General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Magical thinking [View all]bigtree
(86,069 posts)Some of the biggest skepticism out there that Syria will meet their expectations has come from the President and Kerry in their initial reactions.
As late as this afternoon, the administration was warning that Syria has to live up to its word and offered more of the ultimatum that Kerry had outlined - about a week for Syria to measure up to their terms for forestalling military action.
I'm instantly skeptical about the prospects for Syria living up to the agreement because of the many security considerations which Assad just outlined as imperative to the defense of his country against what he sees as outside forces arrayed against him. On Charlie Rose, he equated his own military imperatives with Israel's determination to maintain their nuclear capability. That makes unilateral disarmament by Assad unlikely, in my view.
To the point, the U.S. is still strongly pushing for a resolution authorizing military force. I'll believe they're committed to a diplomatic solution when they withdraw that option from consideration - and, I don't just mean diplomacy on this ONE initiative.
That's what looks to be the WH motive in their cynical embrace of the Russia/Syria offer: To put a point on their claim that diplomacy has been exhausted with regard to Syria; a specious claim, given that they were either considering this option when they claimed diplomacy was dead, or, they're trying to present this proposal as the end-all to diplomacy with Syria to move forward with their militarism.
Of course, I've been told that I either don't believe in diplomacy for making these observations, or, I'm racist; or, I'm stupid; or, I don't want any diplomatic initiative to succeed.