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Death knell sounds for Obama doctrine as Aleppo falls to Assad loyalists
The Washington Times ^ | December 25th, 2016 | By Carlo Muñoz

Posted on 12/25/2016 10:03:46 PM PST by Mariner

The fall of the rebel-held Syrian city of Aleppo to Russian- and Iranian-backed forces loyal to President Bashar Assad sounds the death knell for the outgoing Obama administration’s hands-off counterterrorism doctrine, analysts say.

The final batches of anti-Assad fighters vacated formerly rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo on Friday, officially bringing the city — which was Syria’s economic and cultural hub before the war — under the regime’s control.

The fall of Aleppo was the biggest victory for government forces and their Russian and Iranian supporters since moderate rebel groups, emboldened by regional uprisings tied to the 2011 Arab Spring, attempted to overthrow the Assad regime and ignited the war six years ago.

But the fall was also a pivotal moment for the Obama administration, whose initial intractable stance against the Assad regime was translated into an indecisive policy aimed at defeating or sidelining America’s adversaries from a distance.

“There is no doubt [President Obama] will be hammered in historical terms. The question will be why he didn’t do more,” Aaron David Miller, a former presidential adviser on Middle East affairs, told Reuters.

Mr. Obama’s infamous “red line” warning in 2012 against Syria’s use of chemical weapons against rebel forces pushed Washington and Damascus onto a collision course, with U.S. warships anchored off of the Syrian coast ready to launch missiles on government targets.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Syria; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: isis; syria
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To: Mariner
infamous “red line” warning in 2012 against Syria’s use of chemical weapons against rebel forces

Yup...once again!

There they are...Sodom's chemical "weapons of mass destruction" hauled to Syria, and about which; the RATs, the RATagandists and the UN all screamed...."Bush lied people died"

(of course over half a million died under Barky and Bitch...and nary a word)

41 posted on 12/26/2016 5:15:16 AM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (The fear of stark justice sends hot urine down their thighs.)
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To: ronnie raygun
AS THE SCUMEDIA TAPE AND GLUE A FAKE OBAMA LEGACY TO GO DOWN IN HISTORY

They can write all they want, others (probably elsewhere in the world) will write the truth...and the history books.

The lying MFM have no credibility.

42 posted on 12/26/2016 5:20:30 AM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (The fear of stark justice sends hot urine down their thighs.)
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To: Billthedrill

“most experienced Presidential candidate in history.”


Queen of the Frequent Flyers..... aka Secretary of State.... go everywhere, do nothing. Gather cash for future favors.... Too bad suckers her gig is up....


43 posted on 12/26/2016 5:24:33 AM PST by patriotspride
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To: Popman
Israel regularly bombs Syria. ISIS

No, they bomb Assad's government troops.

44 posted on 12/26/2016 5:30:51 AM PST by Ethan Clive Osgoode (Potheads vote Dem.)
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To: Gen.Blather
The situation in Syria is probably the most complicated social and diplomatic problem in the world.

Let me simplify it for you. Israel is on the side of the headcutting rebels, and against Assad.

45 posted on 12/26/2016 5:33:38 AM PST by Ethan Clive Osgoode (Potheads vote Dem.)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

——One has to wonder, then, why Israel wants Assad out.-—

-—“The best way to help Israel deal with Iran’s growing nuclear capability is to help the people of Syria overthrow the regime of Bashar Assad” [Hillary Clinton]-—

Wow... you think Hillary Clinton speaks for the Israeli government...?


46 posted on 12/26/2016 5:34:12 AM PST by Popman
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To: Mr. Mojo
The question is, why did he side with jihadi "rebels" (including ISIS by default) against the relatively secular Assad regime? Answer: because he's a Moslem Bro-hoodie jihadi to the core.

It's really not that simple.

The reality that nobody seems willing to face is that the U.S. government is filled with people who have been selling our military as mercenaries to foreign interests for years. And most of the @ssholes who have been behind this don't have names like Barack Hussein Obama.

47 posted on 12/26/2016 5:37:59 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("Yo, bartender -- Jobu needs a refill!")
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To: Mariner
“There is no doubt [President Obama] will be hammered in historical terms..."

Yeah...Jimmy Carter is sleeping a whole lot better nowadays....

48 posted on 12/26/2016 5:44:52 AM PST by unread (Joe McCarthy was right.......)
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To: Alberta's Child
It's really not that simple.

It's pretty simple.

Russian intervention has tilted the scales, and Jerusalem is concerned of a regime victory, which would be victory for Iran as well. To prevent that, Israeli officials believe West must intervene in favor of moderate rebels.

