Is Syria the idiot's next victim?

Posturing on Syria

May 14, 2004

THE SANCTIONS President Bush imposed on Syria Tuesday will have little impact economically. Bush chose the least punitive of the possible penalties proposed in the Syrian Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which he signed last December. In his executive order implementing that act, Bush waived more-substantive sanctions in "the interest of national security." It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Bush wants merely to send symbolic messages -- one for domestic hard-liners and backers of Israel and another for the regime of Bashar Assad. This dabbling in coded messages might be of some value for Bush's presidential campaign, but in the Middle East it is often better to do nothing than to make empty gestures.

Bush said he ordered the sanctions because Syria has been "supporting terrorism, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining US and international efforts with respect to the stabilization of Iraq." In reality, Assad's hosting of Palestinian leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad has been going on for a long time. And while Syria's relationship with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah involves Iranian influence in the region and security on Israel's northern border, Assad has not permitted Hezbollah to overturn the regional power balance.

Syria has been slow to crack down on jihadists slipping across its border, but as Assad's officials note, coalition forces on the Iraqi side of the long, porous border have not been able to keep the foreign intruders out.

If Syria's behavior were truly "an unusual and extraordinary threat," as Bush said, he should have done more than ban $200 million worth of US exports to Syria other than food and medicine. Bush's ban on Syrian flights to the United States is the epitome of an empty threat: There are no such flights currently.

Bush's posturing will hardly make Assad end his de facto annexation of Lebanon or force him to permit free speech or political pluralism. The surest way to curtail Syria's collusion with Iran, Hezbollah, and Palestinian extremists would be to forge a comprehensive peace in the Mideast. That requires not empty gestures but a US president willing to invest in the hard work of peacemaking.

[clinthopson]

Shrub has to have another war to keep fooling the public.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by clinthopson

Shrub has to have another war to keep fooling the public.

I guess that's what a self-proclaimed "War President" does.
Getting a handle on a domestic agenda to restore confidence in the U.S. by it's own citizens doesn't seem to be this administration's forte.
Bringing democracy to the world at the point of a gun is not likely to have a lasting effect, whether the U.S. is the most militarily powerful, or not. Once the bombs are dropped and the tyrants are ousted, then the people in the occupied country are the wild card.
Being occupied by a foreign power, which may elect an alternate political system to American-style democracy, fitting into the U.S.'s plan isn't a given.
So, the talk of withdrawing U.S. representatives and it's military presence, with the assumption that the citizens of Iraq will be so grateful that they will fall into line is, at best, a simplistic view.

[jeff54]

Originally Posted by clinthopson

Shrub has to have another war to keep fooling the public.

As the recent poll figures are showing he is fooling less and less of the public, I don't think even Bush could possibly think another war would help him win the election. Besides what would he use for soldiers. Aren't we spread pretty thin as it is?

[patricia]

Originally Posted by jeff54

As the recent poll figures are showing he is fooling less and less of the public, I don't think even Bush could possibly think another war would help him win the election. Besides what would he use for soldiers. Aren't we spread pretty thin as it is?

Yes. And there is talk of re-instating the draft. Already the National Guard is taking on assignments which turn out to be extended deployments to Iraq.
I suspect that nobody in this administration foresaw that after the "shock and awe" of successful bombing of Iraq wasn't the end game, that boots on the ground, for an indeterminate time would become necessary.
With little hope of other countries sending in troops, due to the "go it alone", arrogant stance of the Bush Administration at the start, Mr Bush and the administration are stuck with the lion's share of the responsibility.

[Gentle Giant]

What's the difference? They all look alike anyway.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by jeff54

As the recent poll figures are showing he is fooling less and less of the public, I don't think even Bush could possibly think another war would help him win the election. Besides what would he use for soldiers. Aren't we spread pretty thin as it is?

Chris doesn't care. Any accusation against Bush is fair and believable, as long as it's anti-Bush. Of course, only an anti-Bush person gone mad could think that the Administration is plotting an invasion of Syria.

Chris, who wrote your opinion piece? Was it an op-ed or an editorial. I went to boston.com and couldn't find it.

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Chris, who wrote your opinion piece? Was it an op-ed or an editorial. I went to boston.com and couldn't find it.

Sorry Gordon, for some odd reason, there is no byline, but here is a link.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Chris doesn't care. Any accusation against Bush is fair and believable, as long as it's anti-Bush. Of course, only an anti-Bush person gone mad could think that the Administration is plotting an invasion of Syria.

Chris, who wrote your opinion piece? Was it an op-ed or an editorial. I went to boston.com and couldn't find it.

One of the things I would most enjoy about a Kerry presidency is an end to Chris's endless anti-Bush propaganda. Chris, could you promise here and now that if Bush loses the election in November, you will, at the very least, limit mentioning him in the Alley to, say, once a week?

[HenryMc]

i see the old WMDs got another run

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Of course, only an anti-Bush person gone mad could think that the Administration is plotting an invasion of Syria.

I'm sure someone in the administration has looked into the pros and cons and probably drawn up a schematic, just for theoretical purposes, of course.

I saw Richard Perle on Charlie Rose awhile back...he certainly expresses no qualms about going into any number of countries if need be, North Korea included. His influence on the administration was debated here in the alley, but I gotta think there's somebody up there who's probably into it. It's a pretty good fit with the neo-con program in general. Let 'em know we're serious, not fucking around this time. Share the love. And Bush does seem to be...impressionable...

But I think the US public's more rabid brand of patriotism is waxing a little thinner these days, given that it's becoming harder and harder to put a good spin on the current liberation/occupation. So it's probably not in the cards for now.

So I say...let's NOT vote for George Bush this November.

Originally Posted by crawjo

One of the things I would most enjoy about a Kerry presidency is an end to Chris's endless anti-Bush propaganda. Chris, could you promise here and now that if Bush loses the election in November, you will, at the very least, limit mentioning him in the Alley to, say, once a week?

Propaganda? I think you had better look up that word. Be that as it may, I have only one reason for posting items re Bush's blunders and evil deeds: to remind people of how detrimental he is to our country and the world. When we have finally cut this cancer out, I will have no more reason to even give him and his thugs a thought--other than "good riddance."

Of course the healing can begin with their ouster, but there are a number of pols (Dems among them) who need to be voted out also.

[john williams]

Originally Posted by HenryMc

i see the old WMDs got another run

Yes, it may be an oldie but it sure gets some mileage.

[clinthopson]

Originally Posted by HenryMc

i see the old WMDs got another run

There's always some great old ones that you never tire of hearing.