Seems to me that I read "somewhere" that the bill authorizing $$$ and compliance with the CC on the funding and arming of "rebels" is not a clean bill but loaded..Funding for xm bank, keeping the gov funded, were two that I told about. So the republicrats will pork up the legislation to the happiness of all the "fat cats". Please tell me that I am wrong.

This is FAST AND FURIOUS middle east version. What makes the administration think these weapons will not be used against us in the future?

The effort to overthrow Assad is all about gas pipelines to Europe. ISIS was created by Saudi and Qatar in their effort to overthrow Assad so they could build a pipeline through Syria and Turkey. Israel wants that too so they can export their offshore gas. Of course, ISIS had its own ambitions and wants its Caliphate far more than it wants to fight Assad. So, they became a monster that ran away from its creators intentions. Obama must want that pipeline too because it would end the Russian gas monopoly, and Russia is allied with Assad. This is all about the great game of geopolitics with trillions of dollars worth of gas at stake, and control of Europe in the balance. It is intimately tied to what's going on in Ukraine.

Obama is good at overturning treaties long standing as in Egypt and ME Peace, overturning containment deals as in Libya and overturning governments without building anything to replace it. Jihadists belly flop into US embassy pool in Tripoli having seized it. He has no problem intervening in a civil war in Syria he helps create when US security is not directly at stake.
What Obama team fails to consider in picking a new government for Syria is the war crime level of Sunni FSA including IS 'rebels'. These Turkey border Rebels were identified as ethnically cleansing Syrian Kurds by UN com on Refugees summer 2013. They are in the news beheading, and executing torturing Syrian forces and citizens. Syria protects to some degree long sanding Christian and Shia and non Sunni. The people of Syria are not all rebels even Sunnis and at the moment seem to fight for their lives against 'rebels' whoever they are. They are not favorable to having Obama impose the FSA and other IS friendly Sunni to govern them.
Obama as an original founder of UN ought to go to UN and denounce IS for ethnic cleansing. Call a NATO meeting and denounce Turkey for allowing them supply lines and denounce FSA for collaboration with forces that attack Syrian civilians and execute POWs. If O believes in a self governing Syrian people, which he does not, what if a majoirty under siege now stick with Assad and the core of what Syria has over the new FSA variety Obama wants to impose?

`I do believe there is movement in the Republican held House to assist Obama in his goal of funding the rebels....to defeat Assad, as you so correctly point out -- the unspoken objective.

In answer to the last question; yes, yes they could conceive it. I've said for some time that this won't end well. That ship sailed when we pulled out of Iraq completely. Now matters are made worse with the UN peacekeepers pulling out of the Golan Heights.
At this point I think the best we can do is clean up the Obama-made-mess in western Iraq by bolstering the Kurds. I know the Turks won't like it, screw them. Let Assad, the FSA & ISIS kill each other & contain the Syrian nightmare for the time being. We shouldn't arm anyone in Syria & we need to get the UN peacekeepers back to the buffer zone in the south. If they won't reassume their position, expect an outbreak on the southern border & a fierce Israeli response.
Again, this won't end well & I sure as hell don't trust our own CinC, he's a boob!

streiff:

Thank you. Thank you for providing a place for an adult conversation to occur about Syria.

Unfortunately the underlying problems date back at least to the 1950s and muddleheaded thinking that I am afraid is about to repeat itself. Then it was thought that monarchies were unacceptable and let the revolutions flow. And so they did ... only the revolutionaries of course turned out to be Socialists who allied themselves with the Soviet Union.

Socialism rapidly ceases to be such when faced with its own internal contradictions so these Socialist dictatorships evolved into kleptocratic dynastic dictatorships. So now these are the new unacceptable forms of government, so let the revolutions flow. Only now of course the revolutionaries turn out to be Islamicist groups like ISIS.

Maybe at some point there will be a realization that constant revolution will continually make things worse and will lead to failed states and terrorism that will be exported to the United States.

I wonder what does Russia think about all of this? Isn't Assad an ally of Russia? Somehow I doubt Putin thinks it's cute that Obama is trying to overthrow Assad by bringing in an even more radical regime. So much for Obama's reset button.

Overthrowing Russia's gas monopoly to Europe is the whole point. So yes, Russia doesn't like it.

Are you saying that you think this admin thinks the FSA would be the successor to Assad? The same fantasy team of doctors, farmers and lawyers? To be honest, using airstrikes in Syria to protect the FSA as a strategy to depose Assad is giving them way to much credit imho.
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Personally, I don't think they have a strategy in the ME at all, let alone one to defeat ISIS, from what I've seen so far. Ebola yes. Sending 3,000 ground troops to W. Africa is more important than defeating ISIS I guess and is aimed to take our eyes off the ball.

I'm sure President 0bama doesn't bother to worry about repairing or replacing his divots on or off the course. That's the job of somebody following him.

That's job of his black caddy, Eric Holder.

Holder doesn't fix anything but pardons.

