Ted Cruz: How U.S. must push back Putin in Syria (Cruz-Op Ed- CNN)

Over the last week, the world has once again looked on aghast as President Vladimir Putin has taken violent advantage of regional instability to re-establish Russia's influence, this time in the Middle East. Despite promises to join the United States in a counterterrorism effort against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Putin is on a mission to protect Russian assets in the Mediterranean by propping up his client, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Ted Cruz Ted Cruz

Meanwhile, the Obama administration has been caught flat-footed as Putin's actions threaten to inflame and destabilize an already acute crisis.

Putin has been unmoved by the Obama administration's threats of isolation on the international stage, and economic sanctions have on their own been no deterrent to his opportunistic behavior. More of the same will not result in success.

We need a coherent plan to address both the specific crisis in Syria and the challenge posed more broadly by Putin's resurgent Russia. The good news is that America still has options -- if our leaders can summon the will to exercise them.

For starters, in Syria we can't double down on the failed strategies that have given Putin [snip]

The bottom line is you have two choices for who rules the ME. Russia or ISIS.

I'll go with the 3rd choice. That is, we step up OUR efforts against ISIS. Problem with that of course is Obama. I'm becoming more convinced every day that he is deliberately playing it weak with ISIS in order that Russia be justified to move in, do the job, then set up permanent base there.

I learned just yesterday that this would be Ted Cruz's plan (to step up air attacks on ISIS).
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"If we want to actually dismantle ISIS, we need to dramatically change course. We need a real, robust campaign that maximizes our overwhelming air advantage. We need to focus our efforts not on trying to create friends, but on supporting our real ones, especially the Kurds in Iraq and Syria who have actually had success against ISIS."

-snip-

"We can redouble our efforts to develop the defensive weapons that neutralized the offensive Soviet threat -- particularly missile defense, which has seen a 25% budget reduction under Obama, according to an analysis from the conservative Heritage Foundation, and has been constrained by bad arms deals like New START.

We should not only move quickly to install the canceled interceptor sites Putin opposed in Poland and the Czech Republic, but also to develop the next generation of systems that will only increase his discomfiture.

These options do not entail a ground war in Syria, yet would effectively shake us free from the failed policies that have brought us to our current impasse. These options set us on a new path that puts Putin on notice that the United States is reclaiming our traditional role as leader of the free world."--Ted Cruz

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/09/opinions/cruz-syria-putin/index.html

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“I think it would be a mistake to get involved in the Syrian civil war. There have been voices in Washington eager for us to send our sons and daughters over to fight that civil war for some time. I haven’t been one of them. I think the touchstone of U.S. military policy should be protecting the national security of this country.

“What we’re seeing Putin in Russia do is a direct response to the profound weakness of Obama over six and a half years.

Putin views Obama as weak, as ineffective, and frankly, as a laughingstock. And, as a result, he is moving in, he is invading his neighbors – like Ukraine – he’s kidnapping Estonians, and he’s moving into Syria to gain a stronger foothold in the Middle East."--Ted Cruz

https://www.tedcruz.org/news/icymi-cruz-we-have-no-business-getting-in-the-middle-of-the-syrian-civil-war-goal-should-be-to-defeat-isis/

Obama's sap-happy “Arab Spring” to bring democracy and social justice to the ME instead brought Tribalism, Murder and death. A strong man is needed to protect Christians (the only military objective that matters)...... Russia is on the right track now. We should meet with Putin and the Russians, urge our mercenaries to join Assad and unite to fight the greater evil of ISIS. Our warplanes should Join with Russia’s in round-the-clock bombings of ISIS. We should send US Marines to fight next to Russian Marines in their march on ISIS. Put out this fire and show that we can work together. This would also run Ice water down the Iranian Mullahs—to See Russia/USA together.

Best analysis so far. Hits all the crucial multi-dimensional points; not the embarrassing one-note Cruz stuff.

You're not in charge of US Ntl Security, but you dam well should be.

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