Kerry, the most unqualified Secretary of State since Hillary Clinton, has shown his mastery of ignorance and lack of knowledge of basic negotiating skills. In a garbled--what else from him?--statement to the press, John "Xmas in Cambodia" Kerry said,
President Bashar al-Assad has one week to hand over his entire stock of chemical weapons to avoid a military attack. But John Kerry added that he had no expectation that the Syrian leader would comply.When I heard this statement, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I thought, he just sabotaged whatever he thought he was doing with Syria and opened the door to Russia. As I had stated on August 19,
In the Middle East, we have shown great weakness in the face of an Islamist totalitarian onslaught, and, in fact, many of our statements on Egypt appear to favor the murdering totalitarians of the Muslim Brotherhood. Thanks to Obama, regardless of what happens in Egypt--and I suspect the Egyptian military will hang on--the US will lose. Egypt's leaders, not wishing to repeat the Daladier experience, will drift away from us. Already we see the Saudis and others in the Gulf stepping in; don't rule out a move by Russia, as well, as our ineptness in Egypt and Syria provides Moscow wonderful opportunities to reestablish its influence in the region.Kerry is an idiot; if we didn't have an idiot as President, as well, Kerry should have been fired immediately after this "gaffe." This is a violation of the most basic principle of negotiation. You do not make an offer that works against you, and tell the other side that it works against you. This moron threw out his "one week" proposal, and followed it with, "and we know they won't accept it."
What if they did accept it? Are you ready for that? Well, we see the answer in the State Department's frantic effort to put the evil back into Pandora's Jar,
The State Department was forced to clarify the remarks, calling them "rhetorical" and making clear its desire to strike could be tempered by a Syrian offer. Kerry's point, according to spokeswoman Jen Psaki, "was that this brutal dictator with a history of playing fast and loose with the facts cannot be trusted to turn over chemical weapons."Rhetorical, huh? What kind of chief negotiator and foreign policy strategist do we have? Well, Putin has an answer to that question. The Russian President immediately saw an opening for Russia to re-establish its withered influence in the Middle East, to curry favor with Iran, play up to the anti-war crowd in Europe and even in the US. Putin urged Syria to accept the proposal, and, of course, offered to help broker it. The Syrians, no slouches themselves when it comes to negotiating with idiots, thought it a grand idea, and the ball began to roll,
[Syria's Foreign Minister said he] “welcomes Russia’s initiative, based on the Syrian government’s care about the lives of our people and security of our country.”
Although Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denies having a stockpile of the widely banned weapons, the idea of international control also quickly gained traction among diplomats and at least some senior Democrats whose support Obama seeks for a show of force.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) was the first senior lawmaker to voice support for the Russian proposal.After "threatening" Assad with "unbelievably small" attack of limited scope and duration in exchange for giving up his most precious weapons, Kerry now undermines even that. As I wrote before, this misadministration was apparently trying to emulate JFK's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, but has ended up somewhere else. Now the Russians, and Syrians, and others, will begin calling for an international meeting or conference to discuss a proposal for Syria to give up the chemical weapons that it denies having in the first place. No matter how much the Dems try to spin it--I see Axelrod already shooting out the emails praising Obama's toughness and cleverness--this is a major defeat for the United States. Russia will be the peace-maker; the "go to" country
Complete disaster.
WLA
What else can you expect from this crew. Thank God the country can cruise for a while on it's former greatness, and thereby perhaps outlast these village idiots.
ReplyDeleteImagine if there was a county with the malice and ability to pose a serious threat to us, and we had these goons to lead us. Impeachment would be mandatory.
I agree this was disastrous diplomacy, but Obama will clearly portray it as Putin backing down to protect Syria from his threatened attack. Tuesday night's speech will be a litany of claims that Obama's "red line" and his promise of "targeted" attacks broke Putin's and Assad's will to resist. Worse yet, many will believe these claims.
