Sometimes the national security establishment feels secure enough for candor. Michael Brenner happened on one in Austin TX recently.
Michael Brenner, Sic Semper Tyrannis: How the Borg spends 36 hours in Texas
In this mess, we still can discern American priorities on which there seems to exist some tacit consensus. As noted in an earlier post:
1. The paramount objective is to thwart Russia’s efforts to exercise influence and to establish its position in Syria.
2. Get rid of Assad. We appear to have committed ourselves to the Israelis, the Turks, and the Saudis on this. Their wish is our command.
3. Marginalize and weaken Iran by breaking the Shi’ite Crescent.
4. Wear down and slowly fragment ISIS. Success on this score can cover failure on all others in domestic opinion.
5. Ensure a permanent American physical presence in Iraq, i.e. achieve what we failed to achieve in 2008.
6. Facilitate a de facto partition of Iraq with bits of Syria attached to the Iraqi bits. Hold this out as the lure for the Kurds to act as our infantry.
7. Facilitate some kind of Sunni entity in Anbar and eastern Syria. How can we prevent it being destabilized by attacks from ISIS remnants? How can we prevent it falling under the sway of al-Qaeda? Good subjects for the Obama Foundation’s first major study project.
8. al-Nusra in Syria proper? Hope that the Turks can “domestic” al-Nusra. Incentive? Obscure.
No one made mention of Washington’s tacit alliance with al-Qaeda in Syria. No one made mention of pressuring Turkey and the KSA to cease and desist supporting jihadi elements, no mention was made of Israel, no mention was made of post-Assad Syria. The words “should” or “must” in regard to other parties were absent from all discussion of Syria. These establishment figures have spent so much time in blind alleys that they seem unable to tell night from day.
