So me thinks we be headed to action in Syria soon

…and wondering what will the maritime implications will be? I don’t see a big surge sealift beyond breaking out the LMSRs when it becomes necessary for the US to insert troops… that is unless the Russians also intervene on the side of Assad! Then it may become a far bigger show than any of us would want, but it would be great for jobs! Maybe air alone will be enough?

[B]World Powers Seek Syria Action as UN Probes Allegations[/B]
By Donna Abu-Nasr, Roger Runningen & Silla Brush - Aug 26, 2013 7:51 AM CT

World leaders from Washington to Istanbul called for action to punish Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for what they said was his use of chemical weapons as United Nations inspectors attempted to probe the allegations.

U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain is convinced Assad was behind an Aug. 21 attack on a Damascus suburb and that there was agreement with the U.S. and France on the need to respond. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country will join a “coalition” against Syria if the UN fails to act.

“I’m putting here the case that the Assad regime did this, and that the use of chemical weapons on a large scale like this cannot go unaddressed,” Hague told BBC Radio 4. Assad has denied the accusation.

As inspectors started their investigation of some of the areas allegedly targeted, Israel’s Minister of Intelligence said the use of chemicals was “clear,” while French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said it was “obvious” the weapons had been used and that the “massacre’s origin comes from the regime of Bashar al-Assad.”

An attempt by the UN officials to visit the site of the attack was halted by sniper fire, the spokesperson for the Secretary-General said in an e-mailed statement. Syrian authorities and opposition activists blamed each other for the gunfire. The UN team plans to return to area.

‘Drums of War’

Officials in Russia and Iran said UN inspectors must be allowed to carry out their work. Any military action may have “extremely dangerous” consequences for the region and recent U.S. statements have set off “deep alarm” in Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a phone conversation yesterday, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on its website.

West Texas Intermediate crude traded near a four-day high on concern Syria may be attacked and amid signs of economic recovery in Europe. WTI for October delivery climbed as much as 95 cents to $107.37 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $106.51 at 12:06 a.m. London time. Prices are up 16 percent in 2013.

Hossein Sheikholeslam, the Iranian parliament’s director-general for international affairs, said nations are “beating the drums of war.” He told the state-run Fars news agency that Israel risks being the “victim” if any attempt is made to attack Syria.

The global rhetoric came after a rocket attack on the Damascus suburb of Ghouta last week that the Syrian opposition says killed more than 1,300 from toxic gas. Assad and the opposition traded accusations over chemical weapons use.

Without UN Backing

“What happened in Syria five days ago is beyond our worst imagination – the use of chemical weapons as weapons of mass destruction,” Steinitz told journalists today at a Jerusalem briefing. “The world can’t allow this to happen. The world can’t allow this to proceed.”

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said there was a “very high probability” that chemical weapons were used and that such an attack “can’t go without consequences.”

The U.K.’s Hague and Turkey’s Davutoglu signaled that action may be taken even without the backing of the UN Security Council.

“Is it possible to respond without complete agreement on the security council? I would argue yes it is,” Hague said. “Other countries including France are very clear that we can’t allow the idea that chemical weapons in the 21st century can can be used with impunity.”

‘Nonsense’

Assad has dismissed the accusations as “nonsense,” telling Russian newspaper Izvestia the allegations were “politicized.” The U.S. will be faced with “failure” if it decides on the military option, Assad said. “America has waged many wars, but has never been able to achieve its political objectives from any of them,” Assad said in the interview.

A team of UN inspectors was already in Syria to probe previous claims of chemical weapons use when the Ghouta attack happened. Some members of that team have now entered Moadamiya, a town in the area, Skynews Arabiya reported today.

The probe five days after the purported attack is too late because constant shelling of the area could have corrupted or destroyed evidence, according to a senior U.S. administration official in an e-mailed statement.

Pressure Building

Pressure is building on President Barack Obama to respond, with Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, calling for a limited military response by the U.S. and its allies. The U.S., the U.K. and France are discussing options.

Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, speaking on MSNBC, said Obama doesn’t need authorization from Congress to begin military action “but I do hope they come for one.” He predicted that as soon as lawmakers get back from their summer recess on Sept. 9, Congress “will take up an authorization for this. It’s the right thing to do.”

