COLIN POWELL: Syria Is An 'Internal Struggle' That Is Beyond US Capabilities

[xchrom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/colin-powell-syria-caution-2013-8


Former Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke cautiously Sunday about any possible Syrian intervention, warning that the two-year-old civil war was likely beyond U.S. capabilities to affect any meaningful change.

"I have no affection for Assad," Powell told Bob Schieffer on CBS' "Face the Nation," while mentioning he knows the Syrian president and has personally dealt with him. "He's a pathological liar."

However, Powell said, "I am less sure of the resistance. What do they represent? Is it becoming even more radicalized with more al Qaeda coming in, and what would it look like if they prevailed and Assad went? I don't know."

Calls for U.S.-led intervention have intensified in recent days after horrifying video footage emerged of an alleged chemical attack on Aug. 21. A senior administration official harbored "very little doubt" the Assad regime was behind the attack, despite their denials.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/colin-powell-syria-caution-2013-8#ixzz2dADqSiX3

[orpupilofnature57]

1. I tend to believe Civil servants after they're retired, and they all say the same thing.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

6. "He's a pathological liar." ...um...

[orpupilofnature57]

7. He was a ShrubCo liar, but that was a prerequsite for that team .

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08/19/powell.un/

[HardTimes99]

10. Actually, if you reveiw Powell's career, you'll find he lied or enabled liars all the

way to the top, going all the way back to My Lai.

[Turbineguy]

2. I think he's right. With Assad out of the way

these various factions would have at it.

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. knr

[GeorgeGist]

4. I have no affection for Powell ...

[PowerToThePeople]

5. He is still a fucking war criminal. n/t

[Harmony Blue]

8. I feel like I am in an alternate reality

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. I agree with this assessment

This is a bedeviling issue. Anybody who thinks the answers here are easy is a very silly person indeed. But Powell articulates the major concern I have effectively: The uncertainty about results is simply too great - well beyond the margin to justify an action as grave as military commitment.

[Harmony Blue]

11. Yeah the major players involved

along with the proxies is staggering:

You have Syrian Army with Hezbollah.
Checheyan fighters and other religious foreign fighters
Arab royalty backing resistance
FSA
Kurdish resistance and PKK
Al Nursa Front
Russia
USA
France
Jordan
Turkey
Iraq
Iran
Hamas
AQ

Did I miss anyone lol?

[JI7]

12. i agree with him but i don't think there is any intention of getting regime change

[IDemo]

13. Powell needs to get a DU account and defend his position

Some here are already singing "Over There" about the possibility of another glorious war.