Kerry lobbies Senate on Syria: 'Iran is hoping you look the other way

[azurnoir]

Source: JPost

President Barack Obama's national security team made their case publicly on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, arguing in front of sympathetic senators why an attack on Bashar Assad's regime in Syria is both a moral and strategic imperative.

Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, opened the hearing with an endorsement of the resolution, calling it "not a declaration of war but a declaration of our values to the world."

.............

Ranking member of the committee Bob Corker said he is inclined to support the resolution, but hopes the White House will reinforce military support to moderate opposition forces.

"I know that people in the region are watching," he said, charging that America's credibility is on the line.



Read more: http://www.jpost.com/International/Kerry-lobbies-Senate-on-Syria-Iran-is-hoping-you-look-the-other-way-325225

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. Our very own "mushroom cloud" moment!

When will we get our next Judy Miller and "curveball"?

[karynnj]

2. So, there was no chemical warfare used?

You can disagree on the correct action, but it is not true that nothing happened. In the case of Iraq, nothing had happened and the things we were told to fear were not true.

If you are speaking of the reference to Iran, that is conjecture. Conjecture can be wrong, but can't be a lie.

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. It does seem that some chemical munitions were used in Syria, but that

is not what Kerry is offering here. Kerry is telling us that we must fear Iran if we do not strike Syria. I think this statement by Kerry and the mushroom cloud statements of the Bush era are very similar in intent.

Cheers!

[Arctic Dave]

4. What... The... Fuck...

is his fucking malfunction?

The Washington dems have pulled the mask off, they are neocons.

[leftyohiolib]

5. i dont fucking believe it. next he'll be calling me an american troop hating terroist

lover
is that you condi?

[leftyohiolib]

6. what you mean is you dont want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud

[neverforget]

7. I guess Syria is actually about sending a message to Iran

[Earth_First]

8. Kerry playing full court press on Iran using Syria as a motive?

Am I reading that correctly?

[ellenrr]

13. I think Iran is part of the motive but it is too complicated a situation for just one motive...

For one thing there is the oil pipeline.
"Syria intervention plan fueled by oil interests, not chemical weapon concern
Massacres of civilians are being exploited for narrow geopolitical competition to control Mideast oil, gas pipelines"
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2013/aug/30/syria-chemical-attack-war-intervention-oil-gas-energy-pipelines

then there is the need to distract us from little facts like that the DEA has billions of phone records on us from 1987.

as far as Iran, this is what Mondoweiss has to say:
"AIPAC comes out for strike on Syria– and mentions Iran more often than Syria.
Why does Obama need AIPAC? Could it be because AIPAC can get 70 Senators’ signatures on a napkin in 24 hours?"
http://mondoweiss.net/2013/09/aipac-comes-out-for-strike-on-syria-and-mentions-iran-more-often-than-syria.html

I think a big factor is that almost every congressperson received big bucks from the weapons industry, and what fun is it to have these toys, if you don't get to use them.

and also, that the US has to be at perpetual war.-- and we have the Iraq and Afghanistan war winding down (for us, not for them).

[Earth_First]

15. Well stated... nt

[jessie04]

9. 100 % correct.

in the ME, you better look long term.

[Jefferson23]

10. How exactly, under international law is this covered, for any nation:

"not a declaration of war but a declaration of our values to the world."

We get to launch strikes to declare our values to the world? I am not hearing anything about
questioning the evidence, incredible.


This exercise has become a disgraceful embarrassment.

[Nihil]

12. "Evidence"?

> "not a declaration of war but a declaration of our values to the world."

You don't need no stinkin' "evidence" to declare the plutocracy's values to the world!

Get with the programme citizen - Hope & Change is good for you!

[Alkene]

14. "...a declaration of our values to the world."

That's...certainly true, but not in the way Menendez meant it.

[Jefferson23]

18. The irony, I know. Listening to him and the remarks from Boxer, infuriating. n/t

[daleo]

11. A while ago it was about saving civilians

Now it's about Iran.

[Harmony Blue]

17. +1 So the truth comes out

sad.

[wordpix]

16. the military-industrial-BigOil-complex is licking its chops. "Open the $$ spigot!"

They couldn't care less about the clusterfck of factions we'll be supporting including some of our sworn enemies, or the blowback. It's all about selling the arms and supplies and making the big buck$$.