How can Obama step back from the "red line" and not strike Syria?

[NightWatcher]

If he were so inclined for some reason or another, how could he step back from the brink, especially after Kerry had his Colin Powell-like moment?

Can you not strike without looking weak?

Does this embolden others to cross red lines (North Korea, Iran,..)?

Did Obama step in it when he made the ultimatum about the red line?


I think the longer we go without striking the better our chances for walking it back and avoiding another war increase.

[Agschmid]

1. He can just not do it.

It's not that hard.

Something should be done, but a military attack is likely not the best option.

[NoOneMan]

2. Easy. He just steps back. Saves face

This does have consequences. Perhaps the threat of war will now carry less weight, meaning that in the future, the US will have to employ non-bullying diplomatic actions when working with other countries. Imagine that. Imagine a US that talk sincerely without a menacing stick

[TwilightGardener]

5. There's no "talking" that's going to fix the use of nerve gas in an already-brutal civil war.

[NoOneMan]

9. So white phosphorous burning civilian flesh off is among the viable list of solutions?

Did that work out well in Iraq?

[TwilightGardener]

10. Yep, we can't say or do anything ever again about anything.

We are the worst. We just suck. Every other country is better. The world would be so much better off without us, really. We should just sit mute forever, in apology and shame, for agent orange/smallpox blankets/slavery/napalm/Iraq or the many other thousands of things we've done wrong. Let the multitude of other more-pure and more-moral nations determine what is best from now on.

[NoOneMan]

13. Thats about the sum of it all

Thanks.

[TwilightGardener]

14. Not a problem. I figured that's where you were coming from.

[NoOneMan]

20. Yeah, from reality

It looks really stupid when a country with an established track record of deploying chemical and biological weapons--right up until and including its most recent military intervention/boondogle in Iraq--decides that their usage is justification for blanketing civilian populations with bombs.

Its so stupid it hurts.

What is even stupider is that its indentured serfs are gungho about it.

[TwilightGardener]

22. OK. We'll have to disagree. I think America is a fundamentally good and well-intentioned

nation that sometimes falters and isn't always morally consistent, you think we're atrocious.

[TwilightGardener]

3. There's an assumption that he didn't mean it when he said it and that

he had no intention of backing it up--I've made that assumption too. But it's quite possible that chem's/WMD really were and are a red line for him to act, and he's actually NOT regretting his statement last year. We didn't take any action last spring when it seemed that small-scale attacks were being staged and couldn't be traced reliably. But perhaps the suspicion now is too strong to ignore or wish away. It sucks, but what can we do? Is the world is prepared to turn a blind eye to occasional use of poison gas now, as it has in the past?

[Just Saying]

4. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

There are plenty of people who will attack him no matter what he does, but I hope he views any military action as a last resort and uses more diplomatic options to handle Syria.

Ever the optimist!

[HereSince1628]

6. My advice would be, place toe of right foot behind him, pivot clockwise on balls of both feet

and the walk away.

Whatever happens, he can always say it would have been worse, no one could ever prove different.

[DearAbby]

7. What he could do...

Call congress back into session, play out the theatrics...Congress does what it always does, it won't be Obama who has failed honor the red line.


Coming back to rant...this isn't Iraq. This is far more serious, why would Obama be worried about some egotistical red line comment? Is Israel threatened by Syria having the capacity to launch chemical weapons...it doesn't matter which side used them...the winner will still have them. Now these people are willing to use them on their own people...guess who is next?

So I would find it reasonable for him to call in congress and get a vote.

[BlueStreak]

32. I think that is his best option, and he blundered by drawing the red line

He let McCain and Graham play him on that one. In all likelihood, it wasn't Assad who released the gas. It would have been nuts for Assad to do that. There are many other players who would benefit from an escalation. Hell, the CIA might have done it. This very nicely took the attention away from them and their dark budgets.

I like your idea the best. Put it on Congress to authorize an action. They can't even agree on naming a post office. They wouldn't pass anything.

[leftstreet]

8. Maybe he can find those 'walking shoes' n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. We should go to war to spare Obama embarrassment?

