"Barbarism!" cries Samantha Power at the UN

I am at a loss to know what the US, the UK and France think they are going to accomplish at this special session of the Security Council.

Samantha Power seems deranged.  Her desire to impose R2P solutions on the world are now expressed in speech and behavior outside the norms of international relations unless war is a desired outcome.  Does she really think that the US should fight Russia?  Or does she think like that strange man, McCain, that the Russians and Syrians would not fight to prevent the establishment of a NFZ that obviously would become a haven for the jihadis?

Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council.  Russia will veto any resolution it sees as antithetical to its policy and interests.

What kind of charade are we seeing at the UN?  pl

http://in.reuters.com/article/mideast-crisis-syria-idINKCN11U0C3

Comments

[Pvp]

Next move to get Russia suspended from security council?

[turcopolier]

PvP

IMO there is no way to do that and if you could you would be asking for a US-Russia war. Do you live near a significant counter-force or counter-value target? I do. pl

[Peter]

"What kind of charade are we seeing at the UN?"

The first stage of an attempt to put together a coalition of the willing to take on Russia in Syria is perhaps the only explanation.
The UN show is for public consumption, not diplomacy.

[João Carlos]

I fear us government really want a war us/ russia war.

[mike]

Samantha Power is a monster. No way she should ever have been given a diplomatic position except maybe to a post across the Atlantic in The Fair City of her birth. She is disliked and hated by the Hillary supporters as much or more than by this Committee of Correspondence.

[irf520]

Maybe the "October surprise" this time round is the start of WW3 ...

[Fred]

"... a statement signed by 30 mainstream rebel groups..." I wish those reporters would start asking just who those groups represent since they seem completely unable to recruit any of the 11 million refugees to sign up to 'liberate' their country.

From the Power speech to the UNSC:
"the United States leads a 67-country coalition that has rolled back 40 percent of ISIL’s territorial holdings in Iraq and Syria, and which each week liberates more desperate civilians. That is why the United States negotiated the recent agreement with Russia, signaling that we were prepared to work with Russia to fight Jabhat Al-Nusra and ISIL in Syria."

What world is she living in? A coalition we're leading has "rolled back" ISIL holdings? Ah, yes, the desert, is now mostly ISIL free? Well I'm sure the Russian Aerospace forces have more to do with that than whatever coalition of the willing Barrack and team have assembled.
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/7453

[BabelFish]

Could it be she is feeling all the grand plans for R2P/NeoCon hegemony slipping away? That the game has been exposed, both in America and in Europe (Brexit) and the window for winning this stupid, sordid game they have been playing is now closed. She acts, as Lincoln said of General Rosecrans, like a stunned duck that has been hit on the head.

[ISL]

If it was just the US I would assume electoral political motivation. With UK and France joining, my hunch is to keep the Europe on the sanctions - if one or more countries broke the sanctions before the election, it would be bad for the meme that the status quo in foreign policy is totally awesome. As to why they (France) would countenance unprofessionalism on the part of Powers/the US, one might assume that the wheels are coming off that policy...

see....

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/19/why-europe-could-be-ready-to-go-soft-on-russia.html

[wisedupearly]

given the closeness of Obama's end in the WH I feel another book by the UN screecher.
Title to be "The Problem with Hell (the UN)" & intended for the young adult section.
But really this is more worrying than facile.
Escalating threats of unilateral NFZ? or rather trilateral NFZ?
That would suit Powers no end. Remember the cry of Bush admin in Iraq? "We fixed it and Obama screwed it all up."
If Obama does not quiet the children NATO is at risk.IMHO.
WWII is a hell of a long time ago and Russia is now the rational one?

[Cortes]

Isn't it notable that the UK (perhaps others?) has joined the AIIB whilst making soothing noises for the benefit of its "tired and emotional" big brother with the sawn-off shotgun in his unsteady grasp?
Interesting times, as the Chinese say....

[Babak Makkinejad]

This just more boisterous diplomacy, like when Khrushchev started beating his desk with his shoe.

US, Turkey, Gulfies, Europeans are powerless to protect their equities in Aleppo area; so they are throwing a diplomatic fit.

I suspect that some sort of negotiations will resume after anti-Assad forces are annihilated in the Aleppo area. May be in a few weeks.

[michael brenner]

What aspect of US actions in the Middle East over the past 14 years has not been a charade in some sense - even if thousands died?

What we're seeing now is not purposeful behavior, but self-affirmation - primal scream, not diplomacy.

[Jack]

There can be no doubt that Obama -Clinton are warmongers. During Obama's two terms we have been in an undeclared war continuously. I'm not sure there is any president who was at war for their entire two term presidency. They are now intent on baiting the Bear. Their IO has been ramped up and we see non-stop stories in the MSM that are anti-Russia. Reminiscent of Bush-Cheney's WMD propaganda. Fascinating to see Democrats dissonance as they're silent as the tom-toms are beating. Samantha Power is not speaking in isolation. She is following the instructions of her boss.

I'm sure the Borg Queen will be trying to tar & feather The Donald tomorrow as the Manchurian Candidate and a traitorous apologist for the "thug" Putin. I hope Trump will continuously point to her disastrous judgment.

