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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumssyria? disarmed. russia? backing down. obama? still black.
By Liberal Librarian
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Over the past two days, the Obama Administration has scored two major foreign policy triumphs. (Yes, despite what the darker corners of the neocon bazaar may say, for the most part the Obama record on foreign policy has been quite fruitful.)
First, all of Syrias declared chemical weapons have been destroyed. This was after the usual critics were calling Pres. Obama weak, feckless, and abandoning the Syrian people by not bombing them. (You have to bomb them to free them, of course. Lesson no. 1 in the Bush/Cheney Manual To Win Hearts and Minds.)
Secondly, Vladimir Putin ordered his version of the Senate to rescind the authorization it gave him to intervene militarily in Ukraine. (Thats the wonderful thing about being a strong man: you can tell your legislature to give you authority to invade a neighboring country, and then turn about and tell it to take it away.) Meanwhile, the West is warning Russia that harsher sanctions are still on the table should this be but yet another of Putins many feints. And again, this was after the usual critics called Pres. Obama weak, feckless, and abandoning the Ukrainian people by not skirting with starting World War III. (You have to destroy the world to make it free.)
Of course, if George Bush the Second had accomplished any of his objectives without impoverishing the Republic and stirring animosity abroad, every second high school in the country would be named after him. (The ham-fistedness was a feature, not a bug, however.) Pres. Obama achieved two signal achievements: getting the Assad regime to declare and allow its chemical weapons to be destroyed, and herding the European cats to stand against Putin by squeezing his economy. All without firing a shot or spending treasure. This, by any measure, should win accolades.
Read More: http://theobamadiary.com/2014/06/25/syria-disarmed-russia-backing-down-obama-still-black/#more-176692
Alex P Notkeaton
(309 posts)Cha
(298,018 posts)I kick my own when that's the case.
Alex P Notkeaton
(309 posts)karynnj
(59,510 posts)It will be remarkable if the patient effort of Obama and our allies lead to the crisis in Ukraine being resolved. Both of these accomplishments show a mature fp that creatively accomplished what had to be done. Congratulations to Obama and Kerry.
Cha
(298,018 posts)"blasting Obama fp"?
karynnj
(59,510 posts)I was referring to all the Iraq threads.
Cha
(298,018 posts)lazy, too. thanks.
sheshe2
(84,057 posts)Awesome Cha, is it not!
Cha
(298,018 posts)Credit and Appreciiation when it's due!
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)things seem to work in general around here besides his foreign policy. The disagreements and the bad news get all the attention and recs, while the good news and areas where prominent progressives like Warren and Sanders support O on don't get nearly as many recs and are quickly buried. Strange occurrence on a site for Dems.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Can't turn it into a lengthy screed bashing whatever it is the poster doesn't like.
When there's a failure, or it's the beginning of a foreign policy maneuver, then people can post a lengthy screed where they assume Obama has already done horrific things, and then attack those horrific things.
For example, clearly Obama was nanoseconds away from invading Syria, getting bogged down for a decade, and then finally pulling out after causing massive chaos and spending a fortune and killing millions. Leading to lots of angry posts where that path was assumed to have occurred.
When it doesn't happen, and you get a success like this topic, those same posters aren't going to say much. Because they can't assume the worst.
bigtree
(86,016 posts). . . thanks for posting!
sheshe2
(84,057 posts)Skidmore
(37,364 posts)Some good news is welcome.
Cha
(298,018 posts)It does with people who appreciate accomplishments.. not so much with those who'd rather whine about President Obama than breathe.
thanks she~
EEO
(1,620 posts)Time will tell, but we have essentially put targets on the ground for our enemies to get at. Bad move.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)in addition to it being VERY good news!
sheshe2
(84,057 posts)You are awesome and never pull your punches, spot on!
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)tanks, she!! Well, it takes one to know one!! You are fearless!!
Love that gif, too.
pampango
(24,692 posts)I think I see the trend here.
gtar100
(4,192 posts)The most important reason for Democrats to vote is because republicans tend to be idiotic warmongers. They never learn from history and never have the patience to seek peaceful resolutions to problems. Whatever anyone here wants to say about President Obama, undeniably he so outclasses any conservative even on his worst day. Really tragic he's got such a pathetic congressional body to work with. We Americans are our own worst enemy.
Botany
(70,639 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)He's still black, yet damn it he rules!
muriel_volestrangler
(101,411 posts)Let's just remind ourselves:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/09/obama-congress-syria-vote-in-doubt/2788597/
Yes: 17 Dem, 8 Rep; Unknown: 5 Dem, 1 Rep; Undecided: 144 Dem, 79 Rep; No: 34 Dem, 145 Rep
http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2013/09/politics/syria-congress-vote-count/house.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24043751
Obama can't be given credit for the "we won't bomb them" strategy - he was forced into that.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,411 posts)So Obama also persuaded all those Republicans in Congress to be good cop too? And the vote in the British parliament before that too, which was a government defeat for supporting air strikes - that was all part of Obama's grand plan, was it? With the Russians, who are now, according to the OP, being pushed around by Obama?
