Obama Hails Syrian Pact, Calling It a Crucial Step

New York Times ^ | September 15, 2013 | MICHAEL D. SHEAR

[lbryce]

President Obama on Sunday hailed the agreement reached with Russia over the weekend to seize and destroy Syria’s chemical weapons as a “foundation” that could eventually lead to a political settlement of the civil war that has gripped that nation and killed tens of thousands of people over the last two years.

Mr. Obama said the United States was in a “better position” to prevent President Bashar al-Assad of Syria from using poison gas again because of the deal hammered out by Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.

“Look, we’re not there yet,” Mr. Obama said in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on the ABC News program “This Week.” “We don’t have an actual, verifiable deal that will begin that process. But the distance that we’ve traveled over these couple of weeks is remarkable.”

Mr. Obama took credit for creating the pressure that led to the deal by threatening -- and then backing off from -- a military strike in Syria. And he defended his actions over the last two weeks, saying his critics are judging him on style, not on the substance of his policies.

“Had we rolled out something that was very smooth and disciplined and linear they would have graded it well, even if it was a disastrous policy,” Mr. Obama said. “We know that, because that’s exactly how they graded the Iraq War until it ended up blowing in our face.”

He said his administration over the last several weeks had focused on preventing Mr. Assad from using chemical weapons again, after an attack last month that is said to have killed more than 1,400 civilians.

[Marine_Uncle]

Same bad news from my mind as well. Such a large assembly of really bad actors within the Executive Branch at present.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

The Brits must realize Obama’s legally theirs.

[Marine_Uncle]

I would be surprised it that was not the case.