The real fundamental problem with Syria is a leader who is morally bankrupt, ideologically driven, personally narcissistic, has surrounded himself with criminals and lowlifes, is of indeterminate religious affiliation, has zero regard for western civilization, no respect for our potential coalition allies who also hold him in the lowest regard and has ruled for years with unchallenged dictatorial power. As such, until Obama is gone, nothing is going to get resolved in Syria or anywhere else for that matter.

Are you talking Obama or Assad? I guess it really doesn't matter.

I'm sure you 'll disagree, but regarding your commentary on the Assad regime - so what. Is Syria a threat to the US? No. Is Syria actually a threat to Israel? Not really. What reason is there for the US to expend dollars and risk our soldiers and airment, other than His Imperial Executiveness throwing a tantrum because Assad called his bluff or, alternatively, this Administration actually supports Islamist revolt from Libya through Egypt to Syria.

A normal person would have learned his lesson from Libya. That can't be said of His Imperial Executiveness, or his advisors.

What comment on the Assad Regime? Reread the post. It's about Obama sheesh

Evidently you were too nuanced. I got it & I loved it. It's even better the second go around. {;~)

IS in Syria may get the population it wants with IS and backers if refugees continue to flee for their lives and Obama arms 'rebels' he does not know much less control. He does know them though officially as established by UN.
Obama could but will not go to UN and call for a trial of war criminals which UN Refugee commission established 2013-14 on Syrian Turkey border of Syrian Kurds by Sunni 'rebels'. There are grounds documented for ethnic cleansing and a trial process can begin. And since this ethnic cleansing, executions, torture and conversions are IS we can expect more of the same. IS moves in one direction, lawless and deadly 'clean'. Syrians of long standing Christianity and Shia everyone will convert, flee or die. And a new Syria will be IS friendly.

Assad is an ally of Russia and is the obstacle to a gas pipeline from Qatar to Europe. Remember, that dictum of "never let a crisis go to waste". Obama and allied players (Turkey, Qatar, etc..) took advantage of the "Arab Spring" to try to reorder the Middle East so that pipeline could be built and Russia's monopoly broken.

From the Gods of the Copybook Headings: Stick to the devil you know.

I'm with Ed. What has Assad done to deserve this attention? He used chemical weapons on "rebels," who may have been Al Nusra for all we know. That doesn't really bother me.
More importantly, before the Arab Spring, Syria didn't invade anybody. It didn't attack Israel (at least not an open war). Syria is demonstrably "manageable." ISIS, not so much.
First, there was Egypt. Then, Libya. Have we learned nothing about creating power vacuums?

Nice turn of a phase Tbone.

Obama seems still to be convinced that the key to some goal (?) in the Middle East and Africa is to get rid of corrupt and autocratic leaders that are stable and replace them with (?) ... which turns out to be the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic groups simply because they are the 2nd best organized, once the present leadership is deposed. The problem is, the Muslim Brotherhood isn't a solution to anything at all - the people don't really want them and we can't deal with them.

Given the situation with ISIS/ISIL, I would say that if Assad were deposed he stands a really good chance of being replaced by ISIS/ISIL simply because they have the 2nd best on-the-ground organization. Does this really sound like a reasonable plan?

I agree that deposing Assad is a bad idea right now. I watched some of the hearing today with Dempsey and Hagel but never heard anyone ask, what's the plan if/when Assad is gone? Maybe I missed it. But no doubt, ISIS would take control as that is one of their stated objectives.. It's part of their name ISIS.

No check, you didn't miss it. I felt kind of bad for Dempsy. Trying to hold the Obama line & be serious about this at the same time is almost impossible. Obama drug us into this war the day the last troops left Iraq & he still doesn't get it. After the end of the year we'll get the beginning of Iraq 2.0 in Afghanistan.

Wasn't his body language amazing. Four start generals don't carry themselves like that. He must be going bananas inside.

Well back in the day, military folk left their posts in protest since they can't speak against the CinC while commissioned. Seems many have left, including Gen. Allen who O has brought out of retirement. Why not Petraus? I think we're already in Iraq 2.0 and I don't like it at all.

Yea, I should've posted Afghanistan 2.0, as if we needed a replay of Iraq there. Again, it won't end well. Obama's a one man Armageddon.

Either war, doesn't matter. I agree that it won't end well, especially when Iran is a key player now (see my latest post) and Iraqi's PM attitude towards us. Nope, it's not going to end well at all. Too bad the House gave him what he wanted- ugh.

That's true! Obviously our JV team learned nothing from their Arab Spring. Make no mistake either, they were all in on that hand & they didn't even have their cards dealt yet.

I don't--Dempsey has this coming since he's one of The Iwon's Chosen Hack Zampoliti*, better to save your sympathy for the poor grunts and junior officers who gotta make it work.
*KGB Political Officers assigned to Soviet military units for the sole purpose of ensuring that everybody "toed the Party line".

Hey there Dback. Make no mistake, I'm not exactly 'fawning' over Dempsey, he could retire. Lot of good that did Allen. But surely you could see the consternation on his face, he's not toeing the line well for Obama. Maybe he could use Petraus' secretary for cover. {;~)

Or there's always the MacArthur Option of falling on the sword to call attention to a perceived Real Big Problem...