Watching a bit of television news earlier I came across about one of the most stupid things I've seen a talking head say on TV - I can't remember who it was, but it was one of those ill-informed "experts" who the MSM invite on all the time to make fools out of themselves in front of millions. The gist of this expert's argument is that President Bush is forever barred from making any deals with Syria because he has said that he won't make deals with terrorists or their sponsors.
This is a nonsense position simply because President Bush has also said that anyone who wants to get out of the terror game and join the good guys in the War on Terrorism will be welcomed with open arms by us. In short, "you are with us, or against us", wasn't just bluster, but an invitation to people on the other side to get right with the world. James S. Robbins points out what a diplomatic effort in Damascus might gain us:
I have long thought that the time was ripe for a diplomatic opening to Syria. Bashar Assad should be offered the same deal as Muamar Khadaffi — basically, stop doing things that annoy us, get rid of your WMD and missile programs, and you can be our friend. And it is good to be our friend, particularly if you are a dictator seeking to avoid regime change. This deal should have been pursued long ago, coincident with the same move by Libya. Alas, we went another way, and since Syria had few allies in the region, Damascus was forced towards Tehran. But it is never too late to sell out an ally, and unless the dictator gene skips a generation, Assad the younger will eventually realize that aligning with Iran only further isolates and weakens his regime.
The current crisis presents the United States with a great opportunity. This conflict is only partly about disarming Hezbollah according to the dictates of UNSCR 1559 or 1583. It is also only partly about Iran using the crisis to divert attention from their nuclear program. It is most significant for exposing the emerging order, the new lineup of states united in opposing Iranian regional hegemony. Splitting off Iran’s most important regional ally and rendering impotent its most dangerous terrorist surrogate group would constitute a major defeat for the Iranians in their drive to extend their influence across the Middle East.
Always at the back of all things in the War on Terrorism is the problem of Iran. Iran is the largest, wealthiest and most powerful overt terror sponsor in the world, and the Iranian mullahs have ambitions of being the overlords of the middle east. Part of the reason for going in to Afghanistan in 2001 was to cut Iranian influence in central Asia. Part of the reason for going in to Iraq in 2003 was to bracket Iran east and west with anti-Iranian powers aligned with the United States.
Why didn't we just tackle Iran right off? Because Iran is the toughest nut to crack and it is wisdom to attack the weakest links in the enemy chain - right now, the weakest link in the Iranian chain is Syria, and I do believe that Robbins is correct...a combination of blandishments and veiled threats can probably bring Syria around to reason. It should be brought home to them that an Iranian victory in this war results in Syria being a mere satrapy of an Imperial Iran...while our victory means that Syria is just left alone to work out its own destiny.
As an aside: This, lefties, is what diplomacy is. It isn't trying to get people who have nothing to talk about to come to an agreement - it is about finding people with a community of interests and getting them to work together towards a common goal. We and Israel have no community of interests with Iran and Hizbollah - given that Iran and Hizbollah want all of us dead, there's not much to talk about. Meanwhile, we can have a community of interests with Syria - if Syria can be induced to see where wisdom lays in this conflict.
Posted by Mark Noonan at July 25, 2006 09:46 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Mark Noonan at July 25, 2006 11:58 AM
By attacking bin Laden the USA took care of one of Iran's enemies. By invading Iraq the USA took care of Iran's greatest enemy. Iran wanted the Shii' in charge of Iraq and they are. Iran now has a free hand to pound the crap out of Israel using Hezbollah. bush and anyone who supports the neo-con/Zionist foreign policy should seek mental health help immediately. Peac
Posted by: steve at July 25, 2006 12:20 PM
Comments are fixed
Is this a comedy site? I just got a blue screen 30 seconds ago. Comments ain't "fixed."
Posted by:
Reverend Scaramonga at July 25, 2006 12:59 PM
Read my lips!! Will the thick headed knuckledraggers wake up? If you post and the blue screen comes up, move on. Do not re-post. Your posting will pop up soon enough. My always does.
Posted by: Canuckguy at July 25, 2006 02:28 PM
Read my lips!
Not after where they've probably been, being a Canuck and all...
My always does.
That's too bad. Maybe Mark can fix that at the same time. Imagine a functioning comment capability and no more idiot lefties to have to wade through. Nirvanah!
Posted by:
Reverend Scaramonga at July 25, 2006 03:06 PM
Glad to see drive-by steve has already been here.
Just as hijacking a plane to crash it into a building stopped being an effective technique after 9/11 (actually mid-way through 9/11), terrorism does not need to work. When these jerks do their violent deeds, you can react one of two ways. You can be afraid, or you can get mad. I don't think that Israel looks terrorized by Hizbollah - they look angerized!
Posted by: Kahn at July 25, 2006 03:23 PM
Hey Reverend Rambo, reading my posts again? Like you never make typos in the heat of the moment? Oh wait, your whole brain, such as it is, is a major typo.
Yuk yuk
Says Canuck
Posted by: Canuckguy at July 25, 2006 04:07 PM
canukster - Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in Canada: 75%
go hump a moose.
Posted by: Kahn at July 25, 2006 04:22 PM
Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in Canada: 75%
Kahn,
Ever drive through L.A.? I'm not sure paved roads are necessarily something to brag about.