ReplyDeleteI agree these events will expand Russian influence with other nations but I can't articulate why. Could you expand on why this is a defeat for America and a win for Russia?
ReplyDeleteRussia will appear as the peace-maker and the savior of Syria and enhance its clout with Iran and other anti-American forces around the world.
DeleteI wonder if Putin will pull this rug out from Obama at the last second? I do think we'll see a lot of Russian inspired UN activity, committees, reports, commissions, etc. Putin's has a big stick to beat on Obama with now.
DeleteThank you for answering my question. Given Obama's past foreign policy decisions and statements, I doubt he cares that his actions have enhanced Russia's influence in the world. Promoting American power and influence in the world doesn't seem to be a concern with this White House. Obama seems more concerned with apologizing for America.
DeleteMaybe Lurch was pushed into playing "Blurt" which permitted BHO-hoo to 'let' Putin help him out of cul-de=sac. IOW, maybe the One told Kerry to play the role usually given to Unca Joe Biden when he's let out of the attic.
DeleteRemember when Biden's remarks 'forced' BHO to regretfully end his support of DOMA just in time to scrape up all those big money GLBT donors? What an act *that* was.
Now we have another. I don't think Hillary would've stood for another cold pail of blame tossed off on her after the Benghazi SNAFU.
Small price to pay, having Putin take credit while BHO backs out of the room. It might even increase his poll #s among his lo fo fans.
Just a thought about the oops-on-purpose kabuki that passes for foreign policy "strategy" with this crew.
I offer it because otherwise I'd be forced to look at a level of ineptitude that would *really* make me despair.
I'm still thinking about this. Even if the international reality is that the world's leaders view Obama's foreign policy as feckless and weak, the domestic political reality is many Americans will believe Obama when he tells them the Russians and Syrians gave up in the face of Obama's threat of force. That message will be reinforced by the American media,and it will be treated as true even though it isn't.
DeleteThe result will be a sizeable percentage of the American public that sees the Obama Administration as strong and knowledgeable, while American leaders and most of the world will see it as weak and ineffectual. That strikes me as a recipe for Obama to revert to his usual victim status and engage in even more dangerous diplomacy.
Here's an example of why I'm worried: On CNN's Crossfire, both Democrat Stephanie Cutter and Republican Newt Gingrich agreed the Russian offer is a good thing. http://crossfire.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/09/syria-the-parts-we-can-agree-on/
DeleteMany Americans will see this as a win-win for America, perhaps because it means there won't be immediate military action. But from a foreign policy standpoint, I think this is a lose-lose for America.
But if Obama is desperately casting around for some excuse to do nothing, that would explain handing the hot potato to Congress and making offers to Putin, no?
ReplyDeleteProbably.
DeleteI just can't believe this. They're going back to a game of unscom whack-a-mole?
ReplyDeleteIf Obama believes what he said before, he's now turned his back on a major and direct threat to US interests.
This is just insane.
- Reader #1482
I don't get why you are all so angry. You have a conservative in the white house about to attack a Muslim nation, yet all you hippies do is join the anti-war crowd and call for impeachment.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are really a pathetic bunch.
Breathe Kepha, breathe.
DeleteWith all the good search engines do, the search engine being just a "simple" algorithmic processing doohickey, the occasional misanthrope will inevitably slip in.
Ark
Ahhhhh, the trolls are emerging again. 2014 is just around the corner. DNC is firing up.
DeleteWow, Anon. The OFA crowd is out clicking for quarters on this - Soros, Jarret, and Axelrod must be running scared if they are hiring libtards to post this kind of moon-battery on the blogs. The Kos Kids and DU must be tearing their hair out trying to keep up with the TPM memos on "the narrative".
DeleteSeriously- Dip, thanks for that line-- "Foreign Policy Clown Car" -spit my starbucks all over the laptop!