U.S. intelligence officials and international partners have concluded that chemicals were used, based on the reported number of victims, reported symptoms of those who were killed or injured in the Aug. 21 attacks, witness accounts and other facts gathered, according to the U.S. statement.

‘Little Doubt’

“There is very little doubt at this point that a chemical weapon was used by the Syrian regime against civilians in this incident,” according to the official’s statement. The statement was released on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

Obama said a year ago that the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime would cross a U.S. “red line.” The U.S. now has four destroyers equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles in the Mediterranean Sea, compared with three that have been there for months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the forces there. None of the ships – the USS Gravely, the USS Barry, the USS Mahan and the USS Ramage – has been assigned a mission, the official said.

Assad’s forces attempted to cover up evidence by delaying inspections, a senior U.S. official said today. Obama has discussed the matter with U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel plans to speak with his counterparts in the U.K. and France shortly, the U.S. official said.

At a news conference in Jakarta today, Hagel declined to discuss possible action on Syria, saying that until “we are absolutely confident of what happened in Syria, I’m not going to comment” on possible consequences of either taking military action or choosing not to act.

Obama will do a little Kosovoesque bombing like slick Willie did. He wont send in troops because there is no way he would get the green light from the UN.

I’m inclined to think this is how it will play out. He will not get the political or public support to go “all-in” for another Middle East shit show.

They’re already figuring they won’t get a UN security council green light and are planning to act under auspices of NATO and the Arab League…

[B]U.S., U.K. Mull Response to Syria Chemical Allegations[/B]
By Gopal Ratnam & Dana El Baltaji - Aug 25, 2013 5:58 AM CT

The U.S. and U.K. are examining “all the options” in response to the Syrian government’s suspected use of chemical weapons, with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel indicating forces are ready to strike if ordered.

President Barack Obama spoke by phone with U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, and the two leaders share “grave concern” on the reports of alleged chemical weapons use, a White House statement issued after the 40-minute phone call said. Cameron’s office said the two leaders reiterated that significant use of chemical weapons “would merit a serious response from the international community” and that both have “tasked officials to examine all the options.”

Obama is under increased pressure to intervene in Syria following allegations that President Bashar al-Assad’s government used chemical arms in an Aug. 21 attack in a Damascus suburb that some opposition groups say killed 1,300 people.

In the suburb of Ghouta, the 322 deaths documented “so far” include 54 children, 82 women and dozens of rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based activist group, said yesterday. More than 180 people were killed across Syria yesterday, the Observatory said today.

Hagel said the U.S. military is ready to act if Obama orders a strike on Syria. “The Defense Department has a responsibility to provide the president with options for all contingencies,” he told reporters en route to Kuala Lumpur, the beginning of a week-long visit to the region.

‘Red Line’

Preparations include the repositioning of personnel and assets including ships, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres called for action against Assad. “It cannot be allowed for the world’s most dangerous regimes to have the world’s most dangerous weapons,” Netanyahu said today.

Masoud Jazayeri, the deputy chief of Iran’s military, warned the U.S. of “serious consequences” if it crossed what he described as a “red line” on Syria, according to the state-run Fars news agency.

The Syrian government hasn’t used chemical weapons and will give UN inspectors access to the site of the alleged attack, Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said, according to a Press TV report yesterday. The Syrian military also accused rebels of using chemical weapons, the state-run news agency Sana reported.

‘Detailed Review’

Obama met with his national security team yesterday to discuss the reports. U.S. intelligence officials along with international partners are continuing to gather evidence about what happened, according to a White House statement issued after the meeting.

The president received “a detailed review of a range of potential options he had requested be prepared for the United States and the international community to respond to the use of chemical weapons,” according to the White House statement.

“We, with our allies, are continuing to assess intelligence and the specifics of the intelligence on the use of chemical weapons” by Syria, Hagel said at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur. “I wouldn’t go any further than that until we have more intelligence based on facts.”

Top military officials from nine countries will meet in Amman, Jordan, in the next few days to discuss regional security, the state-run Petra news agency reported yesterday, citing a Jordanian military source. Representatives will attend from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Canada.

