Posted on 11/25/2015 5:27:59 AM PST by Timber Rattler
A nifty catch by Josh Rogin from today's presser. If you want to see what "Smart Power" resolve looks like in practice, hereâs where we are right now with a guy whom the supposed leader of the free world has been insisting for years must step down as president of Syria.
(snip)
As our rotten luck would have it, Assad is interested in running again for the presidency, according to Russian diplomats who recently spoke to him. Either Obama's kidding himself about Assad "choosing not to run" or he's hinting here that there may be ways to force Assad out, so long as Assad's patrons in Tehran and Moscow feel they'd benefit from him exiting. Maybe thereâs another Shiite leader among the Alawites that would be as acceptable to Iran as Assad is? But if there is, why would the Sunnis of Syria who detest the Alawite regime trust that guy? And why would Putin, who's eager to show the Middle East that he's a much more steadfast ally than Barack Obama â and eager to show his own domestic opposition that, like Assad, he'll fight inexhaustibly if challenged â undermine that point by agreeing to throw Assad under the bus?
The sick punchline to Obama's Syria policy is that it's now far more likely that Assad will someday hold a press conference to crow about Obama leaving office than vice versa.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
Assad: I’ll still be here when that bloviating little idiot is long gone in January 2017.
I'm not saying Assad should be canonized, just that Obama's priorities are such that, if pushed, he would prefer ISIS to Assad.
I've always believed that the right balance of carrots and sticks could turn Assad Jr. toward a more conciliatory stance toward the west. Overthrowing secular dictators is not the path to success in dealing with that part of the world. Muslim arabs aren't advanced enough to be capable of self-determination through an electoral process -- they need iron-fisted "strongman" types who will forcibly impose their will on them.
Does in he engage in some tough things to try and keep a lid on Syria? Sure, but he is no where as bad as Saddam was, or the Iranian mullahs. If he is toppled, I guarantee that any successor would be far worse than he is.
And remember that this whole thing started when Obama, at the behest of Hillary Clinton, Samantha Power, and Susan Rice, jumped on board with the "Arab Spring," which opened the Pandora's box that can now not be closed.
What do Susan Rice and Samantha Power promotions mean for Syria policy? Probably not much
What a loser Bath House Barry is.
Have Hillary hit the Retard button
Hopefully Obama won’t run for President again either.
He’s 50, and if he quits now his enemies would put him in trial. He may not be a good guuy, but he isn’t crazy.
He is also less bad than those who would replace him.
Free Syria Army, Obama's name for ISIS in Syria.
Here he is with the Queen of England.
The only people King Obama has the guts to get tough with are innocent, hardworking, law abiding, patriotic Americans.
Sounds like AllaPundir agrees with Obama that Assad should be ousted - just like we ousted Gaddafi. Sure worked out well for Lybia, didn’t it!
On 20Jan17 ,Assad will say to Obama , Bye Bye
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