[Marrah_G]

25. ^this

[WorseBeforeBetter]

27. Exactly. + whatever.

[morningfog]

12. He can say, "morally we need to act, but legally we can't."

He can continue by saying "I want to punish Assad for crossing the red line, but will not use our military in an act of war without UN sanction or a imminent and actual threat to our national security. Since our efforts at a military intervention do not have the necessary support of the international community, we will use other means to punish, economic, political, sanctions, embargoes, etc"

[zipplewrath]

15. Bingo

He can discuss actions as only having a significant and lasting effect if they are carried out with the full weight and support of the international community. Then basically work with the international community to find a way to not have to bomb the crap out of Syria.

[Vinnie From Indy]

18. Seems like the best way out to me.

Good post!

K & R!

[Arctic Dave]

33. 100%

Add in a splash of, "we hold ourselves to a high level of proof, and we have some, but not enough to engage on hostilities. But make no mistake, we are watching."

Or something like that.

[bemildred]

16. If you are worried about "looking weak", you are weak. nt

[SomethingFishy]

24. +1..

The strong person does everything to avoid the fight.

[FSogol]

17. So, now Obama is in trouble for NOT attacking Syria?

[magical thyme]

19. stall while waiting for the UK to join, and give al Qaeda time to do it for him

They've already announced they plan to. Let them.

Or stall an extra day and let the UN investigate the sites. When the UN reports they can't unequivocally say it was Assad, announce we aren't striking because there isn't enough evidence to prove it was Assad.

[global1]

21. Just Be Honest.....

Say - I was wrong and shouldn't have made the 'red line' comment. (Don't qualify this statement in any other way - let it stand alone as any attempt to say why he was wrong will not be interpreted kindly and will just look like he is making excuses.) Suffice to say - I was wrong. Let the media draw their own conclusions - as they will anyway.

Then he should go on and say the following:

I've since assessed the situation. I conferred with my advisers and world leaders. I don't want to take a bad situation and make it worse.

I have also listened to the American People. They are through with the U.S. getting involved in any more global conflicts. Given all of this information - I have now come to the conclusion that we should work through the United Nations - and with diplomacy - attempt to referee this conflict and resolve it peaceably.

As far as the use of chemical weapons and the killing of the Syrian people by Assad is concerned - I'm willing to let the International Court of Justice at the Hague prosecute him. World sentiment on use of 'chemical weaponry' is clear and the world court will deal with this in a way that will deter any other world leader that contemplates employing chemical weapons in the future.

We've had enough of war. We've pulled out of Iraq. We're pulling out of Afghanistan. And we don't need to get involved in any more conflict. We need to take care of the problems we have here at home.

[Coyotl]

23. What red line?

Is there a red line somewhere?

You forget that tomorrow there will be a new T-V show to talk about and what happened today will be a distant memory.

[Marrah_G]

26. Saving him from embarrasement is no reason to drop bombs on civilians

[Amonester]

28. I don't know what would be the "Christian" thing to do anymore...

BHO is Christian, isn't he?

If so, does his GodoG talk to him anytime?

[JoePhilly]

29. The importance of the red line is a media creation.

If the red line question had never been asked, the media would be latching on to other quotes and using those to discuss whether we'll look weak, who will be emboldened if we don't, so on.

Go back and watch the news tapes on Egypt and Libya ... "President said BLAH, so we're going to look weak and x and Y will be emboldened if we don't ... "

Its a media game.

If anything, the media is thrilled that the Syrian government has created a 24/7 topic for them to hyperventilate about.

I suspect that Obama will be as meticulous here as he was in those cases ... and in the end, the same folks who are always complaining (from right and the left) will still be complaining regardless of what actually happens next.

Whatever we do will be too much and also too little, and it will have been done too late and also too soon. That's how the media will cover it.

[JustAnotherGen]

31. Bang on

I suspect that Obama will be as meticulous here as he was in those cases ... and in the end, the same folks who are always complaining (from right and the left) will still be complaining regardless of what actually happens next.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

30. Please consider --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023555783