‘With Force’

The U.S. and the U.K. have pressed Assad’s government to allow United Nations inspectors to enter the site of the alleged attack to gather evidence. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called on the world to respond “with force” to any use of chemical weapons.

Angela Kane, the UN disarmament affairs envoy, arrived in Damascus yesterday to press the Syrian government to allow experts to investigate the allegations, The Associated Press reported. Kane didn’t speak to reporters, the AP said.

Internet video and photos showed dead Syrians without visible wounds after the attack, and reports from local doctors were consistent with nerve gas or lethal exposure to pesticides.

Three hospitals in the Damascus area working with Doctors Without Borders received about 3,600 patients displaying symptoms of exposure to neurotoxins in less than three hours on the morning of Aug. 21, of whom 355 died, according to a statement posted on the charity’s website.

Lethal Exposure

While representatives of Doctors Without Borders haven’t been able to visit the hospitals because of security risks, medical personnel have described symptoms treated including convulsions, impaired vision and breathing difficulties, said Bart Janssens, operations director for the charity.

While Doctors Without Borders couldn’t confirm the cause, the symptoms strongly suggested exposure on a large scale to neurotoxins, the charity said.

The international community must “translate words into actions,” with or without UN Security Council approval, Ahmad al-Jarba, the president of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, said at a news conference in Istanbul broadcast by al-Jazeera.

U.S. intervention in Syria must be part of a broad international effort, Hagel said, echoing Obama’s comments in an interview broadcast on CNN last week that the U.S. would need a UN mandate to act in Syria.

Hagel declined to specify how soon the U.S. would decide if military action is warranted against Assad’s regime.

“The international community is moving swiftly in getting facts on what did happen and getting the intelligence right and all the other factors that go into a decision will be made swiftly and should be made swiftly,” Hagel said.

The U.S. now has four destroyers equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles in the Mediterranean Sea, compared with three that have been there for months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the forces there. None of the ships – the USS Gravely, the USS Barry, the USS Mahan and the USS Ramage – has been assigned a mission, the official said

I say GOOD! Let’s get on with it now and do what should have been done a long time ago. That FUCKER Assad is as illegitimate as his old man was and worse than him is his brutal ruthless wife! She’s probably the one giving the orders to gas the kids! FUCKING BITCH!

I hope we stay out of it. We cant afford to be the world’s policeman anymore. Both sides in that civil war are our enemies, if they are busy killing each other they wont have time to kill us. Thats cold but its the truth. Besides the American people are tired of fighting wars and losing our troops in shit hole 3rd world muslim countries to no ends.

If anything maybe our “dear leader” can earn his Nobel prize and broker a peace deal.

[QUOTE=Bayrunner;118525]I hope we stay out of it. We cant afford to be the world’s policeman anymore. Both sides in that civil war are our enemies, if they are busy killing each other they wont have time to kill us. Thats cold but its the truth. Besides the American people are tired of fighting wars and losing our troops in shit hole 3rd world muslim countries to no ends.

If anything maybe our “dear leader” can earn his Nobel prize and broker a peace deal.[/QUOTE]

i more inclined to have us stay out of it all together. it’s not worth a single bomb or missile, let alone man on the ground.

let europe take care of it of they want to. our economy was headed downhill fast due to overseas military action that became increasingly unaffordable, with no end in sight. and that was well before the housing bubble/financial collapse happened.

it’s pitiful that something as such as this (BEFORE chemical weapons were used) is having speculatory effect on crude prices. we do have enough natural resources here in the USA (between petroleum, natural gas, coal, solar, wind) to be sufficient on our own. i say drill offshore as much as reasonable (but don’t expand any further east than current lay out of MMS/BOEMRE/BSSE sold leases), set up more wind farms, develop more NG cars, more hybrids vehicles, etc. we can do all that and still have big fat V-8 challengers and F-250s barreling down the road while being effifcient and self-sufficient.