Posted by:
Ash at July 25, 2006 04:59 PM
Ever drive through L.A.?
There are easier ways for you to add nothing to the convervsation that don't make you look like the stupid Ash you are.
Posted by:
Reverend Scaramonga at July 25, 2006 05:08 PM
Is this a comedy site? I just got a blue screen 30 seconds ago. Comments ain't "fixed."
Some people just can't take a hint.........
Posted by:
Ash at July 25, 2006 07:26 PM
Some people just can't take a hint.........
Yea, if they could we would be relieved from having to read your nonsense on every subject because you'd be over at DU "enlightening" those dumb Ashes.
Posted by:
Reverend Scaramonga at July 25, 2006 08:12 PM
Reverend Rambo, if only you would walk more upright, it would save your knuckles from getting scraped and bloody caused by dragging them along the ground.
Nuck nuck
Says Canuck
Posted by: Canuckguy at July 25, 2006 10:16 PM
if only you would walk...
Let me quote some commenter here on B4B:
"Go hump a moose." Noboby cares what you "think."
Posted by:
Reverend Scaramonga at July 26, 2006 10:19 AM
Reverend Scaramonga:
Imagine a functioning comment capability and no more idiot lefties to have to wade through. Nirvanah!
But then how much fun would you have?
Seriously though do you actually believe this?
Part of the reason for going in to Iraq in 2003 was to bracket Iran east and west with anti-Iranian powers aligned with the United States.
Baaaaaa! Baaaaaa! Baaaaaaaa!
Otherwise the post is fantastic! I love the idea of talking to Syria, the more friends we have the better, I love the Muamar Khadaffi parallel. However, this is the first I have heard of this kind of talk in Republican circles, with all the usual warmongering going on.
Posted by: goodbody at July 26, 2006 11:10 PM
"with all the usual warmongering going on" Proof of ignorance.
Have anything useful to add? Any suggestions? Or, just hate and insuts? Because we have plenty of hate filled lefty wackos posting here already.
Posted by: Kahn at July 27, 2006 12:01 AM
Post a comment
Comments are fixed
By attacking bin Laden the USA took care of one of Iran's enemies. By invading Iraq the USA took care of Iran's greatest enemy. Iran wanted the Shii' in charge of Iraq and they are. Iran now has a free hand to pound the crap out of Israel using Hezbollah. bush and anyone who supports the neo-con/Zionist foreign policy should seek mental health help immediately. Peac
Comments are fixed
Is this a comedy site? I just got a blue screen 30 seconds ago. Comments ain't "fixed."
Read my lips!! Will the thick headed knuckledraggers wake up? If you post and the blue screen comes up, move on. Do not re-post. Your posting will pop up soon enough. My always does.
Read my lips!
Not after where they've probably been, being a Canuck and all...
My always does.
That's too bad. Maybe Mark can fix that at the same time. Imagine a functioning comment capability and no more idiot lefties to have to wade through. Nirvanah!
Glad to see drive-by steve has already been here.
Just as hijacking a plane to crash it into a building stopped being an effective technique after 9/11 (actually mid-way through 9/11), terrorism does not need to work. When these jerks do their violent deeds, you can react one of two ways. You can be afraid, or you can get mad. I don't think that Israel looks terrorized by Hizbollah - they look angerized!
Hey Reverend Rambo, reading my posts again? Like you never make typos in the heat of the moment? Oh wait, your whole brain, such as it is, is a major typo.
Yuk yuk
Says Canuck
canukster - Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in Canada: 75%
go hump a moose.
Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in Canada: 75%
Kahn,
Ever drive through L.A.? I'm not sure paved roads are necessarily something to brag about.
Ever drive through L.A.?
There are easier ways for you to add nothing to the convervsation that don't make you look like the stupid Ash you are.
Is this a comedy site? I just got a blue screen 30 seconds ago. Comments ain't "fixed."
Some people just can't take a hint.........
Some people just can't take a hint.........
Yea, if they could we would be relieved from having to read your nonsense on every subject because you'd be over at DU "enlightening" those dumb Ashes.
Reverend Rambo, if only you would walk more upright, it would save your knuckles from getting scraped and bloody caused by dragging them along the ground.
Nuck nuck
Says Canuck
if only you would walk...
Let me quote some commenter here on B4B:
"Go hump a moose." Noboby cares what you "think."
Reverend Scaramonga:
Imagine a functioning comment capability and no more idiot lefties to have to wade through. Nirvanah!
But then how much fun would you have?
Seriously though do you actually believe this?
Part of the reason for going in to Iraq in 2003 was to bracket Iran east and west with anti-Iranian powers aligned with the United States.
Baaaaaa! Baaaaaa! Baaaaaaaa!
Otherwise the post is fantastic! I love the idea of talking to Syria, the more friends we have the better, I love the Muamar Khadaffi parallel. However, this is the first I have heard of this kind of talk in Republican circles, with all the usual warmongering going on.
"with all the usual warmongering going on" Proof of ignorance.
Have anything useful to add? Any suggestions? Or, just hate and insuts? Because we have plenty of hate filled lefty wackos posting here already.