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As I discussed yesterday in fp story by BooMan – The Push for War.
My partial comment:
- “Hillary Clinton openly undermined the Geneva initiative on Syria where the UN’s envoy Kofi Annan was to attempt a political solution. Hillary’s only intent was for the FSA and any foreign mercenaries to gain enough time and military prowess to put pressure on the Assad regime and its military. The US media has build a 2-year propaganda campaign on how evil Russia and China are. It amazes me (not) how gullible you yanks are in believing in the goodness of the President and his policy in the Middle East. I am an analyst who cuts through bullshit and propaganda lines of politicians …”
Today a breakthrough in Putin’s presidential palace where the Russian President allowed ampel time for a comprehensive discussion. Both President Obama and Putin agree to work together and find a political solution for Syria based on the Geneva Accords from 10 months ago. Thank you John Kerry for cutting though all the bs put forth by US members of Congress. I have wriiten before how I considered Hillary Clinton a failure on foreign policy as she picks the wrong advisors to implement a new US ploicy of change.
In the meantime visiting China, PM Benjamin Netanyahu and congruently the Palestinian President Abbas. China also will step up to the plate to support a two-state solution. Psst … Netanyahu has ordered a settlement freeze to give the peace efforts by John Kerry a chance.
Russia, US to push for global Syria conference to bring conflicting sides to table plus full VIDEO news conference!
(RT.com) – Russia and the US reiterated their commitment to bringing the sides of the Syrian conflict to the negotiating table, and have announced an international conference to be called by the end of May which will serve as a follow-up to the Geneva communiqué.
The Geneva communiqué should be a roadmap to a new Syria, not a forgotten piece of paper, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters after their Tuesday Moscow meeting.
Moscow and Washington confirmed their commitment to the implementation of the principles set in the Syria peace plan – the Geneva Communiqué – including the territorial integrity of the conflict-torn country, Lavrov told journalists.
The countries’ chief diplomats have agreed that the June 2012 communiqué is “a vital tool” to end the bloodshed in Syria, to overcome the humanitarian crisis, and a means of preventing the use of chemical weapons in the region.
{UPDATE-3} Transcript: Remarks Secr. of State John Kerry with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
{UPDATE1} Russia, US to push for global Syria conference to bring conflicting sides to table
Russia, US pledge to push for Syria transition
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia and the United States are pledging to push the Assad regime and Syrian rebels into talks on a political transition.
They say they’ll convene a new international conference later this month to build on a transition plan they set out last year in Geneva. Speaking after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials, Secretary of State John Kerry says that plan “should not be a piece of paper.”
Instead, he says it should be “the roadmap” for peace.
Speaking from Moscow, Kerry says the goal is still to bring Assad regime and opposition representatives together for talks on an interim government.
The Geneva plan allowed each side to veto candidates it found unacceptable. The plan has never gotten off the ground.
As soon as the press conferemce is available as video, it will be published here.
A welcome change of tone indeed. Hillary was so hawkish and so venomously hostile to Russia that she was hard to distinguish from Dick Cheney.
But a major stumbling block is getting the rebels to agree to negotiate. For that to happen, the anti-Assad block needs to stop arming them, as Lavrov indicates. As far as I know, one of the main sources of arms for the Syrian rebels is Saudi Arabia. For this to be more than talk on the part of Kerry, I think that the U.S. would need to put pressure on the Saudis to stop arming them.
And it’s hard for me to see that happening, in large part because the U.S. Israel lobby would vehemently object. A peaceful, negotiated solution to the Syrian civil war is not the kind of “weakening, containing, and even rolling back Syria” that the fresh start planners had in mind.
What does “rolling back” a country even mean? Turning it into a failed state, as far as I can tell, as has been done with Iraq and Libya.
Or just a better speech writer?
US will “consider holding off” on supplying arms to the rebels is some weak tea.
Then there’s this:
Robert Fisk has often pointed out that when “the roadmap for peace” is uttered, it means no map and no peace.
I’m always optimistic, but John Kerry’s travels and press conferences indicate a willingness for change and better relations with Russia.
Glad the Republicans blocked her nomination.
Here is what she had to say about Richard Falk’s excellent Commentary on the Marathon Murders:
What did Falk write that was so offensive?
I think she may have baulked at “global domination project.” That phrase is definitely not in any of our talking points. And “post-colonial” is perhaps a red flag for US diplomats; not saying it’s inaccurate just that it usually is accompanied by a hostile view of US economic leverage and manipulation.
And I think he misses the point about the US relationship with Israel; in the court of electoral politics Obama put down all his chips and won, Bibi not so much.
