Face The Assad Reality In Syria -- Frank G. Wisner and Leslie H. Gelb, Daily Beast
U.S. policy is going down the drain in Syria diplomatically and militarily. The choice: deal with Assad or fail.
The Syria conference underway in Geneva to transition from the rule of President Assad will fail, and the Obama team knows it. There is no incentive now in the Assad or rebel camps for diplomatic compromise, and the U.S. knows that. Nothing the U.S. and its allies are doing or planning on the military front will compel President Assad to step aside, and the White House understands that full well. The reality on the ground today is that American-helped moderate rebels continue to flounder, while Assad’s forces and those of the jihadi extremists prosper. Obama officials see this as well and realize that nothing they are doing or are likely to do will alter those facts.
So, if President Obama understands what he is doing will fail, why is he doing it? The answer is that the Obama administration sees no viable alternative. Obama officials simply can’t bear the thought of joining hands with Assad, even if temporarily and even in the right anti-jihadi cause. And they simply don’t see any way to push the moderate rebels into harness with Assad, even against the dreaded extremists.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
War crimes in Syria? -- Colleen Graffy, L.A. Times
Geneva's endless peace process plays into Bashar al-Assad's hands -- Rime Allaf, The Guardian
Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East's 30 year war -- Douglas Murray, The Spectator
2014 could be even worse for Israel -- Ynet News
INSIDE PYONGYANG (1): Kim Jong Un's dictatorship intensifies in North Korea -- Yoshihiro Makino, Asahi Shimbun
Rocky waters between China and Japan could buffet America -- Fred Hiatt, Washiongton Post
Japan, India and the balance of power -- K. Shankar Bajpai, The Hindu
Exposé Puts Spotlight on China’s Wealthy -- Jeffrey young, Voice of America
The Egyptian Disaster -- Roger Cohen, New York Times
Can South Sudan rebuild embattled economy? -- Oliver Joy, CNN
In Ukraine protest, hope is fading -- USA Today
Vigilantes vs. Narcos: a Security Threat in Mexico Badlands -- Reuters
France gets the Islamist threat better than America -- Michael Curtis, The Commentator
The Franchising of Al Qaeda -- Ben Hubbard, New York Times
Why is the US helping China look for oil in the South China Sea? -- Adam Pasick, Quartz
No comments:
Post a Comment