Watching the news yesterday AM you could see the talking heads at CNN desperately trying to keep up with the evolving bumbles and spin it - from Kerry "f'ed up" to "brilliant move by Obama".
Poor Wolf Blitzer...the guy is stuck on the same screen with the aging MB houri Amanpour on the same screen- who tried to claim she thought up the idea for Russia to take the chemical weapons " a week ago", and
the chipper political analyst who claims its all a brilliant strategy by Kerry. HAAAAHAAA! Whats with Kerry's eyes and lip tic anyway- stroke? Alzheimers? Poor guy can barely read his script, much less process info on questions.
Meanwhile Susan Rice and Hillary Clinton are behind again, selling the hard line- at least Hillary had a rat's sense enough to know she was over her head, the desperation in her eyes as she read her prepared lines (she was in DC for some save-the-whales event...and called away in the crisis to "weigh-in" - well, she has the thighs for that, anyway)
Just sad - this is the best the Dems can do? You could read her thoughts "whats the best way to jump this ship" while her eyes darted to and fro reading her script.
Wonder how long it will take to throw her under the bus, along with Congress, in a week, when this doesn't work out, and Putie and Assad make the EmptySuitInChief and Lurch look like fools again.
I'm sorry; I got right up to the part where you said we have a Conservative in the White House...at which point I spewed my coffee all over the place.
DeleteJust my personal opinion but ...
ReplyDeleteWe wouldn't have gotten into this clusterf**k without (to what degree we individually can assign) the fine offices of General McCain & Admiral Graham on the flagship USS Elizabeth O'Bagy DDG.
That it finally "dawned" on the whole crew they were playing 'slapjack' instead of what the WP photographer mistook for poker, albeit the video kind, before the actual DDGs and actual sailors were in receipt of the order to "up the ante" - should be, has to be - part of our figuring in assigning blame in "our" after-actions reports.
I mentioned earlier (now ironic seeing as who was the first voicing support) the company of McCain, Feinstein & Graham LLC - now I think probably it was perfectly fine for the whole of the company (including the ones without names on the door) found itself sailing The Good Ship Lollipop.
As Rhett would say ...
Arkie
I don't know whether to laugh, cry or get drunk. Or all three.
ReplyDeleteThe Monty Python troop couldn't make up this stuff.
I wonder if we're going to survive the next three years of this idiocy?
I recommend laughter. It hurts them more.
DeleteSeeing as you've mentioned Monty Python:
ReplyDeleteJohn Cleese reports from across the pond regarding how the Syrian situation is affecting Europe:
The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Syria and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots have raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s get the Bastards.” They don’t have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France ‘s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.
Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”
The Germans have increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose.”
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels ..
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be right, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!” and “The barbie is cancelled.” So far no situation has ever warranted use of the last final escalation level.
Arkie
Well played Arkie. Glad the office is somewhat empty today, I haven't laughed that hard at in internet post in a long time.
DeleteNot bad at all! Re the English, you left off "out of sorts".
DeleteOne of my Brit 'e-pals' sent me an email mentioning that.
Delete& I wisht 'Welleran's' comment below had occurred to me. That's (in Arkansasnese) "pure dee ol' funny."
Ark
Never was so much screwed up for so many by so few.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I will steal that!
DeleteIf all this Russian sponsored hide the sausage cloak and dagger stuff comes to pass and our "little emperor" slides away without having to back up his words, we can safely say he has a new title: "Putin's Poodle". Is this what Obama meant when he told Medvedev to tell Vladimir that he would have more latitude after the election? Get your leash little Barry, time for your walk.
ReplyDeleteIt does remind one of the Cold War, as if run by the Three Stooges, Moe, Larry and Joe Besser, not even our best set of stooges.
ReplyDeleteHow I realize now I missed the days of the endless Russian/American chess match for influence, and now we've sent 8 year olds who play Dora the Explorer to challenge Kasparov.
You insult the Three Stooges!
