If you want to know why our Middle East policy is in such tatters that the Israelis and Arabs are getting together behind our backs to snicker at it, look no further than this story:
Chemical weapons attacks have killed hundreds on the outskirts of Damascus, Syrian opposition activists say.
Rockets with toxic agents were launched at the suburbs of the Ghouta region early on Wednesday as part of a major bombardment on rebel forces, they say.
State-run news agency Sana said the claims were “baseless” and an attempt to distract UN weapons inspectors.
The main opposition alliance said that more than 650 people had been killed by the attacks.
President Obama famously called the use of chemical weapons a “red line” in the Syrian Civil War, something we’d have to do something about. Or something. Then the reports came in, and Obama treated it like he’s head of CSI instead of the most powerful country in the world. (Good thing that’s graded on a curve.) He said he’d launch an investigation (!), then promptly went to golfing and then to Martha’s Vineyard and hasn’t spoken about it since.
Red line, schmed line, I’m against us getting involved in Syria at all. But the President of the United States can’t just draw a red line in the sand, back away from it sheepishly, then expect to be taken seriously by people in a region defined by deadly and daily violence.
Welcome to Jimmy Carter’s third term.
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