"Poor John Kerry. On his first foreign trip in his new job, the US secretary of state – and his boss – have been given a sharp slap in the face. A mission to Europe and the Middle East, which his officials declared would be for "listening" to ideas on what to do about Syria, has turned into a humiliating effort at damage limitation. The western-sponsored opposition grouping, the Syrian National Coalition, has rejected a meeting with Kerry that was due in Rome on Thursday. It accuses the US and its allies of being complicit in the destruction of Syria by not intervening militarily, either by arming the rebels or by direct intervention as in Libya. Not since Binyamin Netanyahu's brutal refusal to stop Israel's illegal settlement expansion around East Jerusalem has the Obama administration met such defiance from alleged friends. Israel depends heavily on US weaponry, cash and diplomatic support, but as clients go it is a giant compared to the deeply fragmented group of exiles who form the SNC. " The Guardian
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IMO Kerry is one of the Washington's great phonies. A mediocre thinker who made his way in Washington by riding first on his phony reputation as a hero of the war in Vietnam who then courageously defied the establishment and attacked US forces as war criminals. How brave that was! How persecuted he was for his principled stand against "US imperialism." After marrynig his friend's widow he has had a great "run" in Washington pontificating from the comfort of a senate seat where he did not have to do anything or take responsibility for anything. Oh, yes, I know all about his three Silver Stars and how he got them. Now, his situation is different. The "buck" stops with him and Obama.
The Syrian rebels are dominated by AQ people. Many of the others in the SNA are Islamist jihadis of their own "branding." The Saudis have announced that they are increasing the level of their support to the "freedom fighters" in Syria. What sort of "freedom" do you think the rebels desire in Syria? IMO it is the freedom to do what Saudi Arabia tells them to do.
Now the rebels have thumbed their noses at Kerry and Obama. They are not interested in a compromise with the Assad secular state. I ask you, as they would, how could they compromise when they are on "a mission from God?" Oh, right, that was the "Blues Brothers."
I predict that Kerry will find that he can nothing with "diplomacy" in this crisis and then, despairing and fearful for his reputation he will take up the neocon banner along with McCain and Graham.
He will end by recommending direct military support for the rebels. pl
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/25/syria-john-kerry-problem
