War with Syria?

[Haruo]

Finally, something Boehner can join Obama on.

[Sandy]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/04/politics/ ... ?hpt=hp_t1

It's a tough situation at best. If it turns out that the UN inspectors find that there were chemical weapons used against civilians, I expect that the US will act, regardless of whether the UN does or not. I don't expect a war, at least, not in the sense that there would be some kind of invasion of ground troops, but I think there will be an attempt to both eliminate the source of chemical weapons and weaken the Assad regime.

I'm not sure that helping the rebels win in Syria would produce a result any more beneficial or desirable to the US than currently exists there. The vacuum of power would ultimately be of more benefit to Al Qaida, or some other extremist Muslim group than it would be in pushing the country toward democratic reform. If it is within the realm of possibility to stop, or at least slow down the use of chemical weapons, then we should make that effort. Beyond that, it is probably not worth the cost.

[KeithE]

Apparently there is some doubt about the “intel” document outlining the case to attack Syria, was not strictly an “intel” product but an assessment by the White House,

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I put this in this thread, since it is not about "Republican hypocrisy". And I’m going to move my latest Syria Statement here as well shortly.

[KeithE]

[KeithE]

[KeithE]

Predictable and good speech tonight.

[Sandy]

[KeithE]

I’ll just simply say that I am more convinced than ever that a successful surgical strike to “eliminate” or even “strongly negate” chemical weapons is improbable. The so-called Command and Control function could be a cell phone.

David Kay (SAIC employee and an Iraqi inspector) who I trust says that inspections would be difficult and takes years.

It is not lost on me that Russian and the USA are the 2 countries with the most chemical warheads (despite signing the CWC, promising destruction of all CW by 2007) Here is the of those nations signing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Syria has not signed the CWC. Of course Russia and the USA like this Putin proposal.

I do not know the best path forward, but a cruise missile strike is not in the running. Humanitarian aid is.

[Sandy]

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/#52988148

The September 11th program is excellent. I couldn't put this stuff any better than Rachel Maddow, who points out the utter hypocrisy of the GOP on this issue, complete with quotes from a US Senator, and Karl Rove, caught on camera flip flopping like a net full of fish on a boat deck. Karl Rove is just a contemptible, deceitful liar. John Cornyn should know better. And while it angers me to hear these people talk down to the American people, and act as if the entire country is made up of mindless idiots, they are making an audio and video record that is undeniable proof of their obstructionist politics. They are handing control of Congress right over to the Democrats.