Kerry probably botched the deal by making it an ultimatum.
Good chess move on Putin’s part.
Putin puts Obama in check and has five more moves in mind.
This is painful to watch, but exactly what I expected.
A. They don't want to risk Russian SAM systems looking bad
B. They don’t want to lose Assad's business
C. Both A and B
If this comes to pass, I hope the chemical weapons they secure say “Made in Iraq-2000”.
You think Assad might tell Mad Vlad “nyet!”??
I don’t.
The Russians are playing chess. The Iranians are playing chess. The Chinese are playing Go. 0bama is playing midnight basketball, and not for the team whose uniform he’s wearing.
Asked mod to move to breaking
Give up the chemical weapons or that other guy will hold you accountable? Some threat.
And just what the heck did we give up to the Russians for this “aid?”
Just Damn ... that was the idea I’d been kicking around since the start when the State Dept equivocated on who the evidence showed made the attack. Now I kick myself for not posting it right away.
The gist of the idea was ... Obama makes a speech saying, “we have proof that chemical weapons were indiscriminately used in Syria against civilians, a crime against humanity. We have further proof that these were launched from Syrian controlled areas and have high confidence these were Assad’s weapons. Whether or not the orders were given by him, they were his weapons, the control of which is incumbent upon him. As a result of crossing this internationally-recognized red line, Assad has forfeited his right to possess such weapons of mass destruction.”
“Now, therefore I, Barack Obama, hereby call upon President Putin, who has a close relationship with the Syrians, to take custody of these weapons immediately and to work with the international community through the UN Security Council to remove them from the area of conflict and see to their destruction. We have the motion ready to bring to the Security Council.”
“If the weapons are not surrendered within a fortnight, the United States will commence a series of limited strikes upon the leadership of Syria until these WMDs are surrendered.”
Just imagine, Obama would have called Putin out BEFORE the G20 meeting and would have gained mucho leadership respect.
And even more of the ground gets cut away from beneath our very own Current Occupant of the White Hut.
At no time did al-Assad HAVE to use chemical weapons. And in fact, there is no firm incontrovertible evidence that the use of chemical weapons was either authorized or actually delivered by government troops.
But as a “false-flag” attack carried out by insurgents posing as Government troops, it seems to justify action because a “red line” was crossed. Then, because of rash statements by our Fearless Leader, the whole of the United States seems to be boxed in, COMPELLED, to launch a unilateral attack against Syria, with whom we are not now at war.
Or we could impeach the SOB for not representing the interests of the United States.
And what about chemical weapons held by the rebels — will they also be destroyed?
Rots of ruck.
Putin shows he is a contender.
The Clown is a pretender.
What would be hilarious is if Syria turns over the weapons and then inspectors realize all the markings etc. are Iraqi.
So if Syria turns over their chemical weapons, does Putin get the Nobel Peace Prize?
He’d certainly have more legitimacy than Obama ever did.
the only way this might “work” is if Putin decides to pretend to broker a phoney “face-saving deal” to save O’s ass
... for which there will be a very REAL (and expensive) price for what could only be a fake deal just so O can declare some sort of “foreign policy victory” in his controlled mass media
Russia has some 100,000 +/- citizens in Syria and major economic and military investments there (including its only extra=territorial warm water naval port).
Russia would not consider for even one second actually disarming its host government (especially in light of the fact that its replacement would be Islamic terrorists including some of Russia’s favorite Checkan fighters). And considering that the result would be a Saudi/Qatari pipeline to compete with Russia’s control over the rich European market. That’s the very last thing Russia wants, it would cost Russia billions of rubles. Tens of billions.
Not a chance of a real deal. A phoney PR type deal just to let O off the hook? Possible... but it will cost a fortune.
Putin is provoked and provoked KGB do not go around giving away gifts for free just because they feel good and are such nice compassionate people. Putin is mad that USA threatened Russia’s interests, which are considerable in this instance, and he is mad that O has dragged the world to the edge of WW3.
He will get a high price (for what can only be a fake deal) and the American tax payer will pay for it all.
or something like that.