The US imports approx 40% of need of total crude and refined products. the ARAB world is the supplier for approximate 20% of those refined and crude imports. However, over 50% of our 2012 import came from the western hemisphere, especially canada, mexico. we are not now, and don’t think ever have been, as heavily dependent on Arab oil as we were led to believe. one of the big concerns is that Venezuela (9% of annual imports) is an OPEC member. Canada and Mexico are not, which is good, clearly, but a 9% contributor being an OPEC member is not good, let alone any OPEC members. turmoil in the middle east and subsequent crude price volatility is not a justifying cause for USA intervention. never has been and never will be. but that doesn’t mean we (public) won’t get lied to as to the reason we are there.

unfortunately or fortunately (however you choose to look at it) war is good for the US Merchant Marine. i just returned from the sand box with MRAPs, tanks, etc. we’ll be busy pulling that stuff out for at least 2 more years. that won’t be all of it, just the stuff uncle sam deems to be too expensive or security sensitive to leave. everything else will be given away, destroyed, or dumped in the ocean.

as much as i am tired of going to the sand box, repeatedly, the bigger issue is clearly that we need to stay out of anything that doesn’t directly involve us, as in we were attacked or our CLOSE allies are. Syria isn’t worth the lives of our men and women of the armed forces, let alone worth our tax dollars. enough is enough.

let them kill themselves, or let the arabs or eurpeans community jump in and stop it.

i was pissed when we were firing off missles from our carriers into libya last year. those missles aren’t cheap and Libya isn’t worth it nor justified. let the Europeans or arabs handle it.

isn’t it their turn and don’t we have enough things we haven’t fixed here or need more money to fix?

apparently we can’t afford this recent example i give to you:

ICE couldn’t afford to send down 2 agents to clear my ship (upon return from persian gulf) on July 4th in Beaumont, Texas at 1900 on a US flagged ship with US military cargo manned by 23 people with TWIC cards because the OT was too much for a holiday so we were restricted ship until July 5th at 0700 when they showed up. BUT WE CAN AFFORD ANOTHER MILITARY CAMPAIGN???

with crap like this going on, even if i was bloodthirsty for another war, i could not in any way shape or form support tax dollars going toward any campaign this administration deemed prudent.

All of a sudden c.captains a war hawk?

I’m finding it hard to get worked up about Arabs killing Arabs. Is it just me?

[QUOTE=coldduck;118597]All of a sudden c.captains a war hawk?[/QUOTE]

I believe in this case, the use of such hideous weapons as nerve gas against civilians is a red line which Assad has crossed and should be held to account for. I certainly would prefer that there be a strong international consensus for action but as mentioned before there is reason to not believe the opposition in Syria honors the interests of the US or the rest of the world hence why we can’t just arm them and have to at least lead a coalition against the regime in Damascus. I wished Turkey and perhaps Jordan would take a lead in inserting any peace keeping troops since they have the greatest at stake while the US mainly provides air support. Establish safe corridors and no fly zones would be a good start. Take out any missile or artillery sites should be next but the cost would not be cheap so other Arab nations with the huge piles of money (Saudi Arabia) foot the bill for the smart bombs and cruise missiles we must expend. The biggest hurdle to overcome is how do we keep Muslim extremists from taking control of Syria once Assad is toppled? Who the fuck knows but something must be done to get this FUCKER and his BITCH wife out of power there!

I just don’t think that this country has the finances or the resources at this point in time to conduct another war. Not without eliminating foreign aid and many social welfare programs. Personally, why should we risk more American lives? It is horrible as to what is going on in Syria right now. But this is not really a risk to our national security.

it’s ridiculous what lengths our gov’t will go to ensure access to the Suez and to stabilize oil prices, both of which are directly controlled by Arabs who hate us and everything we are.

it would be a lot easier to stay out of the are as a whole.

as far as the Suez access goes, let commercial entities who want to go to/through that part of the world thrive/survive/fail on their own merits. i think access to the suez is a lot more important to Europe for getting oil imports.

if we get off all portions of Arab imported oil we can let these people sort out their own stuff and then we won’t have to care about spending another 10-15 days at sea to go around Cape of Good Hope. and soon as we get all our crap out of Afghnaistan and Iraq, that should certainly be the end of it.

the idea that evil need succeed only by the decision of good men to do nothing is not our burden to bare alone.

let the arab/muslim world figure it out or let them annhilate themselves trying. no regime in that area is really going to be any better than the former or the one that is currently in power.
the egyptians, iranians, iraqis, jordanians, pakistanis, saudis, kuwaitis, etc. as are just as capable and likely of using nasty weapons on their people if it suits them or they are getting too “mouthy” or protesting too much.

