, politically speaking, the USA is WEAK, not strong; and the only thing that’s going to save Obama’s political a$$ is the kick-off to the 2013 NFL Season. You know… important stuff.
Cheers
LAS >
“This civil war has been an absolute godsend”.
Well instead of sounding like an absolute moron, why don’t you man up, grab a couple of extra joints and a musket and go help out your brethren. I’m sure they’ll see you as a godsend as well!
Related: “Al-Qaeda Vows to Slaughter Christians After U.S. ‘Liberates’ Syria”.
“In the attack on the village of Maaloula, rebels commandeered a mountaintop hotel and nearby caves and shelled the community below”
The ‘rebels’ mentioned in that article are the al-Nusra Front and the ‘moderate’ FSA Free Syrian Army fighting side-by-side slaughtering Christians.
I tells ya, the FSA is a façade to put lipstick on the Jihadi pig and make it more palatable for the western public to accept intervention in Syria’s civil war by their governments.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10289944/Syria-crisis-al-Qaeda-seizes-village-that-still-speaks-the-ancient-language-of-Christ.html
Best comment on this subject:
..Right now, Syria is a self-running garbeurator for all of our enemies to stomp each other to bits free of charge to us. Iran, Hezbollah, and probably Russia are going to jam their hands in and lose their shirts. AQ will expend a lot of resources and The Saudis will also burn a lot of money and that’s good. This civil war has been an absolute godsend. It’s even empowering the Kurds, who are very pro-western…
There is no good reason to do anything in Syria..PERIOD. This all about Obama’s ego and self esteem. Does anyone think that NOW, if they do go ahead and launch a few cruise missiles, said action will in any way deter N. Korea or Iran of their Nuclear ambitions..???
…ain’t happening.