Book of the Month

Shuts and Failures

by Michael Maiello

A Murderous Optimism About Syria

by A Guy Called LULU 8/13/2012 - 2:49 pm

The disclosure of President Barack Obama’s decision to provide secret American aid to Syria’s rebel forces is a game changer. The presidential order, known as an “intelligence finding” in the world of espionage, authorizes the CIA to support armed groups fighting to overthrow Bashar al-Assad’s government. But it threatens far more than the regime in Damascus.

Read the full article at http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/13/syria-and-murderous-optimism/

It's not a 'game changer' according to the Wall Street Journal:

Syrians trying to liberate their country from Bashar Assad can be forgiven for thinking they're part of an existential play. They could call it "Waiting for Barack"—waiting specifically for U.S. Election Day, when President Obama might finally decide to do something serious to help...

The right wing GOP supporting Murdoch owned publication is also supporting green lighting a shooting war with Iran.

by NCD 8/13/2012 - 5:07 pm

 —waiting specifically for U.S. Election Day, when President Obama might finally decide to do something serious to help...

Lots of big events, possibly even a couple new wars, are pivoting around that election day. Times might get "interesting" even before we gather our forces around China.

This article does cover the theory by some that all the Iran war talk is a bluff among those that count. It also notes how even that could play out ugly.

http://world.time.com/2012/08/13/why-do-israeli-media-keep-predicting-wa...

However the game plays out, it is still the same ol' game.

by A Guy Called LULU 8/13/2012 - 5:40 pm (re: NCD)

From your link:

...Most Western analyses in recent months have concluded that Israel won’t scramble its bombers before November.....

From NYT yesterday:

JERUSALEM — Amid intensifying Israeli news reports saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is close to ordering a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program, his deputy foreign minister called Sunday for an international declaration that the diplomatic effort to halt Tehran’s enrichment of uranium is dead....After such a declaration, if Iran does not halt its nuclear program, “it will be clear that all options are on the table,” Mr. Ayalon said, not only for Israel, but also for the United States and NATO...

I don't think Israel will wait for permission slip from NATO or the US.

If you look at Bolton and the other neo-con Romney advisors, there is no doubt a Romney administration would be more likely to green light and/or start another war than an Obama II, although if Israel strikes on their own we will inherit the outcome regardless.

by NCD 8/13/2012 - 7:46 pm (re: A Guy Called LULU)

Seems like it should be an issue but with one guy who would [probably] let it happen and then support it and the other guy talking like he will help it happen first chance, it is one more issue about which who you vote for doesn't seem to matter.

by A Guy Called LULU 8/13/2012 - 8:05 pm (re: NCD)

If Israel launches a pre-emptive attack on Iran, they completely fuck themselves.

It's some kind of game - to control Israeli politics, to control US politics - it simply won't happen, or Israel would truly be isolated, and efforts against Israel would become more than lots of big mouths like Ahmadinejad.

There will simply never be UN justification for war over the "ability" to someday build a nuclear weapon. Even though Iran doesn't have the fuel or refinement capability to do it.

Hey, Israel, I bought a book on "how to build your own nuclear facility" and read it! - I threaten your survival!

by PeraclesPlease 8/13/2012 - 8:48 pm (re: A Guy Called LULU)

They might not have the capability NOW, but they're probably seeking it. The IAEA reports have been far from reassuring.

by Aaron Carine 8/13/2012 - 9:48 pm (re: PeraclesPlease)

Lessee, US troops in Afghanistan (east border), US running drone campaign and CIA war in Pakistan (east border), took over Iraq and still control politics (west border), US naval operations in Persian Gulf with deep launch fighter capability (southern border), US & Britain leading clandestine war in Syria to overthrow government (closest ally), Libyan leader overthrown (once close ally), US secret base in Turkmenistan (northern / northeastern border), daily threats in all 4 major Israeli papers for pre-emptive strike on Iran (plus US GOP candidate), US & EU increased sanctions on Iran...assasination of Iranian scientists, US/Israeli STUXnet and other cyberweapons released against Iran...

Overthrow of Iran has been US policy at least since Bush Axis of Evil speech a decade ago.

If anyone had a need to seek nuclear weapons for protection, it's Iran. And they have no fuel, no capability to make anything close  (though people who read DEBKAfile think that 20% Uranium is close to 90% Uranium, and that Iran can build a bomb by Oct 1 - I think we should be more worried about the crazy deluded people in the Mideast who already have nuclear weapons)

How about push for Iran's closer relations with the EU, kinda like we did in the 1990's, rather than isolating them and threatening them for decades?

This isn't North Korea we're talking about - it's a pretty educated, worldly populace, but we want to treat them as if they're stone age.

 

by PeraclesPlease 8/13/2012 - 10:40 pm (re: Aaron Carine)

It turns out that "game" is an appropriate word for war in the minds of some and an idea that they hope to spread for fun and profit. They have decided to bring the thrill of the kill without the mess of the splatter right into our living rooms with a new star-studded action packed reality show.

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/david-swanson/44911/nbcs-celebrity-w...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilg2ceIwNWE&feature=player_embedded#!

 

 

by A Guy Called LULU 8/14/2012 - 10:42 am (re: A Guy Called LULU)

After the Soviet-backed regime in Kabul collapsed, the U.S. had to buy back all the unused Stingers it had distributed to Mujahideen, at a million dollars a pop. This time around, Al-Qa'ida may prefer to keep theirs.

by acanuck 8/13/2012 - 11:48 pm

While no doubt it won't change most opinions on this one way or another, something is missing from the article; I think it should be noted that this effort is the product of a very specific coalition:

from David Ignatius' August 5 column, "Is Saudi Arabia on the Edge"?

The installation of a new intelligence chief came as Saudi Arabia was stepping up its support for insurgents in Syria seeking to topple the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. In this covert effort, the Saudis are working with the United States, France, Turkey, Jordan and other nations that want Assad out.

For those who don't check out the link: think again, as the new Saudi intelligence chief is the infamous Prince Bandar.

by artappraiser 8/14/2012 - 12:42 am

Baby Bush, how we've missed you...

Guess that Michael Moore biopic didn't hurt after all

by PeraclesPlease 8/14/2012 - 12:44 am (re: artappraiser)

From the Wikipedia entry on Prince Bandar:

In 2007, during his tenure as National Security Secretary, Bandar proposed that the Kingdom have greater contact with Israel, because he regarded Iran as a more serious threat than Israel.[44]

Footnote 44:

^ "Crown Prince Sultan backs the King in family". Wikileaks. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2012.

Also

Bandar bin Sultan was appointed Director General of Saudi Intelligence Agency on 19 July 2012 replacing Muqrin bin Abdulaziz.[1][29]Although no official reason for the appointment was provided,[30] the appointment occurred after growing tension between Sunnis and Shiites in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.[31] It was also considered as a move of Saudi Arabia to display more aggressive foreign policy given the regional challenges that comes from Iran and Syria.[32] Prince Bandar organized the visit of Manaf Tlass, who defected from Syria on 6 July 2012, to Saudi Arabia in the last week of July 2012.[33]

Footnote 32:

^ "New Saudi spymaster marks shift in policy". UPI. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.

by artappraiser 8/14/2012 - 12:22 pm (re: artappraiser)

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