Obama Stymied in Bid to Rally World Leaders on Syria Strike

[Jefferson23]

By PETER BAKER and STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: September 6, 2013 610 Comments



STRELNA, Russia — President Obama ran into an impasse on Friday in his bid to rally international backing for a military strike on Syria as world leaders wrapped up a summit meeting here remaining deeply divided over the right response to what the Americans have called the deadliest nerve gas attack in decades.
Tracking the Syrian Crisis


After a dinner debate that lasted into the early morning hours of Friday, Mr. Obama emerged with a few supporters but no consensus, as other leaders urged him not to attack without United Nations permission, which is not forthcoming. Instead, the president had to resign himself to generalized statements of concern over the use of chemical weapons.

Even France, which has offered the strongest support to Mr. Obama of the European allies, on Friday said that it would not strike Syria as part of a coalition until the United Nations completes its work on assessing the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, has declined to specify when the results will be known.

The failure to forge a stronger coalition here in the face of opposition from the Russian host, President Vladimir V. Putin, raised the risks even further for Mr. Obama as he headed home to lobby Congress to give him the backing his international peers would not. It also left Mr. Obama in the awkward position of defending his right to take action largely alone if necessary after campaigning against what he portrayed as the unilateralist foreign policy of his predecessor, George W. Bush.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/07/world/middleeast/obama-syria-strike.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[malaise]

1. Good

Reining in US power is the best thing for the entire planet.

[Jefferson23]

2. Agreed. Do you recall Kerry the other day, stating this qualifier about France and their

participation? Even France, which has offered the strongest support to Mr. Obama of the European allies, on Friday said that it would not strike Syria as part of a coalition until the United Nations completes its work on assessing the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria.


I sure as hell don't remember it framed that way, this is France back-peddling, I wonder.

[malaise]

4. You mean 'our oldest ally France'

just to tell the Brits that their MPs and citizens position should matter less than friendship with America.

[Jefferson23]

5. Yes, that one, lol. I hope this whole damn thing falls apart. n/t

[bowens43]

3. obama is a fool and a tool

[David__77]

6. Obama, against the people, and against the world.

That would be a sad presidential epitaph. He still has time to pull back from the brink of total failure. Making congress say NO to the war is the only hope.