"Assad foes cannot set conditions for Syria talks: Russia" Reuters

""We categorically oppose ... affirmations that the conference should become a kind of public act of capitulation by the government delegation, with the subsequent handover of power in Syria to the opposition," he said in remarks published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website."  Lavrov quoted in Reuters

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Morning Joe Scarborough, the dumbest man in morning television, said today that the Syrian government is "one of the two worst enemies of the United States in the Middle East."

Say what?

Joe has been living in New York City for a long time now.  I guess there is something in the water... No, Joe, Syria is viewed by ISRAEL as one of its two greatest enemies in the Middle East.  Israel and the US are two different countries, Joe.  Separate sovereign countries usually have at least some differing interests.  Tell me. Joe, how is Syria a major threat to the US?  Terrorism?  When was that?  Where was that?  Remind me.

In any event, Russia has made it clear now that it will not accept a phony conference in which the Syrian government show up to surrender  Sounds like "check" to me.  "Mate" is coming.

Is there anyone left in government who has an actual grasp of the concept of the "art of the possible?"  Ah!  I take that back.  I heard Obama say that the Chiefs have tried to talk sense to him.  pl  

 

http://news.yahoo.com/assad-foes-cannot-set-conditions-syria-talks-russia-112409763.html

Comments

[Bill H]

"Is there anyone left in government who has an actual grasp of the concept of the "art of the possible?" Ah! I take that back. I heard Obama say that the Chiefs have tried to talk sense to him."

If you mean, as I assume you do, the military JCS, then I would mention that under our constitution the military is not supposed to be "in government" as you suggest. Which does not negate your point. No, there is no one left in government with any sense of what is possible. They navigate based on their dreamy little desires, which will get other people killed, not them.

[Matthew]

Col: But we are told that the Russians are "isolated." See http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/17/us-g-idUSBRE95F0JK20130617

[turcopolier]

BillH

Our constitution does not say that. The armed forces are part of the Executive Branch of the government. The president is commander in chief of the armed forces (not the US). The Chiefs (JCS)are confirmed in office by the senate and are the commander in chief's principal military advisers. This is their statutory duty. pl

[The beaver]

yeah , that what Stephen Harper from Canada has been saying since Sunday:
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2013/06/16/harper-g8-syria-russia-comments.html

The PM whose only worries about the ME are the survival of Israel and the death of Iran.

The spin meisters of his comm dept have made sure that all the agencies got a copy of his speech to deflect troubles at home , especially the crooks he has appointed at the Senate.

[jonst]

so we're now on the side of suicide bombers? And the Times tries to spin the story like this is some kind of legitimate, or at least, semi legit tactic?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/world/middleeast/large-truck-bomb-reported-to-kill-60-syrian-troops.html?ref=world

This is who we are gonna be sending arms/intel to? Yeah, yeah, I know, not to these guys...to the good FSA guys.

[Alba Etie]

Col Lang
Ever the romantic I still believe that Gen Dempsey & Sec of Defense Hagel will counter balance all the bad advice of those that say we must intervene in Syria. And I the end of the day we do not go to war again in the ME .

[Fred]

Perhaps the Prime Minister can send Canada's army to Syria instead of volunteering ours.

[Medicine Man]

Ha! I'm sure Putin is shuddering at the thought of the stern talking to he's going to get. Hilarious.

How can Putin be isolated when half of the civilized world, including China, all think that the US is overreaching on this?

[crf]

One thing about all the Syria hype is that allows the commentariat to avoid the fact that Iran has a new moderate President, with a serious chance to positively resolve the nuclear weapons issue, while retaining and advancing Iran's nuclear energy ambitions, including the manufacture of light-water reactor nuclear fuel.

I don't think it is an accident that (the Western puppet state of) Canada is trying to completely discredit Russia an equal negotiating partner. It's a way for the West to shut it out of future Iranian negotiations. (Similarly, note how Brazil and Turkey were shut out.)

Nobody in the west cares about Syria, except as a way to manoeuver their policy vis-a-vis Iran. That fact that it is Russia that disagrees with the West is a large reason why this meaningless internal conflict is being trumped up.

[The beaver]

A couple of interesting and edifying articles:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4391453,00.html

"Let them kill themselves quietly

Op-ed: We shouldn't give Arabs a reason to unite around their only common denominator– hatred towards Israel"

Alex Fishman

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4393168,00.html

Assad must not win

Op-ed: If Syrian army defeats rebels, US will lose remainder of its credibility, deterrence power in the Middle East

[CK]

What odds are you offering on your wager?

