Now that there's little more left of the Oklahoma tornado event but the sob stories, we'll leave the mop up work and recovery angles to the "professionals".
We've got to get back on track and return to our Syria coverage. We're gonna take ownership of this sanguinary saga just to see how things play themselves out. We think there's much to learn about America's future by understanding America's past dealings in the most volatile region in the world. There are so many cool angles to cover, yet so little time to pay attention, we'll have to move quite fast, so hang on. The next few days could get exciting.
One need only look into the rearview mirror at what the United States left behind in Iraq, to understand why the Russians and Chinese have been able to out maneuver the West in diplomatic efforts to stabilize Syria. Since Iraq's undeclared civil war has gotten started with a real bang, having Shiite and Sunni factions car bombing the hell out of each other daily, there is little appetite left in the region for anything the United States can bring to the table.
Casting his lot with the Israelis at any cost, failing to make good on implied promises in his Cairo speech, failing to close Guantanamo Bay, failing to adequately address issues of the United States' use of torture, while dropping drones (some say indiscriminately) while disrespecting national sovereignty, has left the Obama administration without any real friends, partners, leverage or respect among the regional players.
The American President can stand in the White House's Rose Garden screaming for Bashar al-Assad to step down from power until the cows come home, but we just don't see the rogue dictator having that change of heart. With the Russian peace push gathering steam, Syria's Bashar al-Assad is slowly but surely regaining control of his own fate.
Hanging on long enough to galvanize and maintain at least a slim majority of national support, al-Assad can legitimately claim the right to defend his nation from a violently rebellious minority. Since his regime can prove external elements, both State actors and foreign fighters have infiltrated Syria to support insurgents of every stripe, as scummy as he may be, Bashar al-Assad could turn the tide in the battle of public relations.
While the Russians and Chinese saw the possibility of al-Assad surviving the uprising in time, the United States, being shackled to the Israelis, lacked the fluidity of diplomacy to do anything but fall back on its default position; "we support the right of Israel to defend itself."
This is not Tunisia, Egypt or Libya. This is no peacefully placing daises in the barrel of a gun by freedom and democracy loving innocents standing up to a tyrant's bully boyz. This is no longer an Arab Spring. This is a bloody conflict. This is a bona fide civil war. Once defined as such, no matter how ugly, one would be smart to keep a safe distance and push for a diplomatic solution. The Russians and Chinese are playing it smart.
Syria has degenerated into a space where global bad asses come to fight the world's tough guys. No matter whose left standing in the end, they'll be so blood soaked, it won't be anybody you'd let your kids have a play date with.
As the guest list is still being developed for the Russian backed peace conference, it is from this murderously violent hodgepodge of "opposition forces" who'll have to decide if Bashar al-Assad gets a seat at the table or a rope slung over a tree limb. If its the latter, they'll have to fight to the death for the privilege. We say cut the bastard a deal and be done with it! Hey you can't win them all.
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