Posted on 02/11/2016 2:49:13 PM PST by Trumpinator
At the core of the American strategic dilemma is that the Russian military adventure, which Mr. Obama dismissed last year as ill-thought-out muscle flexing, has been surprising effective...
Testifying on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper, offered a sobering picture of Russia’s success, even if it proves a temporary one.
“Putin is the first leader since Stalin to expand Russia’s territory,†he told a Senate committee. In Russia’s first major overseas military effort since its humiliation in Afghanistan 35 years ago, he said, “Its interventions demonstrate the improvements in Russian military capabilities and the Kremlin’s confidence in using them.â€
Mr. Obama has been cautious, rejecting a plan, for example, from then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the C.I.A. director at the time, David H. Petraeus, to start a large-scale arming of the rebel groups.
While the official position of the United States remains that Mr. Assad must leave office, Mr. Kerry and his aides will not say when he must leave, or whether he could participate in the process of selecting a new government. Their talk about finding a quiet exile for the Syrian leader has largely ceased.
Mr. Kerry is turning to the more immediate questions of cease-fire and humanitarian access. That did not impress Abu Youssef, whose farm in Aleppo Province has been hosting dozens of Syrians displaced by the recent fighting nearby. He asked to be identified only by a nickname for his safety.
“Yes, they will have a cease-fire, but after Aleppo it is finished,†he said in an online chat. “They will close off all of Aleppo, destroy the whole area, and then the Russians will negotiate a cease-fire,†he added. “After winning victory they will negotiate.â€
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Are we going to read more from the pro Obama press that Putin is really incompetent as a leader and how much smarter Obama is than him? And - horror of all horrors - Putin is proving to be in the right in Syria. How McCain can sleep at night after reading this article is a mystery to me.
Jesus--Imagine that old bag as president. At least Obama was smart enough to learn from his mistake in listening to Hillary about going into Libya. Clinton learned nothing and was willing to repeat her error. Jesus, help us all if she wins.
Why does 0bama need options? He can’t decide on anything unless it’s his next piece of vandalism against the US, in which case he has perfect clarity.
I know that I would pay to see Putin in a cage match with Obama. The rules would have to specify however that a certain number of kicks, hits and throws to the ground would have to be delivered before one contestant was allowed to choke the life out of the other.
The Russians and Syrians will reach the Turkish border. They will then be in control of what flows into Turkey and what does not. The first casualty will be Turkey’s illegal oil trade with ISIS.
Hopefully this will put and end to Turkey and Saudi Arabia’s duplicity and proxy-war making.
It may even end the “refugee” surge (probably promoted and encouraged by Turkey) into Europe. In that case, Putin will become an instant hero to many western Europeans who have been betrayed by their own governments.
We should have stayed out of it entirely.
There are no moderates.
We have been arming jihadists.
Let them kill or be killed. It's what they enjoy doing.
Russia is moving troops south near Turkey in snap exercise.
No kidding, NYT.
Putin has stripped, slimed, beat up, and totally owned YOUR president, Dorkbama the Muslim.
Good job electing him, you low IQ marshmallow major journalists.
Obama thought he could use the reputation of the United States to scare off opponents, but that does not seem to be true anymore. His whole foreign policy has been to walk loudly, but carry a little stick. It didn't take long for people like Putin to figure that out. Of course, the only thing worse than picking no sides in a war is picking the wrong side. Can anyone believe that Hillary as Commander in Chief would be not a disaster for the US and the world?
To the morons and others that had a problem with Putin and Assad wiping out the islamo scum, I don’t even have this to offer ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKNlGfkyhc
it would hardly be worth watching as it would be over within seconds ...
I see you have scared ETL off. Excellent.
You really are quite obnoxious, repeatedly using the Lord’s name in vain. You aren’t helping your cause one bit by being such a jerk.
Go hang out in the bar with the others of your ilk, and leave the discussion to folks who are articulate.
That is why I specified that the cage fight would have to have rules for a minimum amount of kicking, hitting, and knocking opponents to the ground before choking the life out of their opponent. But you are right Putin should probably have one arm tied behind his back, and maybe be forced to hop on one leg and wear a blindfold at least for the first round in order to make it a fair fight. I think that he would probably agree to this condition.
Even then with the new rules would only last a few seconds longer ...
I have no particular cause other than an interest in foreign policy. Jesus, lighten up, Francis.
Are you ethnically Jewish?
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