Kerry said what?
Syria and Bouncing Back
Mike Walker, Col. USMC (retired)
All,
To state the obvious, probably no one can or wants to put together a history of the Administration’s Syria policy over the last four plus years (if there really was one).
And following our policy over the last few weeks has been like riding a rollercoaster in the proverbial s--- storm.
Nonetheless, the clock keeps ticking, the problems are not going away and, as the old saying goes, its time to pick ourselves up and get back in the game.
The first step is getting back to a coherent policy of “saying what we mean and meaning what we say.”
In addition to ending on-the-fly “stream of consciousness” strategy development, it means convincing Assad and his minions that we will use force if necessary. That was a credible position for the United States as recently as late August but is no long true.
We need to make it clear to friend and foe alike that we are back from summer vacation, we are serious, and we intend to start acting instead of reacting.
The next step is to kill the big lie being boosted by Putin and Assad that they are seeking a non-military NEGOTIATED settlement.
The truth is that the Syrian civil war is going on without abatement because Assad and Putin feel a military victory is within their grasp.
Their definition of “negotiations” is talking to us as a diversion while killing as many as possible in Syria.
That is unacceptable and leads to the next step.
If all parties are truly seeking a non-military negotiated settlement then an IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE must be a precondition for further negotiations.
As for the WMD, Assad needs to immediately:
(1) Cease and desist from dispersing the WMD.
(2) Begin to concentrate the WMD at specified locations and prepare them for transport out of Syria under the supervision of the international community.
Finally, the idea that the West should stop supporting the resistance is feasible but ONLY as part of a global settlement: Both Assad and the resistance immediately end obtaining any and all forms of military assistance from any outside source.
In case Bashar is still tone deaf, that means no military support from Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, or anyone else. Why not throw in a condition that all Iranian and Hezbollah fighters are to be given 96 hours to leave the country.
Let us see how Vlad "The Peaceful" Putin and Jolly Old Bashar likes them apples.
I feel better already.
Mike
