My. My. All kinds of news today about Syria:
– There is an MIT Reports story below on a serious challenge to the US Governments's assertion in a WHITE HOUSE analytic paper (not IC – Clapper is too clever for that) concerning the big "who shot what and whom" controversary concerning Syria and CW.
– Then there is an Al- Monitor story concerning the total failure of Kerry, State and the WH to understand the actual war in Syria.
– This is followed by a statement in Reuters by the head of the UN CW mission in Syria that the Syrian government is NOT stalling.
– Lastly, there is a statement by the same UN official that Syria must be mindful of the need to complete the handover by the deadline on JUNE. pl
Goeffry Aronson says in the Al-Monitor article that, “The surrender of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal is perhaps the most noteworthy of Kerry’s achievements.” I wonder how Mr. Putin feels about that statement.
Dr. Ted Postol, a co-author of the MIT report, is a highly respected expert on defense and arms control technology. He previously had debunked reports of success of Patriot missiles during Desert Storm- and was later proved correct. He futher has questioned government and industry claims on interceptor missiles reliability. He has recently criticized the purported success of SM-3 interceptor missiles. He is a person to be listend to on missile technology.
Are the Saudis pulling the plug on the insurgents? For those who read Arabic, the following article mentions the king’s latest decree banning jihadi volunteers, within a context that includes a Turkish-Iranian rapprochement.
http://al-akhbar.com/node/200279
Recently the Syrian Govt. has been barrel bombing with no effective reply from the rebels. Are their anti-aircraft weapons running out?
From the news today one could imagine it might be something analogous to F*** the U.S. . . .
Homs humanitarian U.N. evacuation of women & children from rebel held areas apparently underway with a first tranche of about 200 allegedly free to go wherever. No males between 15 – 55 need apply. wouldn’t want to be one there next week.
There does not appear to be a regime tipping point on any horizon. So long as Russian support continues so will Assad unless the Saudis ,Gulfies and other bankers really up their game. Seems unlikely they can compete at Putin’s level in the short term absent an overt outside/U.S. anti-regime military campaign.
Ergo the misery and posturing will continue ad nauseum
… and then there is the story of the royals abandoning their terrorists fighters in Syria!!!!
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/royal-orders-saudis-abandon-their-fighters
Rd,
What I find striking in that article is that the USG finally confronted the Saudis with a dossier of evidence concerning their broad support of Salafist jihadists and threatened to bring that dossier to the UN. Between that and continued dialogue with Iran, I sense a major shift in our alliances in the region. I don’t know where this burst of intelligence and common sense would come from in the USG, but I hope it’s not an illusion.
PL! You describe what is going on in Syria as “war”? is that correct?
WRC
War? What else would it be? Victoria Nuland is a female neocon. pl
TTG
Perhaps Gen Martin J Dempsey & Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel advice is being heeded. We shall see.
The Twisted Genius said…
“ sense a major shift in our alliances in the region. I don’t know where this burst of intelligence and common sense would come from in the USG”
The notion that US is a pacific power is a diversion. US is already there. However, US without ME, would eventually become just a regional power. US lost ME in 79 and since has been trying to regain her standing. As a result of their flawed approach, they have turned ME up side down. The only island of stability (irony) is Islamic Republic. Spreading more jihadi terrorist, (ALA afganistan 80s,…. Ending witn 9/11), and now same in Syria, ending with future 9/11 in EU, UK, US, well hope some one is smart enough to realize that.. Looks like, perhaps, maybe, some adults in DC are thinking differently. As for US, IRI alliance, I’d nt count on that, just accommodations as need be.
Rd,
You’re right. A shift in alliances is an imprecise term on my part. A simple cessation of belligerence and stepping away from alliances is what I prefer. Accommodations as needed, as you say. Although it would be anathema to the neocons, Israel firsters and R2P crowds, it might be pleasant to be just a regional power for a while.
I’ve asked this before here somewhere, could all those crowds abide all their former whatever-they-were’s swanning around with new bff’s and bankers? Surely Congress’s collective head would explode – with new and even nuttier FP schemes.
Rd! I could be wrong as always but as the US lessens its energy dependence on MENA that of the EU grows with Russia and Iran only alternatives.
But US as only regional power? The US has joined in two WW’s to prevent hegenomy [sic] in Europe!
Now the only question, largely driven by demographics, is will MENA and Islam dominate Europe?
Remember I argue that the resource wars of the future will er those of the Arctic and Siberia.
Congress just decided against construction of a new icebreaker! The possibility of a new NORTHWEST
passage is about China and Russia supplying Europe and the converse and US main interest Canada and sea lane control!