Posted on 09/09/2013 12:32:20 PM PDT by mojito
In what looks like an off-the-cuff blunder, Secretary of State John Kerry might have accidentally given Russian President Vladmir Putin the opportunity to muddy the international diplomatic waters and buy his friends in Syria some time.
During a press briefing on Monday, Kerry said that Assad could avoid American air strikes by giving up all his chemical weapons within a week. Within hours, the State Department was forced to walk Kerry's new red line back with the claim that he was making a "rhetorical argument about the impossibility and unlikelihood of Assad turning over chemical weapons he has denied he used."
It seems, then, reasonable to conclude that Kerry spoke out of turn. Kerry was not authorized to offer Syria an "out" or a new ultimatum. But Kerry's hypothetical hyperbole appears to have already backfired.
In an obvious desire to make Kerry pay for his flub and throw a wrench in Obama's determination to go to war with Syria, Putin has seized upon Kerry's hypothetical and called on Syria to accept Kerry's offer and turn over all of its chemical weapons. No one believes Assad would ever willingly give up his chemical weapons, but should he agree to an offer the Obama administration did not mean to make, it could stall American action for weeks and even months.
Syria is already warming to the idea.
This complication could be a major blow to all of the Obama administration's prepared plans to punish Assad for using the weapons and to change the balance of power in the ongoing Syrian civil war.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Most countries have seasoned professional diplomats serving as foreign ministers. Not some political hack who bought himself a safe Senate seat.
My cat could do a better job than Kerry. At least my cat wouldn’t say something this stupid.
I’m not so sure now Kerry’s ‘blunder’ was a blunder. obama is losing support, even from some hardcore supporters, and his ineptitude is unmistakeable.
This is a way out. Kerry will go under the bus, but obama can recover.
I could be wrong, but...
Don’t forget Putin speaks fluent German.
Man. I’d love to hear the NSA recording of 0’s call to John Effin’.
I watched Kerry, his face is so numb with botox - he had to keep touching his lower lip to make sure he wasn’t drooling. His face could be used for a chemical attack.
He made me feel completely ill.
Obama is a bigger clown than the rodeo clown!
Do y’all reckon Kerry and Obummer have figured out Putin does not play checkers?
I know the feeling - just got back from the dentist...
You are correct MichaelCorleone...
Obama dug himself a grave with his blundering, he will NOT get Congressional approval, and a ‘never mind, we can do a diplomatic solution’ is most face-saving way out. Even better, this actually ropes the Russians in and keeps us out of war.
and BTW, it was Barzini all along. :)
*snicker*
I agree and his speechwriters were probably burning midnight oil last night trying to "re craft" his speech for tonight.
Their goal: how to spin the Russian's latest move so that B. Hussein O. does't look like a total loser. He'll might say this was part of the masterful diplomacy he worked during G20 meet in Russia
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An ass hat.
Uh, I don’t think it was a blunder at all.
It’s obvious that Kerry has had a facelift. Botox doesn’t make existing wrinkle lines go away.
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*snicker*
This moron got 97 confirmation votes in the United States Senate.
Clearly American public opinion says stay out of Syria. But leave it to Lurch to make the United States government look like even bigger fools.
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I did not know this.
Putin is so far ahead and above B. Hussein O.
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