So your point is that because Netanyahu couldn’t flip the U.S. election for Romney, America’s relationship with Israel is not a problem?
But a different problem, and one I would rather have. As our diarist noted this is a lot different from what Bibi did to Biden in 2010.
It took Bibi a while to put his coalition together after the most recent election; that’s not just realpolitik that’s real politics; and it is Obama’s strong suit.
Obama was placed in a stranglehold by US Congress’ favoritism to Netanyahu and Israel. In order to have any chance of winning re-election in 2012, Obama changed policy towards the Middle-East during the summer of 2011. It’s not the support for Israel per sé that is at stake, but the US abandoning the Palestinain people and its longing for their own state. The Islamic world are also divided on the Palestinian issue, not on the principle [East-]Jerusalem should be part of a future state of Palestine. Jerusalem is a holy place for all three main religions in the world and a root cause for many wars and bloodshed. In his second term, Obama has chosen a different foreign policy team and need not become involved in a long campaign for re-election. I’m (very) hopeful with Obama and Kerry for this last crusade for I/P peace.
Links added to JPost article are mine – Oui.
Good point. As for our relationship with Russia here’s 21st century geopolitics in a nutshell; Russia and China occupy the same continent, share a long border and neither is a naval power. We have a pretty strong hand and can afford to play a long game here.
The murder of PM Rafic Hariri by Sunni militants in Beirut (2005) was the start of a new chapter in Saudi influence in the Middle-East. Both the US and Israel were willing to oblige the King and frame first Syria (failed) and later Hezbollah. The decision for regime change in Syria was an initiative of the Bush administration, willingly continued by Hillary Clinton, our hawk on foreign relations.
I understand your assertion but do we really need to look beyond Assad Jr for motivation in the Hariri assassination. In most homicides the guy whom witnesses report threatening physical harm is a legitimate prime suspect.
Not saying various skulduggery is not par for the course in Lebanon, to be sure, but wasn’t Hariri ‘our man?’ Or at least Chirac’s?
“… the guy whom witnesses report threatening physical harm is a legitimate prime suspect.”
Doesn’t work if the “witnesses” are biased, bribed or part of the conspiracy in the assassination.
If you have read my series of diaries, my premise is based on the rivalry from the late 1990’s in the telecom sector of Lebanon between Rafic Hariri and Al-Waleed Bin Talal. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a nephew of the Saudi king …
Hariri was loved by the French and US for his pro-western stance and his fondness of secular and western values! This alone made him many enemies beyond the domestic political turmoil. In the years of rivalry between Hariri and Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi king was the protector of Hariri and the crown-prince Abdullah backed Alwaleed bin Talal. The latter survived.
Well I take it your argument is that the US and Israel are the ultimate beneficiaries of the assassination and that Syria couldn’t be so stupid as to do something against their self-interest, right? But my reading is that Assad governs by the code of obedience and violence and the logic of his actions is constrained by it. Sometimes this works against him even though he is helpless to do otherwise.
In this case just having a plausible motive doesn’t seem to be compelling evidence given the inherent risks. Whomever made a 15′ crater was trying to send a message. Syria had already blundered by extending the mandate of President Emile Lahoud; it’s not totally implausible to see them as helpless, inflexible enforcers responding to unexpected resistance and dissent by an important actor. Absent other evidence motive alone doesn’t work for me.
Free Syrian Army rebels defect to Islamist group Jabhat al-Nusra
The zeal with which the UK and France have been supporting Islamists in Syria complicates the view of critics of American empire such as myself that the agents destabilizing the Middle East are essentially Washington and Israel. Clearly, the drive of former colonial powers to oppress Muslim peoples dies hard.
“Basha said 3,000 FSA men have joined al-Nusra in the last few months, mainly because of a lack of weapons and ammunition.” Tell me this isn’t as much about gun-running as the Spanish Civil War.
And as for “the agents destabilizing the Middle East” let us not overlook the Saudis, Qatar and Iran. Oppressing the Muslim peoples is a task wise colonial powers left to the Muslims.
If that’s your political line!!
US and Israel attempt to frame Assad regime for Hariri bombing in 2005
US Congress policy regime change in Syria
US support for Turkey and Jordan to assist rebels entering Syria for Assad overthrow
US support for NATO resolution, stationing Patriot missiles
US and NATO support intelligence gathering for rebels
US attempt to unite a foreign opposition group for Assad overthrow
US and Hillary Clinton undermine Geneva accord with Russia for political solution on Syria
Cross-posted from BooMan’s fp story – US would be nuts to take ownership of the (Syrian) problem.