Obama has overruled the pro-nusra faction in his government ...

 

"“The president doesn’t want this group to be what inherits the country if Assad ever does fall,” a senior U.S. official said. “This cannot be the viable Syrian opposition. It’s al-Qaeda.”

Officials said the administration’s hope is that more-moderate rebel factions will be able to gain ground as both the Islamic State and al-Nusra come under increased military pressure.

A growing number of White House and State Department officials, however, have privately voiced doubts about the wisdom of applying U.S. military power, even covertly, to pressure Assad to step aside, particularly since Russia’s military intervention in Syria last year.

 

U.S. intelligence officials say they aren’t sure what Trump’s approach to U.S.-backed rebel units will be once he gets briefed on the extent of the covert CIA program. Trump has voiced strong skepticism about arming Syrian rebels in the past, suggesting that U.S. intelligence agencies don’t have enough knowledge about rebel intentions to pick reliable allies."  Washpost

------------

What is this?  Has Obama finally come to his senses in the last months of  his presidency?  If I read this article correctly Obama overruled the neocon Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, the toadies he brought with him to the JCS and the always power hungry CIA.   Rather than continue to accept the Israeli influenced  "Assad must Go" policy, Obama apparently has directed the DoD to begin massive attacks against this AQ group in Syria.

Will this lead to cooperation with Russia in these operations?  I don't know.  I hope it will.  Apparently Russian air defenses in Syria have been allowing US drone operations in western Syria for some time.  

This change of policy is a radical reversal which indicates that overthrow of the Syrian government is no longer a priority of the Obama Administration.  Logically, but merely so, Carter should resign since his policy recommendation has been rejected. 

The fight for Mosul looks to me to be something that will last a long, long time.   What will Obama do about that in his remaining time?

What will President Trump's policy be in the ME?  Only time will tell.  pl  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-directs-pentagon-to-target-al-qaeda-affiliate-in-syria-one-of-the-most-formidable-forces-fighting-assad/2016/11/10/cf69839a-a51b-11e6-8042-f4d111c862d1_story.html

Comments

[turcopolier]

Lochearn

Well then I am a Deep State of one. p

[turcopolier]

shaun

I would like you to start writing in complete and intelligible sentences. pl

[VietnamVet]

Colonel,

After mulling for a day and seeing the reverses of Donald Trump campaign promises, I’ve decided that Barack Obama changed Syria policy because he could after the defeat of the Clinton faction. Also, a good portion of the corporate world turned on Hillary Clinton because of her obvious corruption. Terry McAuliffe giving $500,000 to the wife of the FBI’s deputy director.

The Urban Elite should reconsider forcing Donald Trump to morph into an Eric Cantor. The same old same old won’t cut it with mid-America. Cities can’t survive without the water, food and electricity that comes from rural America.

[turcopolier]

VV

I have tried to explain to you all that what Trump said during the campaign means nothing to him. He has no ideology and will do what he thinks necessary to preserve his power and influence with his base. BTW a lot of you are cooperating with the MSM in trying to force him to futilely execute "promises" he made. This is a further effort to destroy him and equivalent to "fact checking" every word he said during the campaign. pl

[Lochearn]

Yes. I'm beginning to think you are. Bless you and your family.

[LondonBob]

Trump merely said it was lousy deal he would look at again. He was always very careful what he said. Was an obvious mere talking point to look tough. The Jerusalem thing was also an obvious sop to the Zionists, his real desire was a peace process and for Israel to pay back US aid, as initially expressed.

[turcopolier]

LondonBob

Pay us back? Pay us back? Except for Lend Lease nobody has ever paid us back for anything except the Finns after WW1. pl

[Pitch Pole]

Curious as to why the definition is limited to the Foreign Policy Establishment? Domestic policy is more diverse, true, but the end results are similar with the same self service of borgist elites.

-Pitch

[Pitch Pole]

Apologies - was responding to Tyler's CTR aspersions.

[turcopolier]

Pitch

that's a good point. I have been mulling over a supplementary term. I focused on the FPE because that is the focus of my life but you are right. The domestic manifestation of the same smug self satisfied "we are the future" forces needs a descriptor. Suggestions? Hyperborg? pl

[turcopolier]

Pitch

OK. I am trying to get everyone, including him, to stop doing that. pl

[Pitch Pole]

PL - I think what many are struggling with is if anything he said during the campaign means nothing to him and no one seems be able to determine what he might do in any given instant, what was the basis of voting for him?? The closest recent historical parallel would seem to be GWB - and even he had some ideological underpinnings from his family and deep ties to the republican party to which one could point.. .

