By Barry Rubin
“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday condemned violence in Syria and said the Syrian government must stop the arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of prisoners.”
There’s a problem with that word “must.” See, you cannot have it both ways. You cannot help overthrow or move away from allies, stress your own weakness, decry your past leadership and use of violence, and appease radicals without losing a certain amount of credibility.
What’s the United States going to do if the Syrian regime continues arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of prisoners? Isn’t Hillary Clinton the person who called Syria’s dictator a reformer? Isn’t head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and potential next secretary of state John Kerry praising the repressive Syrian dictatorship?
Didn’t the U.S. government abandon Lebanon to Syrian control? Help consolidate the rule of Syrian client Hamas in the Gaza Strip? Make clear its strong criticism and limited backing for Israel? Rush to bring down the regime in Syria’s main Arab rival, Egypt?
Hasn’t it tightened relations with Syria despite that regime’s human rights violations, sponsorship of terrorism, and even involvement in murdering Americans in Iraq?
So why the [expletives deleted] should Syria’s anti-American, Iran-backed, dictatorship care about such people telling it what it “must” do?
What will the Obama Administration do if Syria’s regime shoots 500 or 1000 opponents? Issue a press release?
Even warnings from experienced U.S. diplomats and advice from senior military officers have been largely ignored. Everyone in the Middle East–and all too few in the White House–understand how totally ridiculous this government appears in the region.
Well maybe if the Syrian government slaughters another 500 or 1000 of it’s citizens Barry and Hillary can put their heads together and issue another triple super secret stern warning; maybe even throw a little hissy fit. Oh and then they can blame President Bush.
They can put Assad on “double secret probation”. That’ll show him!
And let us not forget about the 5,000 to 10,000 Americans that will be killed when the retribution comes (or more). These ME’s have never forgotten a spat since the 7th century. We are all in now. What a bunch of clowns!
Obama and Clinton just seem pitiful and useless with these irrelevant proclamations and condemnations.
America is the most powerful nation on earth and everyone knows this, but Obama is the weakest leader and most treacherous ally in American history.
A long time ago, I believe it was Richard Nixon who claimed that due to weak leadership, America appeared to be a pitiful, helpless giant.
Under Obama things are so awful, even that would be a positive position.
Just to update the news: Syria has killed some 75 demonstrators today according to Amnesty International.