I guess diplomatic options on Syria weren't 'exhausted' after all

[bigtree]

from buzzfeed:


____In an interview with CNN Monday, President Obama said a Russian proposal to put Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles under international control would be a “positive development” if “real.”

“It’s possible if it’s real, and, you know, I think it’s certainly a positive development when the Russians and the Syrians both make gestures towards dealing with these chemical weapons,” Obama said. “This is what we’ve been asking for, not just over the last week or the last month, but for the last couple of years, because these chemical weapons pose a significant threat to all nations and to the united states in particular.”

The president then reiterated the point the White House had been making continuously throughout the day: This solution would not have been possible without the threat of U.S. military intervention.

“I have to say that it’s unlikely that we would have arrived at that point where there were even public statements like that without a credible military threat to deal with the chemical weapons use inside of Syria,” Obama said. “But we’re going to run this to ground. John Kerry and the rest of my national security team will engage with the Russians and the international community to see, can we arrive at something that is enforceable and serious?”
_____________________________

It's debatable whether this 'solution would have been proposed and taken seriously by Syria without the threat of military force, but, it's certain that it won't be recognized by the WH and other proponents of military action if we don't keep up the pressure on them to cool their heels and dig in further on their diplomatic efforts.

'Exhausted.'

Indeed.



related:

Obama Puts Syria Strike On Pause As Possible Diplomatic Solution Emerges
livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-puts-syria-strike-on-pause-as-possible

Obama Touts Potential Diplomatic Way Out Of War In Syria
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/obama-touts-potential-diplomatic-way-out-of-war-in-syria

[blm]

1. There would be no further diplomatic efforts without that threat.

I think Obama and Kerry played this the way they had to.

So did Russia. ; )


http://www.rferl.org/content/syria-lavrov-kerry-geneva/25071543.html

[bigtree]

2. we've yet to see whether the administration will manage this diplomatic effort

. . . to a peaceful solution.

Is it just a token acceptance of an offer that they know may not produce something immediate enough for them or substantive enough for them, in the end? Is it just kabuki peace talk?

Nothing occurs without pressure. That includes pressure on the WH and our legislators to put peaceful negotiations on Syrian chemical weapons ahead of their military ambitions.

[blm]

3. I'm pretty certain that peaceful negotiations was the goal, and there were no

personal military ambitions, but, force planned only as a last resort.

[BlueCheese]

7. My guess is that if Parliament had not surprisingly voted no...

The US, UK, and France would have bombed Syria last week.

[johnd83]

4. Gunboat diplomacy?

It is an American classic! It is not pretty to watch but it may have the desired effect.

[Igel]

5. Sure they were.

But they've had a week's vacation, so some of them are bored and ready for work again.

Must be nice, that much vacation time in a year.

[bigtree]

6. lol, back to work!

. . . summer's over.

[emsimon33]

8. LOL!

[KoKo]

9. It's good news for us comfy here in the USA...but for two weeks Syrians

have had to load up their families, pets and provisions and leave their jobs, businesses children's schools and relatives who can't make it out to go into Refugee Camps across borders because they were under threat of attack that was made out to be threatening and then instant that USA was going to bomb without NATO/UN/Great Britain...and only with French cooperation.

They've been streaming out of Syria causing hardships in the bordering countries for limited food, water and sanitary resources.

All this has been going on with tens of thousands and more being caught up in a Debate Over CW that they have little to do with and the politicians who care more about War than these populations who are displaced and caused hardship because of US and Allies (few) who decide they want to bomb to support one political side or the other.

This has dragged out long. It should have been handled diplomatically. But, if there's a chance that this CHANGES our Foreign Policy for the BETTER after this Fiasco...then it will be good for us as US Citizens and the WORLD.

For this, I guess there has to be more sacrifice...but, it's really wearing thin how much we in the USA cause Population Dislocation and suffering, disenfranchisement of Families broken apart and stress on Children...