I think this is an example of "all is for the best of Obama's reputation in this, the best of all possible worlds". Just as the media went through a phase of whatever happened, it was "good news for McCain", the OP seems to think anything that happens in foreign events is "good news for Obama".
jeff47
(26,549 posts)What happened: Russia was against getting rid of Syria's chemical weapons. US and the west was for it. But Obama was expressing a great deal of hesitation about using the military to do so. Made his "red line", and then ignored Syria.
Syria used chemical weapons. Russia was still against getting rid of Syria's chemical weapons. And despite crossing that red line, Obama was not moving towards a conflict. Airstrikes can start in a matter of hours, and many days later Obama hadn't done a thing.
Russia and US talk. US starts making noises about airstrikes and other violent intervention. Russia starts supporting getting rid of Syria's chemical weapons, but offers carrots instead of US offering sticks.
I think it's a case of people wanting to pretend Obama is Cheney so they can attack him.
If Obama wanted to bomb, he had all he needed to do so. Bombing Syria fits nicely under the post-9/11 AUMF. You want to cite Congress, but they haven't managed to repeal the AUMF.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,411 posts)but that Russia suggested the destruction of the weapons instead (which Kerry and the State Department went on record as saying was extremely unlikely). So you are agreeing with me that you cannot credit Obama with reluctance to bomb, even if you think it was all part of a grand plan of his.
karynnj
(59,510 posts)Russia had no interest until there was the threat that the US could bomb Syria. It took the threat to move Russia to action.
Then it took Lavrov and Kerry working out what later was used as the deal in the UN resolution.
The fact is that if the US had ignored Syria's use of chemical weapons, there is no reason to think they would not still be there - possibly within reach of ISIS/ISIL. Admittedly, had Russia not stepped up, whether the US attacked or not, most of the weapons would still be there.
The fact is that Russia had the ability, but not the desire; the US did not unilaterally have the ability, but Obama did have the desire.
progressoid
(50,013 posts)karynnj
(59,510 posts)he spoke of. However, he and Kerry were also working this angle - and from Kerry's comment, they did not think Russia could be pressed to push Syria - and the US has no leverage to do so. The various back stories indicate that they had tried to get Russia to do this long before the August chemical weapons use.
NO ONE is saying that Obama had not come close to doing a limited targeted strike - with teh intent to make a cost for using chemical weapons. They said that it could not eliminate future use, but might make Syria think twice. When the diplomatic opening happened, NO ONE gave Kerry any chance to make the deal - that includes the US media and DU. (In addition, the media suggested that it was a "gaffe" - rather than as Kerry said the obvious answer of what Syria could do to avoid an attack. What is then pathetic is that the left gave ALL the credit to Putin. (He deserves credit for his role, that he was uniquely able to play.
mfcorey1
(11,001 posts)Benton D Struckcheon
(2,347 posts)and have it shipped overnight to my house, in quantities I specify.
All the UPS man ever brings is shoes and the like for my wife. I did get a new LED light once, so that's something...
WhiteTara
(29,732 posts)he's still black so no credit can be given him!
I'm so tired of the racist wingers! I'm off to register voters today.
William769
(55,150 posts)sheshe2
(84,057 posts)JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)redqueen
(115,108 posts)Hekate
(91,004 posts)karadax
(284 posts)Money for the program would total $500?million and would expand a current CIA covert training program. It is included in a $65.8?billion request for Overseas Contingency Operations, or OCO, added to the fiscal year 2015 Defense Department budget.
Details of the OCO budget had been withheld from the budget request that Congress has been considering.
The administration has said repeatedly in recent weeks that it was preparing additional assistance to vetted moderate opposition forces who are fighting both the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and al-Qaeda-linked militants who have now spread their area of control across the Syrian border into Iraq.
If Congress approves the funding as requested, it would mark the first direct U.S. military participation in the Syrian conflict. The training would likely take place in neighboring Jordan, where the CIA is currently training Syrian opposition forces, and possibly in Turkey.
The request does not specify the type of military equipment that would be included. Although the administration has sent small arms and ammunition, as well as non-lethal assistance, and has allowed others to send U.S.-made anti-tank weapons, it has rebuffed opposition calls for portable anti-aircraft missiles.
The speed with which militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have taken control of Iraqi cities and towns has focused the administrations attention on what now threatens to become a regional conflagration.
We are about to get further involved in the Middle East. Not good IMO.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)The weaponry to help them become the strong and militant force known as ISIS.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)Thanks to the American people and Congress and the joint chiefs, Obama ultimately changed his mind.
Alex P Notkeaton
(309 posts)And am very proud of that fact.
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)Ridiculous how this man's skin color makes people fucking crazy!