Deleteour ineptness in Egypt and Syria provides Moscow wonderful opportunities to reestablish its influence in the region.
ReplyDeleteDidn't read the above comments, but, maybe with this bunch, this is a feature, and not a bug?
When it comes to the Obama administration, one has to believe that he is either the biggest moron ever to hold office, or that he believes that the U.S. should NOT be the one to lead anything, and that our influence should be diminished.
All actions are assumed to flow from the latter (for me), and not the former.
In this matter, I have to go with Heinlein's "devil theory" of sociology:
Delete"You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity".
This is also often quoted as Hanlon's Razor, which says that you should "Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."
Just wait for the victory dance as our savior in chief is compared with that warmonger Boosh.
ReplyDeletePS: Difi and Box-A-Rocks- two more ready for assisted living. Flipping from WarMongerFirst to PeaceNow in a week...
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Wonder what her "constituents"- citizens thought in CA. Not seeing a Pew Poll on that are we....
I'll bet the San Fran Limo crowd is seriously regretting hosting all those parties...or maybe not- bitterly clinging to their koolaid kups.
It's a strange world where the POTUS elected on an anti-war message is threatening to bomb a country that did nothing to us and may not be the ones that used Chem weapons...and the former head of the KGB is the one that works out a Diplomatic Solution.
ReplyDeleteThe clown car metaphor is perfect.
ReplyDeleteMy son & daughter were born in Australia. Sadly for me, my daughter is an academic; and my son's wife is a social worker. So...
ReplyDeleteI try to keep my mouth shut re: politics most of the time, but...
Couldn't resist the opportunity to tell my daughter that I'd be really happy to trade their newly elected *conservative* Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, with our own lyin' African king-- and that I'd throw in the AG & SecState for free!
No takers, they may be leftwing but they ain't THAT stupid.
--Eskyman
Not leftwing Down Under anymore Denis, we gave them the bum's rush last Saturday and man did it feel good!
DeleteNothing surprises when the african kings clown ensemble are under discussion. I await to hear a summary of his brilliance after his speech tonight (I just cannot watch the clown's entire speeches -too painful).
ReplyDeleteGiven the african kings special brand of competence, I fully expect Russia to be sending wheat to the USA before 2016.
I think we should all be happy that Russia is the go-to country, at least they are governed by serious people, the morons that make up the the "alliance of the chilling"- a couple of hen-pecked, dopers obama and camoron are beyond further mockery. They might just as well appear in public with red noses, oversized pantaloons and shoes.
Keep in mind that the US wants its war on Syria to help its jihadi liver eaters and help Qatar get its pipeline through Syria. I predict that the US will craft the UN resolution is a manner unacceptable to Russia. The US did the same sort of thing in the 1990's with Yugoslavia, demanding that the Yugos sign an agreement that opened the entire country to NATO occupation. The US knew that the Yugos could not sign it (no sovereign state would) and the US got its war. I am an American that has come to the conclusion that the US is now the Axis Power of our time.
ReplyDeleteIf you think that this is just due to Obama, and we just need to get rid of him, then you have not yet realize that Obama is what America IS. The America, its Founding, its Constitution that we believe in, is no more. Since at least the 1990's it has been washed away. Without the restraining beliefs of the Founding and Constitution all the evils in America are hatching out. This is why even Russia looks moral and civilized compared to America.
Watch and listen to the talking heads in the media. You can sense that they are upset that they didn't get their war on Syria. They will keep beating the drum that Assad and Putin are evil, but they are actually unconsciously describing themselves.
Seems to me Mr Putin has accomplished what the Tsarist's have wanted for two centuries: a warm water port. Please recall the KSA(prince Sultan) met with Mr Putin several months ago and suggested a condominium with Russia: basically defuse Syria and the KSA will accommodate Russian energy production.
