Issues Under Fire: Obama to Address Syria and Iran at UN, While Many Heads Turn Toward Nairobi

Time for Talk is Now!

President Obama will be challenged today to deliver a harsh yet hopeful message to the international community in an effort to forestall military engagements in Syria and eventually Iran. With the Israelis nipping at his heels, the President's task is not one to be envied. 

The world is now waiting to see if the Obama administration has the green light from Israel to publicly reciprocate Hassan Rouhani's unprecedented outreach. Rouhani's leash has apparently been extended by his Supreme Leader, so the ball is clearly in the Obama administration's court. 

The same holds true for the Syrian crisis. Since Bashar al- Assad has turned in his paper work identifying Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons, will President Obama face continued pressures from an AIPAC contaminated Congress to hold out for the military option? 

The posture of holding Assad's feet to the fire might temporily satisfy Congressional hawks, but it could just as easily setoff the Russians and Chinese who'd like to see a reduction in threats and an increase in constructive dialog.
  

 Other News:




With two wars to avert, President Obama has Al Shabaab looking for attention in the worst way. A group sounding more like a dirty NYC street snack, this crazy group of bastards aka Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (HSM) is serving up more than heartburn. 

Per Wikipedia: More commonly known as al-Shabaab (Arabic: الشباب‎, "The Youth" or "The Boys"), is the Somali-based cell of the militant Islamist group al-Qaeda, formally recognized in 2012. As of 2012, the outfit controls large swathes of the southern parts of the country, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia law. Al-Shabaab's troop strength as of May 2011 was estimated at 14,426 militants. In February 2012, Al-Shabaab leaders quarreled with Al-Qaeda over the union, and quickly lost ground.

Apparently looking for global attention to show the world their best days have yet to sizzle, the twisted militants captured international attention this weekend with a spectacular murder spree in Nairobi Kenya's Westgate Mall. Catering to primarily upscale Western shoppers, the bloody terror attack was designed to intimidate recruit and advertise. 
More on this latter this week! 

 The Podcast: