A - C minus for the Children's Crusade this week

 

"Backing this stance, Lavrov said: "If... there are plans to combat Islamic State on the territory of Syria and other countries, it is indispensable that it is done in cooperation with legitimate authorities (there)."

Having long been denounced by Washington and others for protecting Assad, Lavrov made clear that Russia now feels vindicated.

"At one time we were accused of supporting Bashar al-Assad and preventing his overthrow.... Now no one is talking about that," he said.

The Americans and Europeans were now starting to acknowledge "the truth they have long recognized in private conversations: namely that for the region and for the interests of the West, the main threat is not the regime of Bashar al-Assad but the possible threat of seizure of power by terrorists in Syria and other states of the region.""  Reuters 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/25/us-syria-crisis-russia-idUSKBN0GP14J20140825

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"Western alarm about ISIS, the extremist group that calls itself the Islamic State and controls a swath of territory across the Syria-Iraq border, has spiked since it released a video showing an ISIS fighter beheading the American journalist James Foley last week.

Mr. Moallem condemned the killing of Mr. Foley and suggested that a failed raid into Syria by American Special Operations forces seeking to free him could have succeeded with Syrian government help.

“If there had been coordination beforehand, I tell you that the chance of failure would have been weak,” he said.

The United States has been conducting airstrikes on ISIS positions in Iraq — an effort that officials have suggested could extend into Syria. Last week, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, said that ISIS could not be defeated in Iraq without attacks on its bases in Syria.

Responding to that possibility, Mr. Moallem said any such strikes launched unilaterally would be considered an act of war."  NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/world/middleeast/syria-declares-its-readiness-in-backing-efforts-to-fight-jihadists.html?_r=0

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"President Obama has authorized surveillance flights over Syria, a precursor to potential airstrikes there, but a mounting concern for the White House is how to target the Sunni extremists without helping President Bashar al-Assad"  NY Times

 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/world/middleeast/obama-syria-ISIS.html?_r=0

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 "Lordy, Lordy," as the "Old Lady from South Carolina might say."  (copyright pending)  "It gives one the vaypuhs.  What to  do? What to do?  That nasty, tricky Assad man, and his Rooshun friends...  Why wasn't Assad gone three yeahs ago?  All the expuhts at WINEP and ISW and in the retahred ambassaduh boneyahd said he would be gone.  And he is still heah!   Nobody at lunch at the Cosmos Club evah said that he might still be heah.  I will ask John but I am shuah they nevah said anythin' about him still bein' heah to plague us."

This she might say, but Moallam made it clear in his statement yesterday that Syria is ready to welcome cooperation with the US against IS, but failing that Syria will treat such air operations as a breach of the peace.  Syria knows it has no chance of resisting US air power but what they will undoubtedly do is go to the UN and international courts with a complaint that the US and friends are waging aggressive war against Syria.  That will be an embarassment.

On a different subject, I heard Mike Barnicle of Boston Globe fame, pronounce on MJ today that the US must have known of the Egyptian and UAE air attacks at Tripoli. Mike knows this because he watches spy stories on the TeeVee and believes the USIC to be all knowing.  I guess Sister Mary Margaret (or whatever her cover name was) never told him that only God is omniscient.    BTW, what the hell do we think we are accomplishing in threatening Egypt and the UAE over their efforts to fight Islamists in Libya?  What are we doing!!  Ah, I see, the toys have escaped from the toy box and the grad school seminar that is the Children's Crusade (Obama Administration) are "acting out" as the mommies say.  pl

Comments

[Thomas]

A wind of change is breezing across The Gulf.

"Iran's deputy foreign minister said he had held a "positive and constructive" meeting with Saudi Arabia's foreign minister in Riyadh Tuesday as the two rivals seek to counter Islamist militants in Iraq.

Hossein Amir Abdollahian's visit is the first by a senior Iranian official for talks with the kingdom since moderate President Hassan Rouhani was elected last summer and pledged to improve Tehran's frosty relations with its Arab neighbors."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Aug-26/268548-iran-saudi-talks-positive-and-constructive.ashx#axzz3BVopnqEC

[Ryan]

"BTW, what the hell do we think we are accomplishing in threatening Egypt and the UAE over their efforts to fight Islamists in Libya?"

Trying to show the US is still relevant, I suppose.

"Ah, I see, the toys have escaped from the toy box..."

Colonel,

I've been saying for years that it is time to take away the army set from these clowns from both parties. All they are doing is tearing it up.

[Aka]

colonel,
"I heard Mike Barnicle of Boston Globe fame, pronounce on MJ today that the US must have known of the Syrian and UAE air attacks at Tripoli. "

I thought Egyptians are bombing Libya.

BTW, these client states/allies/friends (I can't think of appropriate name) acting without the consent or the knowing of the UG, is it some thing that has always happened or is US loosing control over them?

[walrus]

Thomas, but wait! I think there is more! If Iran and the gulf states show any signs of cooperating, someone in Washington will say "Mr. President, we cannot allow ISIS to be defeated without our help!". (with apologies to Sir Humphrey Appleby)

[turcopolier]

aka

I fixed it thanks. pl

[alba etie]

Walrus
Is ISIS a big enough threat to Turkey that Erdogan may stop helping the jihadis ?

[Farooq]

"..only God is omniscient.."

This line reminded me of this facetious motto on naval intelligence patch
"In God we trust, all others we monitor"
http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/military_service/Naval%20Intelligence%20patch.jpg

NOTE: not implying naval intelligence knew before hand about Egyptian/UAE strikes.

[Peter C]

This calls for a Mint Julep on the Veranda.

[jonst]

@thomas,

And I'm supposed to attach what validity to that announcement?

[D]

Col:

You are a generous grader. I can't give an Executive/Administrator higher than a D if he does not exercise span of control over his charge. If there is a single Administration plan, I don't have any indication of what it is. But perhaps I don't know enough, or it is more of that 11 dimensional chess I used to hear Obama admirers claim he was playing, rather than Pigeon chess more recently attributed to him.

[John]

" Mike knows this because he watches spy stories on the TeeVee and believes the USIC to be all knowing. I guess Sister Mary Margaret (or whatever her cover name was) never told him that only God is omniscient."

What? not omniscient? How can that be?
We certainly need another intelligence agency! What is it? 16 different agencies now?
I'm sure it can be just like teevee if we get another intelligence oversight agency.
USIC, what was that joke about the US, intelligence and oxymorons?

We just singing the end of empire blues:https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/26/fun-empire-fighting-sides-war/

[Thomas]

Jonst,

The Iranians are publicly announcing it is willing to deal diplomatically with Saudi Arabia on the Caliphate Issue and to start putting out the Proxy War fires.

[Thomas]

Walrus,

The Presider could counter his Kiddie Courtiers by saying "This is an exceptional esoteric example of Leading From Behind (aka You are On Your Own) policy".

[Thomas]

alba,

Erdogan dreams of being Caliph himself and probably believes he can co-opt IS. He is not as cruel, ruthless, and efficient as Ibrahaim's crew.

[confusedponderer]

You don't know Iznogoud, by any chance?

http://www.acting-man.com/blog/media/2013/12/iznogoud.jpg

[Thomas]

CP,

No, thanks because humor for our sanity is needed.

The World Leaders today all seem to be intoxicated with Delirious Domination Dream. Caliph Ibrahaim seems to be the only one capable of pulling it off.

[Fred]

Col,

Apparently a C - will still get one the phd in the Ivy League as long as one gets the A in boot licking. Speaking of Ivy League educated elites I see the UN now says that Syria did use chemical weapons (the infamous red line) against civilians. I wonder what our elites will recommend now.