Regime Change Was Never The Goal. Why So Many Can't Grasp That Is A Mystery

[KittyWampus]

Regime change was not and is not the goal.

Obama and Kerry have stated this. Over and over.

Assad stepping down is the goal. This has been reported. Over and over.

Assad steps down and a general from his army takes his place, for instance. Or his Vice President takes over.

See?

Assad steps down and someone from inside the regime takes his place and the regime stays intact. Negotiations restart.

It isn't rocket science people.

[NoOneMan]

1. Not rocket science. Incoherent fiction

Look. Seriously. You got your less-than-enormous egg-in-face out. Take it and regroup for the next fight. Don't ditch all credibility on this one like Kerry did.

[MADem]

10. Google the YEMEN SCENARIO FOR SYRIA.

It's what USA, the Arab League, and others have been pressing for, for over TWO YEARS.

It's not "incoherent fiction." It's what has been the goal all this time.

You made an ass of yourself with that post.

[NoOneMan]

11. If you say so

Im pretty sure most people here are just playing pretend tonight.

[flamingdem]

13. Good info

thanks!

[LittleBlue]

2. That's like having Hitler step down and Goebbels take over

I don't think he was funding the rebels to see one man out of power, nor do I think that our Arab allies are fighting to keep Assad's regime intact.

It doesn't even make sense. What would be gained by removing Assad but keeping everyone else from his regime? He isn't a madman with a government of enlightened, benevolent underlings.

[KittyWampus]

4. This is what was done in Yemen.

[pnwmom]

8. The reason they don't want regime change right now is because there is no moderate

replacement strong enough to take over. The strongest alternative group right now is al Queda and the US doesn't want them to step into the vacuum.

[MADem]

12. al Assad has two VPs who don't hold much power, but they are VPs.

al Assad is the big boss and his brother runs the Army. They would need to leave.

That would enable the VPs, with the assistance of international actors and agencies, to come to the table and negotiate some sort of power sharing or other accommodation with the rebel groups. Maybe schedule a few elections, divvy up cabinet posts, whatever they think might work.

al-Assad will NOT negotiate. He doesn't want to share power. He wants to continue to be the despot.

You think the rebels will just stop fighting if the US backs away from trying to help solve this? Hell no--it will only get uglier and more people will die.

This "dump the dictator, not the regime" thing is called a "Yemen scenario." It has been the goal of USA and the Arab League, and others, for over TWO YEARS now. It makes a great deal of sense--it's better than letting a bunch of different rebel groups slug it out against al-Assad, and if they kill him, then kill one another until the last, most brutal nutcase is left standing...

A Yemen scenario lowers the bloodshed and gets all the players to the table without everyone having to die first.

[LittleBlue]

14. Total underestimation of how hard it is to divide a country

Yemen's country was not divided. Actually getting an agreement on how to divide one is extremely difficult and does not necessarily lead to peace (Israel-Palestine, North and South Korea, Pakistan and India).

You can remove Assad but the underlying problems stay, and there's no suggestion that any of Assad's underlings are willing to do what we say and agree to divide the country. Why would they? It's much more likely that the man who replaces Assad shares his goal for ruling the entire country.

[MADem]

16. No one is talking about "dividing" anything.

That might not be the appropriate resolution. The idea is to get everyone to the table. Cease fire, stop the fighting, start the talking. The result might be some kind of cabinet apportionment of power, or a federation of affiliated states under a unified central government, or something else--who knows, until they all sit down and hash out the possibilities?

The idea is for the leader to step down and the Number Two(s) step up.

THAT is what a "Yemen scenario" or "Yemen solution" is.

And, FWIW, al-Assad has two VPs. Only one of them is a man.

[truedelphi]

3. Because. Of. History.

All that was asked of Libya's Ghaddafi back in 2003 was that he surrender the rights to any chem weapons, and the right to build nuke installations, etc.

And now, some ten years later, and Surprise, Surprise, there has been regime change.

In any event, with Syria, I think the whole thing is not about Syria as much as Iran.

[quinnox]

5. Assad stepping down is looking increasingly unlikely

Looks like Kerry will have to settle for having the chemical weapons locked down. All this despite Kerry warning we are dealing with another Hitler in Assad. Funny how that works.

[KittyWampus]

6. I know. It's like comparing the NSA to the Stasi.

[MADem]

15. All that will do -- if al-Assad does not leave, or does not decide to power-share with the

rebels -- is kick the can down the road.

There won't be a Whoop-di-doo cease fire if US decides to stay out of this. There will be tens of thousands of more deaths and many innocent civilians will continue to die. They might not die from poison gas, though--it'll be plain old munitions.

The only way there can be peace negotiations, unless al-Assad changes his mind, is if he leaves and his VPs sit down and hash out some sort of agreement with the various rebel groups--they don't have to get 'em all on board, just the ones that can cause the most trouble.

Bashir is a 2nd generation dictator--he doesn't share power, except with his brother, Maher (who runs the army). And he hasn't been known to make deals, either.

[Amonester]

17. Funny how that works, indeed.

I'll tell you something, like if I were a$$had, and the USSOS came to declared I am another Hitler, I would definitely start sh!tting in my pantloads...

Glad I'm not a$$had. (Or 'anything' like).

[flamingdem]

7. Stalemate was the likely goal

not regime change.

[cthulu2016]

9. Deposing a head of state through force is regime change.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

18. Your fabrication does not match the words of the man.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-18/politics/35271355_1_syrian-government-assets-syrian-president-bashar-al-assad-syrian-people

As Obama issued his statement, the leaders of France, Germany and Britain joined him in calling on Assad “to face the reality of the complete rejection of his regime by the Syrian people and to step aside.”

Now tell us all how this quote was from 2011 and Obama doesn't mean it anymores.

[Cha]

19. Because it sounds good as a way to equate President

Obama with bush.

[Fumesucker]

20. Obama is such a masterful politician that wherever he ends up is where he intended to start with

Even if he said different before the fact that was just tactical maneuvering for public consumption and was not his actual goal.

It's all very Zen-like.

[Ichingcarpenter]

21. Wow that was the most

Zen like thing I've read on DU for days.Bravo....I liked it.

DUzy.

[Ichingcarpenter]

21. Wow that was the most

Zen like thing I've read on DU for days.Bravo....I liked it.

DUzy.