Israel Matzav

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Obama administration eases up on Syria again

Well what a surprise. The Obama administration has eased up on its criticism of Syria. It's no longer calling for Assad to go.

But Clinton backed off on Saturday, saying the administration still hopes that Assad's regime will stop the violence and work with protesters to carry out political reforms. On Monday, European Union ministers also called on Assad to implement reforms and made it clear they still hoped he would do so.

The change in tone reflects the continuing debate over whether Syria's ruler is likely to survive the current turmoil, and how best to use the limited diplomatic tools available to pressure him.

For now, a State Department official said, it's unclear whether the administration will ramp up the rhetoric and officially call for Assad's departure.

"Whether we take it farther will depend on events on the ground," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities. "We need to think through carefully what we say."

Why can't the administration make up its mind? Well, apparently it has, but it's too timid to enforce it.

U.S. officials say that although some administration officials, including Clinton, have pressed for a more forceful policy, others argue that the administration would look weak if Obama called for Assad's departure and nothing happened.

Obama has been demanding that Kadafi give up power in Libya since March, and the U.S. military is backing the North American Treaty Organization's air war against Kadafi's forces. But the Libyan leader remains in power.

How could Obama look any weaker than he does already? I suppose Syria, Iran and Venezuela could invade the United States....

Meanwhile, in yet another indication of how weak Obama appears, Syrian foreign minister Walid Moallem has warned US ambassador Robert Ford and French ambassador Eric Chevalier not to leave Damascus.

Syria's foreign minister has warned the U.S. and French ambassadors not to travel outside Damascus without permission.

Walid al-Moallem said Wednesday that if the ambassadors defy the orders, Syria will ban all diplomats from leaving the capital.

Earlier this month, the U.S. and French ambassadors traveled to the restive city of Hama, a stronghold of opposition to President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian government slammed the visit and said it was unauthorized. The regime accused the envoys of interfering in Syria's internal affairs.

Former National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams comments:

I understand the Administration’s desire not to urge people into the streets, lest there be a slaughter that we cannot halt or avert. But no one is suggesting that the president call for a mass uprising. U.S. policy needs only to show consistency and moral clarity.

I shudder to think how a Syrian protester must view the United States when he is risking his life and the secretary of state is still dreaming of “peaceful cooperation” from the government shooting him and his fellow demonstrators dead in the streets day after day. Mrs. Clinton’s remark about Assad’s loss of legitimacy was, we are told, unscripted. “The administration’s policy toward the Syrian autocrat has lately been shaped more by diplomatic improvisation than methodical planning within the White House,” the Washington Post reported.

This may explain why the secretary oscillates between tougher and weaker rhetoric and positions, but it is a terrible indictment of the Obama Administration foreign policy team that it cannot get its act together after thirty months in power. This Administration’s Syria policy has now moved from “improvisation” to incoherence.

Barack Hussein Obama is unwilling to face down Bashar al-Assad. Instead, he's hiding behind the United Nations, where he can count on Russian and Chinese vetoes to prevent anything from happening. He's turning the United States into a weak laughingstock, which will eventually result in dozens of free countries falling to Islamism and Communism. He calls it 'leading from behind.'

What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Bashar al-Assad, Chinese veto, Eric Chevalier, Hillary Clinton, Robert Ford, Russian veto, United Nations

Monday, July 11, 2011

Obama's response to attack on US embassy in Damascus: He's going to file a lawsuit

In an earlier post, I reported on attacks on the American and French embassies in Damascus by pro-Assad 'demonstrators.' I now have some updates on that post.

The US State Department on Monday formally condemned Syria for failing to protect the US embassy complex in Damascus from a violent assault it said was encouraged by a pro-government Syrian television station.

"A television station that is heavily influenced by Syrian authorities encouraged this violent demonstration," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement."

So what does the world's only superpower do? Send in the Marines to get the ambassador out and protect the embassy grounds? Not in the age of Obama. In the age of Obama the US threatens... to file a lawsuit.

"We strongly condemn the Syrian government's refusal to protect our embassy, and demand compensation for damages. We call on the Syrian government to fulfill its obligations to its own citizens as well," the statement said.

"We are calling in the Syrian charge [d'affaires] to complain," said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"We feel they failed [in their responsibility to protect US diplomats]. We are going to condemn their slow response."

Spoke on condition of anonymity? The Secretary of State hasn't got the junk to stand up there and say we're withdrawing our ambassador and instead a low-level functionary speaking on condition of anonymity is trotted out to threaten to summon the Syrian Charge d'Affaires?!?

What happened to Teddy Roosevelt's 'speak softly and carry a big stick'? It looks like it's been replaced by Jimmy Carter's helicopter crash in the desert. Is this how Reagan would have responded? Is this how Bush II would have responded? Of course not. We would have seen Shock and Awe on all of Assad's palaces. Instead, Obama is going to file a lawsuit demanding compensation. What could go wrong?

Barry Rubin adds:

The French guards fired into the air, wounding two, and the demonstrators stopped. Three French embassy workers were injured. At the U.S. embassy while Syrian guards fired teargas, the U.S. Marines didn’t fire and the mob surged into the embassy breaking windows and wrecking at least part of the building for two and a half hours as Syrian security forces stood by.

Those are the basic facts. The question is: what does this mean and what will the Obama Administration do about it.

And what will Obama do about it?

It should immediately drop the policy it has been following, lose its illusions, and return to a tough stance. A tough stance will not change the Syrian regime’s mind but it might help change the Syrian regime. Moreover, the soft policy makes things even worse.

The attack on the embassy was a response to very mild U.S. criticisms and the visit of the U.S. ambassador to Hama. A Western-style regime, even a dictatorship, would say: Great! The Americans are leaving us alone except for a few gestures and meaningless statements. Let’s play along with them.

But this is the Middle East and the Syrian regime demands of the United States and France what it also demands from its own people: total support or they get bludgeoned into submission.

Unfortunately, the Obama Administration is likely to do nothing and learn nothing. There will be harsh words and much stamping on the floor. But recognize that the Syrian regime is an enemy and act accordingly (and I am NOT repeat NOT talking about military responses)? Not going to happen.

And he'll file a lawsuit Barry. He'll file a lawsuit! (Barry and I know each other - if he sees this, he might get a kick out of it).

Read the whole thing.

UPDATE 10:08 PM

Israel Radio cites an eyewitness from the neighborhood in Damascus in which the US embassy is located who claims that four busloads of Alawites were bussed in from Tartus to attack the US embassy and that they used clubs to break down the doors.

Why were the Marines told to hold their fire (as Barry Rubin reported)?

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Eric Chevalier, French embassy in Damascus, Robert Ford, Syrian uprising, US embassy in Damascus