Was listening to WCBS and heard this situation could erupt into a WORLD WAR as Russia has their only warm water naval base situated on the coast of Syria.

Could the next WW be fought without the losing side opting to push the button?

Wtf.

Here’s the latest update from bloomber on Syria. We’re paying to post this shit so that’s what I’m doing…

U.S., Allies Move Closer to Brink of Syria Military Action

Copyright 2013 Bloomberg.
Julianna Goldman and Robert Hutton
(Adds G-20 meeting sixth paragraph, markets in 12th.)

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) – The U.S., France and Britain stepped closer to a military strike against Syria, laying the legal groundwork to justify action, moving forces into place and rounding up allies in the region.
Any armed response would be narrowly focused on Syria’s weapons capabilities and wouldn’t be aimed at deposing President Bashar al-Assad, U.S. and U.K. officials said.
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said in London that while no decision has been made on a course of action, it would be legal and proportionate.
“This is not about wars in the Middle East; this is not even about the Syrian conflict,” Cameron said in televised remarks. “It’s about the use of chemical weapons and making sure as a world we deter their use.”
As part of the build-up, U.S. President Barack Obama plans to release this week an intelligence assessment of the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack outside of Damascus, and the administration has begun consultations with U.S. congressional leaders. Cameron has summoned Parliament back from a recess to debate the matter.
The confrontation with Syria will be at the forefront when Obama, Cameron and French President Francois Hollande join other leaders of the Group of 20 nations next week in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Assad Ally

The host for the summit is Russian President Vladimir Putin, an ally of Assad who has thwarted past action against Syria at the United Nations and questioned the evidence about whether a chemical attack took place.
One U.S. official, who asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the timing of any decision or a military response isn’t tied to the summit on Sept. 5 and 6.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who is traveling in Asia, told the BBC that the U.S. has “assets in place” and forces are “ready to go.” Cameron’s spokesman, Christian Cubitt, told reporters in London that British armed forces are making contingency plans. Another U.S. official said imposing a no-fly zone over Syria or using troops on the ground aren’t under consideration.

UN Inspectors

A military strike would probably be delayed until a United Nations team searching for evidence of chemical weapons use is out of the area. The inspectors have told UN officials they need four more days to complete their work.
The UN team, which was already in Syria to probe previous claims of chemical weapons use, visited two hospitals, interviewed witnesses, survivors and doctors, and collected some samples, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told reporters in Seoul yesterday. The UN today said its inspectors put off by a day a visit to one site after an attack yesterday on a UN convoy.
The prospect of a military confrontation in the Middle East has rumbled through markets. The MSCI All-Country World Index dropped 1.3 percent at 3:19 p.m. in New York as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 1.6 percent and Dubai’s benchmark gauge plunged 7 percent.
Even a limited military operation carries the risk that it could lead to an escalation of the Syrian conflict if Assad decides he has nothing to lose and expands his use of chemical or biological weapons.
“There is no assurance that a limited strike would not lead to retaliation by the regime and escalation,” Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst and now a defense fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in an e-mail.

Wider Conflict

“Assad could strike directly at U.S. allies and interests in the region, particularly any countries he saw as involved in the attack,” White said, adding that Assad may decide against “suicide by retaliation.”
U.S. officials joined Cameron in stressing that Assad wouldn’t be the direct target.
“The options that we are considering are not about regime change,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said in Washington. “They are about responding to a clear violation of an international standard that prohibits the use of chemical weapons.”
Brian Katulis, a national security specialist at the Center for American Progress, a Washington research institute, said Assad’s reaction is difficult to predict, as is the fallout from any military action.