In fact, the war in Syria has largely served Israel’s interests. The ongoing fighting has worn down the Syrian army to a shadow of its former capabilities. Almost all of President Bashar Assad’s huge store of chemical weapons has been dismantled following an American-Russian arrangement forced on the Syrian dictator in the summer of 2013.

And Hezbollah, Israel’s main adversary in the north, has invested a quarter to a third of its manpower in fighting for the Syrian regime, and is losing dozens of fighters every month in battle. Official spokespeople do not say this publicly – there are things one cannot say when 470,000 people (according to recent accepted figures) are being massacred across the border – but Israel has been quietly wishing success to both sides and would not have been against the bloodletting continuing for a few more years without a clear victor.

Haaretz


49 posted on 12/26/2016 5:46:42 AM PST by Ethan Clive Osgoode (Potheads vote Dem.)
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To: ganeemead

Thanks for the link. The Obama administration has been a disaster and the video sure shows it.


50 posted on 12/26/2016 5:57:12 AM PST by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

Like I said — the U.S. government has been selling our military as mercenaries for foreign interests for years.


51 posted on 12/26/2016 6:14:18 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("Yo, bartender -- Jobu needs a refill!")
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To: editor-surveyor

Obama. Complete. Failure.


52 posted on 12/26/2016 7:51:38 AM PST by Chauncey Gardiner
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To: dsc

“I thought, hindsight being 20-20, that people had come to understand that we should have done *nothing* to topple Assad.”

Yep, that’s pretty much the consensus of the armchair fighters on our site - me included. As time moves on, we’ll learn JUST HOW STUPID Hillary/Obama’s policies of lighting up the Middle East was. Just today they’re finding mass graves outside of Aleppo.

The media PLAYED US, played the world, and nearly pulled it off. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed. If not for Putin deploying his S-400 missiles (thereby getting the attention of our generals), we may well have had a hot war against the Russians.

And, to this day, NO ONE has been able to explain the need for being involved there.


53 posted on 12/26/2016 7:54:47 AM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

“Because Israel wants Assad gone.”

After the UN vote last week, it sounds a lot more like Obama wants Israel gone.


54 posted on 12/26/2016 7:56:59 AM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

“Israel regularly bombs Syria.”

I’ve read those accounts too. Considering that Syria is (at least until very recently) at least 70+ percent NOT controlled by Assad, and that Assad never seems to be bothered by the bombings, it’s a safe bet that government positions are NOT being hit by Syria. Finally, if Israel wanted Assad out and the terrorists to take over, one or two bombing runs 18 months ago, when Assad was on the ropes (but before the Russians rolled in), would have ended it for Assad...but Israel stayed put.

Like it or not, the governments of Israel and Syria are on the same page here.


55 posted on 12/26/2016 8:04:45 AM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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To: BobL
it’s a safe bet that government positions are NOT being hit by Syria.

Let me try to explain this to you. Israel bombs government positions. Israel and Syria are enemies. Israel wants to see Syria fall into tribal warfare for the next 1000 years. I hope that cleared things up.

56 posted on 12/26/2016 8:36:12 AM PST by Ethan Clive Osgoode (Potheads vote Dem.)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

Like I say, Israel could have taken out Assad with a cap gun 18 months ago and left the place looking like Libya, split among tribal lines, with Kurds, Shiites, Sunnis, and Alawites, and others fighting each other for decades.

Why didn’t they do that? Why did they LEAVE IN PLACE the only person strong enough to pull the country back together again?


57 posted on 12/26/2016 8:43:51 AM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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To: BobL
Why didn’t they do that?

Because they want America to do it for them.

58 posted on 12/26/2016 8:45:00 AM PST by Ethan Clive Osgoode (Potheads vote Dem.)
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode
Israel and Syria are enemies. Israel wants to see Syria fall into tribal warfare for the next 1000 years.

Before Obama destroyed the ME, Israel and Assad controlled Syria maintained a relatively peaceful co-existence at the border. Neither country wanted or needed open conflict...

So you are saying that Israel would rather have a hostile enemy like ISIL that is based on a theology bent on their destruction on the border rather than a secular dictator who knows the outcome of every foray into Israeli territory...

Believe what you want, but your premise makes no sense whatsoever.

Sort of like kicking your asshole, but peaceful neighbor out of your neighborhood and bringing a lawless motorcycle gang to live there instead...

59 posted on 12/26/2016 9:04:40 AM PST by Popman
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To: Ethan Clive Osgoode

“Because they want America to do it for them.”

It was clear in 2012 that we wouldn’t (i.e., Red Line). Please try again.


60 posted on 12/26/2016 9:10:30 AM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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