Time Ran Out For President Obama On Syria

© Stringer/ Reuters

Time Is Running Out For Obama On Syria -- Jamie Dettmer, Daily Beast

The idea that U.S.-backed Syrian rebels defeat ISIS and force Assad to the negotiating table has absolutely nothing to do with what’s happening on the ground.

Only three days ago, President Barack Obama’s envoy to the Syrian rebels, retired Marine Gen. John Allen, explained confidently that the U.S. would help to train and equip Western-backed fighters to become a credible force that would compel the Assad regime to negotiate a political deal and end the four-year-long civil war.

Yeah. Right. The Obama administration’s plans have little or nothing to do with what is unfolding all too rapidly on the ground: Rebel brigades are demoralized, disintegrating, and fighting among themselves.

The Americans and their allies are carrying out a desultory air campaign in Syria that appears focused on support for the Kurds. Meanwhile, President Bashar al-Assad’s forces maintain a withering air offensive of their own on rebels and civilians alike in northern Syria.

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My Comment: Time ran out on Syria three years ago when the civil war started .... and looking at the present moment .... I see no good options on the table for the U.S. (or anyone else) when it comes to Syria. The place has become a total disaster, and there is no political will in Washington (justifiably so in my opinion) to allocate the necessary (and enormous) resources to make a difference.