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tabatha

(18,795 posts)
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 01:13 PM Feb 2012

A REAL PNAC MOMENT - Neocons send letter to Obama (NOT a neocon)

Fifty-six leading conservative foreign-policy experts wrote an open letter Friday to U.S. President Barack Obama calling on him to directly aid the Syrian opposition and protect the lives of Syrian civilians.

"For eleven months now, the Syrian people have been dying on a daily basis at the hands of their government as they seek to topple the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad. As the recent events in the city of Homs-in which hundreds of Syrians have been killed in a matter of days-have shown, Assad will stop at nothing to maintain his grip on power," wrote the experts.

"Unless the United States takes the lead and acts, either individually or in concert with like-minded nations, thousands of additional Syrian civilians will likely die, and the emerging civil war in Syria will likely ignite wider instability in the Middle East."

The letter was organized jointly by the Foreign Policy Initiative and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, both conservative policy organizations in Washington, D.C. Signees included Max Boot, Paul Bremer, Elizabeth Cheney, Eric Edelman, Jamie Fly, John Hannah, William Inboden, William Kristol, Michael Ledeen, Clifford May, Robert McFarlane, Martin Peretz, Danielle Pletka, John Podhoretz, Stephen Rademaker, Karl Rove, Randy Scheunemann, Dan Senor, James Woolsey, Dov Zakheim, and Radwan Ziadeh, a member of the Syrian National Council.

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/02/17/conservatives_call_for_obama_to_intervene_in_syria

Do you think that Obama, not a neocon, will listen to them? or try a peaceful option, as Tunisia is trying.

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rocktivity

(44,573 posts)
10. You forgot "profitable."
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 01:45 PM
Feb 2012

With Afghanistan and Iraq winding down, the military-industrial complex needs new revenue streams.

Obama should nationalize military contracting, with profits going back into the taxpayer coffers. Or, at the very least, he should cut off doing business with Halliburton since they are now headquartered in Saudi Arabia, which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S.




rocktivity

PragmaticLiberal

(904 posts)
2. I pretty much despise the signees of that letter but with that being said,
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 01:21 PM
Feb 2012

I'm think ultimately we (the U.S.and allies) will have to intervene in some fashion.

 

MadHound

(34,179 posts)
4. Why?
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 01:26 PM
Feb 2012

The stupidest thing any country, at any time, is get involved in a civil war. Furthermore, it would be even more foolish for the US to get involved in another Mid-East adventure. We're already roundly despised by people in that area, and our inserting ourselves into the middle of the situation would lend no credibility, nor bring about peace, unless you count the peace of the dead.

The best thing that we can do is to stay out of the mess, work the diplomatic channels, and push the Arab League towards doing the right thing, namely the boots on the ground peacekeeping work that is needed. They are one group that everybody will listen to, and who has the influence to do the job.

It is past time for the US to quit being the world cop. We can't afford it, monetarily, politically, morally. It is time for others to start cleaning up their own mess.

asjr

(10,479 posts)
6. If we do that same group will jump
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 01:29 PM
Feb 2012

on Obama for getting us into a war. Just looking at those names makes me realize it is just another instance of blaming Obama for all the troubles in the world.

JohnnyRingo

(18,622 posts)
5. Let me drive!!... Let me drive!!
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 01:29 PM
Feb 2012

The people listed are the Mr Magoos of student drivers who wrecked the federal sedan, and now that we finally have it back on the road they want another chance at the wheel. They still refuse to don a pair of glasses, but they never thought their foreign policy vision was impaired to begin with.

You kids stay in the back seat and be quiet. We'll tell you when we get there.

 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
7. Great idea! Getting involved in other countrys' civil wars has worked out so well for us.
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 01:34 PM
Feb 2012

Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya....

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