ReplyDeleteMr Putin has emerged as the strong horse in the middle east--Our diplomatic blundering gave Mr Putin the opening he needed at no cost. Russia will now be able to influence the mid east much more so than the US. Assuming we, the US, had a strategic interesting in reducing Russian influence in the ME, we have failed miserably. Watch as the ME leaders gravitate toward Russian.
They know enough to ride the strong horse--and that isn't the clown car operation in Washington.
Why does the US need the Middle East? Do we need its sand or oil? No, we don't, but Europe does. If Europe wants it then let it spend its blood and treasure for it.
DeleteArius: you ask a good question and it deserves an answer. Do we need the ME oil? No. Given our shale reserves we have more than the ME can pump. So why is it important? because, IMO, of things like basing, over-flight, waterway access, and other strategic considerations should we ever have to really confront Iran.
DeleteAn article from own of your colleagues Dip, across the Pond:
ReplyDeletehttp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/charlescrawford/100235250/syria-chemical-weapons-and-the-worst-day-in-western-diplomatic-history/
Thank you once again for an interesting and rational take on the latest mess from the O crew. And for the visual of the wrecked Chicago Clown Car and Putin's Towing Service.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about the behavior of Putin. I wonder if he isn't playing Lucy to Obama's Charlie Brown. In other words, what if Putin is just playing with Obama. He offers Obama the football and when Obama tries to kick it, Putin pulls it out of the way. He offers Obama a solution and when Obama accepts it, he pulls back. Then when Obama gets a bit desperate, he offers a solution and when Obama grabs it, Putin pulls it back. Putin makes Obama look increasingly desperate and foolish. Clemen†
ReplyDeleteThat comparison is fairly popular today, including by Bryan Preston at PJ Media:
Deletehttp://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/09/10/russia-backing-away-from-fake-syria-weapons-deal/
I guess that means you and Bryan share great minds that think alike.
DeleteThey can even spend weeks in Paris or NY arguing about the shape and size of the negotiating table too.
DeleteYes, this thing is a long way from being over with.
DeletePutin has already added a condition: Obama must not threaten a strike on Syria.
DeleteMy guess fwiw is that the UN inspection team will, in due course, be given a heavily escorted tour of some half a dozen of Assad's 50 chemical weapons site, and collect the weapons. Then Assad and Putin will declare that all the chemical weapons have been given up -- so if any further chemical attacks occur, it must be due to the rebels.
Meanwhile, Obama will have acknowledged Assad as the legitimate ruler of Syria, and he has to thank Vlad Putin for being Assad's patron. Saudi and Israeli relations with Moscow, which have already gotten noticeably warmer in the last few years, will get closer still. Add Egypt and Jordan, as all America's (former) allies realize they need to adjust to new realities on the ground.
Appointment TV tonight fellas. Must have a good stiff drink and a TV in a room where you can scream all you want and not disturb the neighbors! Tune up those vocal cords and get ready to go! (Secretly, I love screaming at my TV...)
ReplyDeleteDown here in Australia we've been doing that for the past 6 years Babs, but fortunately last Saturday we found redemption. Our misery is over and even the air tastes sweeter.
DeleteDon't be greedy . . .spread it around, spread it around!
DeleteBob, if I could wave a magic wand and undo what has befallen the United States believe me I would have done so by now.
DeleteDiplomad, I think that the boldest move the West can do to shake up the middle East is to actively support the creation of a unified Kurd state.
ReplyDeleteI believe, from your writings, that you understand how this would rock the middle East.
But, sir, I suggest to you that this is the only current possibility to move the argument forwards.
... I think that the boldest move the West can do to shake up the middle East is to actively support the creation of a unified Kurd state.
DeleteOh Dear Lord!
Not now. Not especially now - for that matter not for the next three and a half years anyway.
It's not for nothing Diplomad's post of August 21st - the date when this current mess began - Diplomad's title was "The Benghazi Firings."
______________________________
If we're to "whack the hornet's nest" let us for damn sure wait until we emulate what the Aussies have done.
Arkie