[Harry]

I am a member of an email group of ex employees of an advisory firm that called itself a macro intelligence consultancy. It's where I first came across Col. Lang. Some of my ex-"colleagues" had spent time in the CIA. They consider themselves experts on russia. I spent some time in Russia and I consider them russia haters. It is their considered opinion that a) russia is weak b) russia and Putin have no will to resist. c) russia is evil.

I do not share their views, other than russia is weak. But it is not sufficiently weak to roll over for the neoconservatives.

This "error" is the consensus through Washington as far as I can tell. The belief that russia will fold if pushed, and that it is morally right to push the Russian regime to the point where it collapses.

You might not like Putin, but I would bet a lot of money you won't like what comes after him any better.

[Harry]

R2P is just another silly excuse for imperialism. Old wine dressed in new clothes.

[Walrus]

"What kind of charade are we seeing at the UN?"

A further administration gambit leading to an attempt to paint Donald Trump into a corner as "Soft on Russia" for the benefit of HRC's campaign.

In my opinion such a move might succeed electorally if American lives are lost as a result of Russian retaliation for anything, justified or not.

As Col. Lang has previously observed, such provocation could lead to nuclear war..

[turcopolier]

Harry

Are you the English "Harry?" If you are not I do not believe I know you. You "came across me?" How privileged I was. pl

[Pundita]

Money quote from FT rpt "Russia accused of supporting ‘barbarism’ over Syrian conflict":

"But even with Moscow’s help, Mr Assad’s forces will struggle to take [Aleppo] city. Rebels have for years dug fortifications and underground tunnels, meaning any ground invasion is likely to be long and costly."

https://www.ft.com/content/cdd5f09c-831d-11e6-a29c-6e7d9515ad15

RT reports China hung tough at today's UNSC mtg called by US, UK, FR:

"China took a neutral stance and called on the revival of the ceasefire and facilitation of humanitarian aid to Aleppo, without accusing any party for the violence. The Chinese envoy stressed that counter-terrorism effort is an essential part for resolving the Syrian conflict."

https://www.rt.com/news/360571-unsc-syria-meeting-russia/

But China wouldn't be able to prevent NFZ, not without severe arm twisting -- but with China twisting arms one way and AL Saud twisting the other way, US-Euro envoys would start to look like pretzels.

Of course China could twist Al Saud's arm. That might be productive. The question is whether Xi would consider any potential gains worth it.

In any case Axis of Scoundrels is trying like heck to gin up support for NFZ. FT features yet another heart-rending pix of blood-smeared Aleppo child awaiting medical treatment.

[Pundita]

Only slightly off topic, this 'must read':

'We are thirsty' say Tunisians as drought creates tensions
Associated Press, Sept 24

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/09/24/are-thirsty-say-tunisians-as-drought-creates-tensions.html

TUNIS, Tunisia – Struggling with extremism and economic woes, Tunisia now faces another menace: persistent drought across several regions that is creating new social tensions and threatening farming, a pillar of the economy.

[...]

Fellow resident Samir Farhani says the government is concentrating on fighting terrorism "while forgetting that thirst could make us turn into terrorists."

[...]

[Grimgrin]

It was quite amazing to read that the UK ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, walked out of a meeting of the UN security council. This is the man who wrote the "Downing Street Memo". Though in fairness to him, I suppose someone who served as Tony Blair's former Private Secretary during the run-up to the Iraq war would be unusually well equipped to recognize war crimes. It's also an indictment of the media that this little fact, which entirely recontextualizes what happened here, is entirely absent from the media coverage. Every time I think I'm a cynic, I'm reminded of how totally naive I actually am.

[Jackrabbit]

What kind of charade?

Turkey plans to move deeper into Syria (to the outskirts of Aleppo, it seems) and to create a safe-zone/no-fly zone as reported by France24:

http://www.france24.com/en/f24-interview/20160925-video-interview-mevlut-cavusoglu-turkey-foreign-minister

Also note: Turkish FM Cavusoglu "squarely blames Assad and his allies for the failure of the ceasefire".

What was that about a "pivot"?

Perhaps, to paraphrase Shakespeare:
The battle for Aleppo is the thing that will catch conscience of the Sultan.

[Babak Makkinejad]

This fellow; Pollack, calls himself Iran specialist in the Brookings Institution; never been to the country, does not speak or read Persian (or Azeri Turkish) and does not know any religious Iranians.

I guess he cheer-led the US War against Iraq, I suppose he is desperately searching for a new war.

[Ishmael Zechariah]

@Harry,
A comment and a question:
1-IMO your statement "But it is not sufficiently weak to roll over for the neoconservatives." should be changed to "She (Россия-Матушкаis) has grown strong enough to tell the neo-cons to go fXXk themselves".
2-Could you please expand this "Russia is weak" idea a bit?
Ishmael Zechariah

[Anna]

"As Col. Lang has previously observed, such provocation could lead to nuclear war.."

The DC "deciders" are so much removed from reality that they approach the world as if some video game one can play with no real consequences. Looks like the DC has become swarmed with "the stupidest f*cking guys [& gals] on the planet." The unfortunate result of multiplication/cloning of Douglas Feith. http://crooksandliars.com/2008/04/07/60-minutes-doug-feith-once-again-earns-his-nickname