"Syrian state television claimed that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. A Syrian security official was reported saying that the bomber was a bodyguard to inner regime figures,
which allowed him access to a meeting of the “crisis cell” of top security
officials in charge of trying to crush the uprising against Assad rule. The Free Syrian
Army, the main armed opposition force, said that a bomb was planted in the
room and that the attack was not carried out by a suicide bomber." CS Monitor
----------------------------------------
So far there appears to be no reliable indication of the nature of the attack. Do i accept the US government's statement about the bombing? No. The US government is a party to the conflict, having decided with its NATO and Saudi friends to bring down the government in Damascus. They have no idea what the following government might be but, no matter. The roots of this American support lie in a group of women in the government and academia who share a starry-eyed belief I nthe universal efficacy of "democray" and elections. They believe that if elections are reasonably fair, all will be well. Nnonsense, but, no matter.
If this were a Republican administration the policy now followed by the US in greater middle East would be called neoconism. Because they are Democrats we call it "neo-Wilsonian." pl
So I'll bite, and risk getting my head bit off, let's just ask it for the record: a decapitating Drone strike?
As to the Neocon question...I would say, no, he is a Neoliberal. In foreign policy lingo that means a "responsibility to protect'(R2P). In domestic politics, that means, 'Dems still trying to chase their tails in the who lost China debacle' circa 1950 USA. IOW...Dems trying to look tough. This is the mentality that got us into the Balkans in the late 90s. You may think that a good thing...or a bad thing.
Posted by: jonst | 19 July 2012 at 09:23 AM
Sir,
Neocons and neo-Wilsonians (liberals) really have the same goals and same masters. I propose a catch all term: globalists, as they all seem to possess the same ivory tower "We know what is good for you so listen to us because we have the fancy degrees" pedagougery everytime one of them opens thier mouth, be it Bloomberg, Kristol, or SecState Clinton.
Posted by: Tyler | 19 July 2012 at 10:31 AM
What this shows is that no matter Republican or Democrat, we are on a path of interventionism where the unintended consequences are not calculated. As they say blowback is a bitch!
What is the prognosis for Lebanon, a society with a deep sectarian divide and the traditional stomping grounds of all the interventionists? How long before Israel decides to give Nasrallah a black eye?
And when does Iran come under the crosshair?
Anyone willing to look at the crystal ball to the future in the Levant? And the greater Middle East? When do those on the backfoot today strike at the Saudi monarchy?
Posted by: zanzibar | 19 July 2012 at 11:10 AM
jonst
I don't claim to be expert on drone or cruise missile warheads but the damage in the pictures is heavy. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 19 July 2012 at 11:39 AM
The MQ-9 Reaper can carry serious iron—not merely missiles—Up to 14 AGM-114 Hellfire air to ground missiles can be carried or four Hellfire missiles and two 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. The 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) can also be carried.
Capability, of course, does not equate to culpability.
Posted by: Basilisk | 19 July 2012 at 12:06 PM
Zanzibar, didn't Israel try that by going past the Litani River in 2006 and prove their infantry wasn't up to the task?
Posted by: Fred | 19 July 2012 at 12:13 PM
"The roots of this American support lie in a group of women in the government and academia who share a starry-eyed belief in the universal efficacy of "democray" and elections."
Yes, there's Secretary Clinton (though she hardly seems the starry-eyed type to me), but I thought these views were held by a good many men, as well as women, in government and academia, and that the men who hold them don't do so because women also hold them. In any case, are you implying that these views when held by women are held by them because those views have a particular attraction to some aspect of the (or a) female sensibility?
Posted by: Larry Kart | 19 July 2012 at 12:18 PM
Larry Kart
There are, of course, men equally naive about such issues but it is striking that the core group urging such policies are women. IMO women are more hopeful about the possibilities of social evolution if only the bad guys are removed. IMO this is a childish attitude. What will result from this policy in Syria is either protracted civil war or a Sunni theocracy. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 19 July 2012 at 12:28 PM
Basilisk
Your comment indicates that the capability exists with these weapon systems. would I rule out the possibility? No. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 19 July 2012 at 12:30 PM
Sir/STTers,
How could a drone escape the Syrian air defense systems, which I presume still exist ?
Posted by: Tunde | 19 July 2012 at 01:23 PM
Pat Lang,
I havn't heard anything from the three stooges (senatorial) in a while. Have they been weighing in, as they usually do?
