Foreign Policy: Obama’s Disastrous Betrayal of the Syrian Rebels
How the White House is handing victory to Bashar al-Assad, Russia, and Iran.
What a difference a year makes in Syria. And the introduction of massive Russian airpower.
Last February, President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and its Shiite auxiliaries mounted a large-scale attempt to encircle Aleppo, the northern city divided between regime and rebels since 2012 and battered by the dictator’s barrel bombs. Islamist and non-Islamist mainstream rebels — to the surprise of those who have derided their performance, let alone their existence — repelled the offensive at the time. What followed was a string of rebel advances across the country, which weakened Assad so much that they triggered Moscow’s direct intervention in September, in concert with an Iranian surge of forces, to secure his survival.
Fast-forward a year. After a slow start — and despite wishful Western assessments that Moscow could not sustain a meaningful military effort abroad — the Russian campaign is finally delivering results for the Assad regime. This week, Russian airpower allowed Assad and his allied paramilitary forces to finally cut off the narrow, rebel-held “Azaz corridor” that links the Turkish border to the city of Aleppo. The city’s full encirclement is now a distinct possibility, with regime troops and Shiite fighters moving from the south, the west, and the north. Should the rebel-held parts of the city ultimately fall, it will be a dramatic victory for Assad and the greatest setback to the rebellion since the start of the uprising in 2011.
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WNU Editor: I cannot disagree with this analysis.
6 comments:
Sorry WNU Editor,
But it's just another " stabbed in the back", " who lost China" myth.
Since 2006, the US/Saudi/GCC/Jordanian/Turkish coelitikn has pumped millikns of dollars a year, over a hundred billion so far, into Islamic Jihad in Syria.
Guess what, most Syrians, even the Sunni, don't want to live in some 10th Century Caliphinate.
Regime controlled Aleppo has 1.2 million Syrians, Jihad controlled Aleppo, roughly 40% of the city area, had less than 40,000. Now of course, they've all run for the Turkish border.
When you have earned a Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing, how much more deserving will you be when you have done something.
Obama has always been tepid and hesitant in his support.
He was in Libya and he was in Syria.
Obama did not want to get involved in Libya, but the French and Italians talked him into it. He then claimed credit for the post Gaddaffi Libya.
Obama started Syrian rebel aid with non-lethal aid. It has been said if you have not defeated your enemy in 3 years you are training them.
Well both the rebels and the Assad axis have been trained. It is just that the SA and allies have deeper reserves, so many of the rebels who have learned the lessons are being killed despite being more knowledgeable than they were at the start. That is one effect of Obama not going whole hog.
He also signaled to Putin that he is scared. Putin did nothing about Libya.
Russia was weaker and AMerica was stringer then. But Syria is closer than Libya, Russia is now stronger economically (or was) with America being weaker (Thx Obama). Russia also has local and regional support in Hezbollah and the Iranians that it can leverage.
Obama should have stayed out or gone in whole hog. 1/2 measure do not work.
I am a President Obama fan as it relates to his domestic policy, and most non-security related foreign policy. I feel he has got a bum wrap, because of his successful neutering by the still ascending 'Right Wing' in the US. But if he as President is not willing to effectively and clearly maintain a credible and strong security personality as Commander and Chief, he has failed in some important dimension, in his duties. Not chest thumping, but something just this side of it. With the clear intention of maintaining the modern civil status quo.
It goes with the territory. And part of that is successfully posturing in the proper public channels. Many people don't want to be bothered by a White House address, but it is needed. As a statesmen.
Humility has an important place in leadership but the lack of the projection of credible personal power, as a leader, in the face of clear disregard by 1st world players, and the modern bad boy bit players, will lead to continued and certain disintegration of world order. This is where President Obama fails, in my estimation.
Therefore he fails me a supporter who is relying on him as the 'leader of the free world'., because I am first a supporter of protecting all things found in the modern liberal society. And possibly spreading that creamy goodness to other likeminded oppressed peoples.
Please put your pants on my President before it is too late. Projection is 8/10 of the battle in current international relations.
"I am a President Obama fan"
It is why unemployment is really 10% like Bernie Sanders says
Get Effing Real!
Bush II started the CIA program to arm and train the Jihad's in Syria in 2006.
Obama wasn't elected until 2008.
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