Also, I'm not sure if all those who voted for him have such flexible interpretations of what he said or promised. Surely some of them are counting on having the promises honored?

[turcopolier]

Pitch

Having negotiated with people like him, I would say that he thinks that if he keeps delivering goodies at a good rate, that will make ideological opposition impotent. Basically, if the deal makes you money you stop resenting the BS. He is not a politician. pl

[steve]

Thanks. So all we really need is a Trump to English interpreter so we can always know what he really means when he says things. Lewis Carroll had a character in his book that would have understood this. Anyway, hope you are right.

Steve

[steve]

Not so much an effort to destroy him, just trying to figure out what he will do. If everything he said during the campaign meant nothing, how do we really have any idea what he will do now? All speculation. If your point is that we should just give up on guessing and wait to see what he actually does, ok I am with you.

Steve

[Croesus]

eeeww

[VietnamVet]

Colonel,

Donald Trump has to deliver on his promise of creating “big-league” jobs. Schools have stopped giving out homework because homeless kids don’t have flat surfaces to work on.
http://www.kgw.com/news/education/portland-elementary-school-adopts-no-homework-policy/318994137

NYC, DC, San Jose or Seattle cannot successful wall themselves off from the rest of America.

[aleksandar]

You made my day ! It's not a matter of wealth, it is an attitude, a way of dealing with problems.
So far I am not " excited", but at the end of a long life I'm perfectly able to recognize a guy who has this capacity to decide.
That is why I say that Tump advisors will advise and only advise.
You can be a boss, because you have been designed to be so, or because you have this kind of "gift" that made people follow your orders, sometimes the two are combined. And when, soldiers, NCOs,platoon leaders, comcoy and so on are just happy.
I should give you many examples of men that at first sight, were common people and become truly leaders when "heavy rain" fall down.
Those who have been in the army here, know what I mean.
FYO, I am not US citizen, so completely outside REP vs DEM mind-set.

[Henshaw]

Standard operating procedure for any outgoing Administration. It will be interesting and informative to see who gets the traditional day-before-departure Presidential pardons.

[aleksandar]

Do you think, we, the euros are so stupid? Do you think people ovethere have no brains? You mix our local Borg and people.
Two month ago, I attented a meeting with old friends, one of them a four stars general and he said : " Russians are doing a very good job in Syria, but I can't say that publicly ".
Hollande do what he want, he is president anyway, but people are not blind.

[Mark Logan]

Robert C,

Thanks for the feedback, and please add two more things to your list of what I haven't the slightest on: What you are referring to and your point.

[Jack]

Sir

In reading about the response to the election it seems the Hillarybots are suffering cognitive dissonance. Scott Adams provides a good explanation of what is going on.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-11-12/election-unleashed-cognitive-dissonance-cluster-bomb

What we know of Trump's actions during the campaign is that he tries stuff like an entrepreneur and if they're not working he makes changes as a good business manager. We should recognize that he'll likely try many things which may not work out in which case he'll most likely change course because as you noted he's not ideological. Many will continue to suffer cognitive dissonance because they don't have the flexibility in their own thinking. Those that opposed him because his demeanor doesn't apply to their sense of behavior will never accept him and will find plenty of justifications to reinforce their confirmation bias. We realistically don't know what his first year will be like but those that expect something linear will surely be rattled. What I see with many of the posts is in many ways concern trolling.

[Cortes]

Swap "lupine" for "vulpine" in paragraph #3 and I agree wholeheartedly.

[Pitch Pole]

Never said it had anything to do with wealth. A cursory look around abounds in examples: the current crop of generals, ceo's, heads of investment banks, career pols and their hangers on. In 2000 we sort of elected a decider - one unburdened by knowledge or hardwon experience, that didn't work out so well. Your impression of him perhaps is shaped by his reality show, maybe? His business dealings have hardly been a model of success or steady leadership; multiple chapter elevens, disgruntled vendors cheated of money, much appearance of success but few details. The television appearance of brilliant success and crassly marketed veneer of leadership is no substitute for the real thing.

[Mark Logan]

aleksandar,

If I implied in some way Euro's are stupid I regret doing so. Some posts earlier suggested this election was about FP. My assumption was ignorance.