[jonst]

Please define "moderate", in a policy sense....what are his "moderate" policies? Not simply that the media in the West says he is a moderate.

[confusedponderer]

Today's FAZ ran a full page interview with Assad today, on page 6 no less, and it can be found here in english:

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/naher-osten/f-a-z-interview-with-bashar-al-assad-europe-s-backyard-would-become-a-terrorist-haven-12225367.html

[Matthew]

Fred: I sense that you really, really dislike foreigners being free with American lives and American money. If only our politicians felt the same way.

[Matthew]

MM: With wisdom like this, how can we lose? See http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/06/18/in-defense-of-obama-on-syria/

Some people have learned nothing from the Iraq Debacle. Of course, the Hez crossing the Rio Grande to attack the Houston Galleria has a pedigree. President Reagan warned us that the Sandinistas were threatening Harlingen, Texas.

New wine, old wineskins.

[Tyler]

American politicians thinking of America wthey're busy deciding how to divide the country up for the new brown underclass of the world to swarm in.

What a quaint thought, thinking of Americans first instead of the rest of the world.

[Fred]

The power within Iran's government is the Supreme Leader, not the President.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Iran#Supreme_Leader

[kao_hsien_chih]

I don't see much "moderate" in the new Iranian leader--he strikes me as, in some sense, even more of an insider than Ahmedinejad. I don't see him giving real ground on matters of import to Iran's perceived security needs--i.e. nuclear capability. If anything else, he might argue that, since he is a "moderate" rather than a hothead like his predecessor, he should be able to go forward with furthering his country's nuclear technology.

[scott s.]

Con 1/6/2 does provide "No Person holding any Office "under the United States" shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office" though it appears there is also specific provision for leaving or perhaps taking a leave of absence to accept a military commission "No Senator or Representative shall ... be appointed to any "civil Office under the Authority of the United States", which shall have been created, ..." (leaving aside what difference if any intended by "under the US" vs "under the authority of the US"). The creation of the War Dept by statute in 1789 provides no specific direction on the duties of the Secretary (presumably the Pres as CINC has full authority to define). The original Board of War and Ordnance established by 2d Continental Congress and patterned after the British War Office was primarily administrative, and headed by military officers (such as MG B. Lincoln), though the similar creation of the War Dept under the United States in Congress Assembled in 1785 (after demobilization and creation of a "peace establishment" for the Army of a single regiment with Henry Knox, who had been the General in Chief, as Secretary) did specify that the Secretary at War had the power and duty "to direct the arrangement destination, and operation of such troops as are or may be in service..." I suppose because with such as small standing army there wasn't any other command structure available.

[Jackie]

When Obama said the Chiefs tried to talk sense to him he wasn't talking about the Kansas City Chiefs. They really stink! And I live here.

[Alba Etie]

No odds , no wager, gas is way to expensive and consumes all of my disposal income .

[Tyler]

"Is the President of Iran Persian" is the new "Is the Pope Catholic?"

[Charles I]

nonetheless the end result reported tonight after Harper's hectoring is crowing about a statement lauding G8 agreement after all to work towards a transition conference, a statement that does not mention the current government of Syria.

"G8 leaders meeting in Northern Ireland have backed calls for Syrian peace talks to be held in Geneva "as soon as possible".

After adopting a statement, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the leaders had managed "to overcome fundamental differences".

But no timetable for the Geneva talks was given.

The statement does not mention what role Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could play in the future.

Vladimir Putin: "Russia and the US...will be in charge of preparing the underlying principles of the settlement" . . .

Earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin insisted that each of the Syrian sides at the Geneva talks should be able to select their own delegations, sidestepping questions about whether this could leave open a role for Mr Assad. . .

The seven-point document says that any future transitional government should be "formed by mutual consent".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22957614

same old same old.

[AK]

"I heard Obama say that the Chiefs have tried to talk sense to him."

Would that this were a possible outcome, Colonel....Anybody out there ever try to talk sense to someone who is committed to a non-sensible perception of the situation? A hysterical teenage girl in a state of apoplexy upon hearing that her latest boy crush kissed another girl? A belligerent drunk who wants to have a go with the total stranger who gave him funny look? An American President and his policy advisers itching oh so badly for a new war to fight?

As my old man used to say, "It's like trying to teach a pig to sing. You're wasting your time and annoying the pig."

[kao_hsien_chih]

Yet, with every new Pope, there are (mostly non-Catholic) people who expect him to give up Catholicism. Would they expect any less of an Iranian president?