Israel Matzav

Syrian opposition to Obama: 'Put up or shut up'

The Syrian opposition has called on President Obama to follow up on his kind words and take action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian opposition forces have called on the US to back up top officials' assertions that the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad would represent the crossing of a red line, Israel Radio reported on Friday.

US Republican Sen. John McCain voiced a general sentiment from US officials when he said, "the president of the United States said that if Bashar Assad used chemical weapons, it would be a game changer, that it would cross a red line."

Rebel forces are hopeful that America will support the president's statements and has urged the international community to act to prove that the White House's assurance are not empty words.

I don't believe Obama will do anything. As was proven by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's statement on Thursday. Obama is looking for a way to get out of acting.

On Thursday morning, the White House admitted in a letter to Senators Carl Levin (D-Mi) and John McCain (R-Az) that the sarin was discovered. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel admitted as much as well.

"This morning the White House delivered a letter to several members of Congress on the topic of chemical weapons use in Syria. The letter ... states that the US intelligence community assesses with some degree of varying confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria," Hagel told reporters traveling with him. He said it was sarin gas.

Note that Hagel said 'small scale.' That is part of the opening the White House seems to be using to minimize the significance of the discovery.

However, the White House stated that US Intelligence assessments on chemical weapons are not enough.

"Given the stakes involved, and what we have learned from our own recent experiences, intelligence assessments alone are not sufficient - only credible and corroborated facts that provide us with some degree of certainty will guide our decision-making," Miguel Rodriguez, White House director of the office of legislative affairs, said in a letter to lawmakers. The White House added that the US is prepared for all contingencies on Syria to respond to any confirmed use of chemical weapons.

If I were the Syrian opposition, I would not hold my breath waiting for Obama to save me. It would take a real massacre for Obama to even consider that. No, 70,000 dead isn't enough, unless they all happen at once, in which case the pressure on Obama might be strong enough to make him act. In the meantime, he's busy golfing.

 What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Bashar al-Assad, Free Syrian Army, golf, Syria, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:23 PM