‘Many Uncertainties’

“There are so many uncertainties about not only his response, but also possible fracturing within the regime, terrorist groups operating within the area,” he said in an interview.
Obama has spoken by telephone over the last several days with Cameron, Hollande, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The U.S. probably will make a formal declaration that Assad used chemical weapons within a week, according to one administration official.
Assad’s regime came under escalating condemnation for the attack, which opposition forces said killed more than 1,300. Hollande said today the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces “cannot go unanswered.”
The Arab League said after a meeting in Cairo that the Syrian regime “bears full responsibility for this brutal crime.” Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday called the regime’s act “a moral obscenity.”
Kerry didn’t say whether the U.S. would seek a mandate from the UN for potential responses. Russia, an ally of Syria that has a veto on the UN Security Council, has blocked previous UN action against Syria.

No Surrender

In Syria, Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said today the government won’t surrender.
Syria is “hearing the drums of war all around us,” Muallem said at a televised news conference in Damascus. We have the means to defend ourselves, and we will surprise people with them. We must believe in victory.”
Assad has denied that his forces used the chemical arms.
More than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria’s 2 1/2- year civil war, and more than 2 million refugees have poured into neighboring countries, according to UN estimates.

[QUOTE=Bayrunner;118525]I hope we stay out of it. We cant afford to be the world’s policeman anymore. Both sides in that civil war are our enemies, if they are busy killing each other they wont have time to kill us. Thats cold but its the truth. Besides the American people are tired of fighting wars and losing our troops in shit hole 3rd world muslim countries to no ends.

If anything maybe our “dear leader” can earn his Nobel prize and broker a peace deal.[/QUOTE]

We have two options, in my opinion. Swiftly kill all of em, turn the shit hole into a glass bowl. Sand turns to glass when heated enough. Since no one is going to pull the trigger on a nuke, that option is out. But that option is a winning option as we can later drill thru glass. BUT it won’t happen. We are too mired down in correctness to win any damn thing. With the news reporting every baby wounded or killed, war is something we cannot win anymore. So we should stay the hell out.

Stay the hell out - I’m all for that.

Syria violated UN law - shouldn’t the UN go in and set things straight? Aren’t they the worlds policeman?

You are 100% correct. Let the corrupt, impotent UN take care of this problem.

This is just great. Back 10 years ago when there was a nation in the Middle East which WAS NOT A THREAT to regional stability, everybody and their brother was beating drums saying “Let’s go kill that EMMEFFER Saddam” and spent almost $1 trillion dollars we didn’t have then but now in 2013 when a civil war is raging in the midst of the region with the possibility of an extremist Islamic takeover of Syria or a bloodbath of civilians everyone is saying “Not our problem and let them deal with it”. Since stability of the Middle East effects the economies of the rest of the planet, I would say that now is the time to use our mega military to make damned ass sure that we get a government in Syria which will be friendly to the US, Europe, Turkey, the Arab league and Israel. The last thing we need is a junta in power there which is butt buddies with Iran…Assad is a criminal who cannot stay in power now so there will be new leaders in Syria and I say we DAMNED WELL BETTER BE SURE THEY ARE THE LEADERS WE WANT THERE and not terrorists.

I also say that we need to make DAMNED ASS SURE that Vladimir Putin is knocked back a peg or two. That EMMEFFER is on a mega powertrip and something has got to be done to make sure he doesn’t get anymore! He is rapidly succeeding in bringing back the Cold War and he is using Syria and that little pipsqueak Snowden against us at every step!

Maybe if we didnt have such a pathetically weak leader these other countries would respect us a little more. Putin and the others see obama for what he is. Incompetent.

I bet you were against the war in Iraq c.capt, went you? But you are for this one… Its funny how the liberals are for war when a democrat wants to get involved in one.

The possibility of getting a govt in Syria as an ally to the US is virtually nil. Potentially starting a world war over Syria is a grave mistake.

[QUOTE=Bayrunner;118651]Maybe if we didnt have such a pathetically weak leader these other countries would respect us a little more. Putin and the others see obama for what he is. Incompetent.

I bet you were against the war in Iraq c.capt, went you? But you are for this one… Its funny how the liberals are for war when a democrat wants to get involved in one.

The possibility of getting a govt in Syria as an ally to the US is virtually nil. Potentially starting a world war over Syria is a grave mistake.[/QUOTE]

Normally I would get into a major brawl with you over this but fuck it…you aren’t worth the effort. Believe anything you want to…your opinion matters nothing.

And yours does???