I saw the McCain amendment and the word democracy is there. We never learn.

[kpete]

That doesn't sound like "limited," "tailored" strikes.

The first amendment adds language that "absent decisive change to the present military balance of power on the ground in Syria, sufficient incentives do not yet exist" to topple Assad.

The second amendment adds two paragraphs to the resolution:

McCAIN AMENDMENTS

(a) It is the policy of the United States to change the momentum on the battlefield in Syria so as to create favorable conditions for a negotiated settlement that ends the conflict and leads to a democratic government in Syria.

(b) A comprehensive US strategy in Syria should aim, as part of a coordinated international effort, to degrade the capabilities of the Assad regime to use weapons of mass destruction while upgrading the lethal and non-lethal military capabilities of vetted elements of Syrian opposition forces, including the Free Syrian Army.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2013/sep/04/syria-crisis-putin-warns-west-live#block-5227852ce4b03491b6ac8660

[phantom power]

1. was sure I read that this was about chemical weapons, not "democracy"

*cough*quagmire*cough*

[kpete]

7. fun pic

US Senator John McCain has been photographed during a trip to Syria with a man involved in the kidnapping by terrorists of 11 Lebanese pilgrims a year ago, a Lebanese newspaper says. - See more at: http://en.alalam.ir/news/1479569#sthash.oh69cXXa.dpuf


http://en.alalam.ir/news/1479569

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. Is this the language the President is looking for or will he repudiate it?

[Supersedeas]

14. the WH invited input into the language of the resolution

[G_j]

3. let's join a civil war!

"..while upgrading the lethal and non-lethal military capabilities of vetted elements of Syrian opposition forces, including the Free Syrian Army."

[jakeXT]

4. The question is .... Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha or No Limit Texas Hold'em ? /nt

[NightWatcher]

5. they're using dead children and limited strike language to sell us another war

A war where regime change is their goal (see Iraq 2003-2012)

[leftstreet]

6. This is SO COOL. We can use all our old Iraq graphics!

[kpete]

10. oh,

thank you very much

and peace, kp

[arcane1]

8. That's a typo. He meant to say "free trade zone in Syria" n/t

[Savannahmann]

9. Will someone in DC please wake up and think for just one everloving minute?

If we do this, Democracy may grow in Syria, but it's dead here.

[pokerfan]

11. Mission creep

before the first salvo. That has to be some kind of record.

[liberal_at_heart]

12. more colonialization. How fun.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. We sure don't, do we?

They either don't care, or else they think we're this gullible.