WPFIII
Posted by: William Fitzgerald | 19 July 2012 at 01:23 PM
My WAG is that there is a combination of thoughts in the heads of the people crafting this policy. They see themselves as charged with preventing humanitarian catastrophes, they believe that the "people" will surely eventually win and Assad (and others) will surely fall, and they believe that they will only be able to rein in this tiger if they ride it. They might have consulted Wile E Coyote on the last part.
They believe the same things as the neocons, just don't believe that we should take point.
Posted by: Mark Logan | 19 July 2012 at 01:26 PM
Tunde
I will leave that to Basilisk to answer. I must point out that the IAF slid through Syria's air defenses. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 19 July 2012 at 02:00 PM
If the present Israeli leaderhip directs Israeli forces into trying to give Nasrallah a black eye, they will re-discover that Nasrallah's eye has very sharp teeth.
Posted by: different clue | 19 July 2012 at 02:33 PM
Sadly it seems these people do not understand that their sworn obligation is to the people of the USA, not everyone on the planet. They seeem bound and determined in exchanging the current 'catastrophe' for one which will be far worse for both those in the region and the US national interest.
Posted by: Fred | 19 July 2012 at 02:47 PM
Given ME demographics (lotsa disaffected youth), perhaps they need some "won't get fooled again" experience with the religous parties in order to grow up.
Thus a reactionary phase (to dictatorships, military & hereditary), followed by a failure of religous elements, & eventually realists get a shot?
How much does it matter what flavor of policy-makers we have? Our influence appears founded upon self-importance & a big stick everyone games.
Posted by: ked | 19 July 2012 at 03:02 PM
The Masters of the Universe controlling the Western World are hidden from us by their control of the Media except for occasional fluff pieces. One characteristic is their disdain of the working class. Others are a multinational Davos Culture and an addiction to power and extracting wealth from society. The final characteristic of the 21st century version of the Robber Barons is their incompetence; witness the 2008 Financial Collapse and continuing push for Euro-Zone Austerity.
American versions of the Elite have been described in the past in ‘The Great Gatsby” and “The Quiet American”; a naive innocence together with a “greed is good” self promotion that leaves chaos in their wake.
Posted by: VietnamVet | 19 July 2012 at 05:18 PM
Fred, that may well be the result in Syria, but I don't reject all humanitarian interventions as being fundamentally at odds with what we are. Or should aspire to be, I guess.
Posted by: Mark Logan | 19 July 2012 at 06:54 PM
Mark Logan
What we are doing with regard to syria is not a "humanitarian intervention." It is an attempt to change the government there because the Saudis want it changed. the informstion ops campaign to make you think this is something different is impressive. pl pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 19 July 2012 at 08:23 PM
I would prefer we actually spent the toil, sweat, tears and money required on rebuilding our own country, like perhaps staring in Detroit or a half dozen towns in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio I have spent time in this year alone.
Posted by: Fred | 19 July 2012 at 08:54 PM
The IO is impressive. A twitter - Facebook 'rebellion'. We can't even get our own press to cover "occupy wall street' protests or report on the LIBOR rigging that effected everyone on the planet. (I wonder how much impact that had on the 'Arab Spring' by affecting currencies, food prices, etc.
Posted by: Fred | 19 July 2012 at 09:00 PM
It is doable according to serious speculation.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/design/the-hunt-for-the-kill-switch
And slightly off topic:
We also purchase COTS items and install them all over the place. We are so smart. Was anyone stuck on the Metro this weekend? A COTS product was involved. Of course all denied that cyber tinkering was possible but no one knows what caused the shut down.
Posted by: Charles | 19 July 2012 at 10:18 PM
Aye, it very much is. Yet, I suspect them of being at least partially motivated by that. To get me believing they are well-intentioned fools, I'm afraid the campaign need be no better than lame.
Posted by: Mark Logan | 19 July 2012 at 10:19 PM
Col Lang
I was wondering if there was anyway of teasing out some type of best guess as to what the final outcome of a Sunni take over in Syria will mean for the ME- ? And is the government in Qatar just as radical as the KSA ? I read as much as times permits for a small business owner- and yes there appears to be in "many mansions "in the ME .
I did find it ironic & amusing that Secretary of State Clinton's motorcade was bombarded with tomatos in Cairo because Frank Gaffney and Glenn Beck's blog said that the Aide to HRC was a mole for the MB . It appears we hear in the USA have many mansions too .
Posted by: Alba Etie | 20 July 2012 at 06:22 AM
Tyler
Globalist thats a good term to use -
Slightly OT - but I hear 'around" Central Texas that the Ron Paul delegates are still going to try to have an impact at the GOP convention .
Posted by: Alba Etie | 20 July 2012 at 06:26 AM