With too many parochial interests and too many corrupt politicians around few sanction regimes can ever achieve their intended goals, especially when they drag out for years. The same applies for wars, after a certain period conflicts become “stable” and self-sustaining as a result of a convergence of parochial interests. But conflicts remain unpredictable and often have too many unintended consequences. Those betting on “stabilizing” the Syrian conflict by transforming it into a contained low intensity conflict with minimal impact on neighboring countries are deluding themselves. The impact of the devolution of Syria will be felt globally, there are simply too many overlapping interests, too many players involved, and too many people watching and drawing lessons that may not too “kosher.”
Tag: Iran
Unreasonable!
Jimmy Carter and Robert Pastor wrote:
“These preconditions should not be controversial, but they mean that Syrian factions — and their supporters — would have to back down from their former unreasonable demands.”
Yeah, I guess demanding freedom from tyranny is really quite unreasonable. That’s why I guess, the U.S. did not support us, and pro-democracy activists and moderate rebels were left to face Assad’s killing machine, oiled by Russia and Iran, on their own, seeing that Saudi, Qatar and Turkey supported the other extreme.
Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone
Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone – NYTimes.com.
In no uncertain terms, the Saudi Ambassador to Britain tells Obama to go screw himself. But the real story that is always lost in all this back-and-forth is how the Syrian people are the ones who are actually getting screwed caught, as they are, between a genocidal regime, ambitious regional powers, and selfish international ones.
Moonwalking in Syria
Moonwalking in Syria – latimes.com.
In an interview with the BBC, Ambassador Robert Ford said that the views expressed by former CIA Director, Michael Hayden, do not represent those held by the Obama Administration. But then, judging from past precedents, it seems that even views expressed by Obama do not represent those held by the Administration. The Administration’s real views remain unexpressed because they are unexpressable, in the sense that they are absolutely odious, as they include establishing working relations with a genocidal maniac, and supporting a stronger role for Iran in the region. These policies will be impossible to defend if articulated, so the Administration chose to dissimulate. And to moonwalk.
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 