White House: Russian prestige on the line in Syria

[GeorgeGist]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — The White House tried Wednesday to pin the success or failure of a diplomatic option to secure Syria's chemical weapons on Russia rather than the United States as Secretary of State John Kerry headed for Geneva to work on a Russian proposal for international inspectors to seize and destroy the deadly stockpile.

With the public focus on diplomacy rather than military might, Vice President Joe Biden and senior White House officials summoned House Democrats and Republicans for classified briefings as a follow-up to President Barack Obama's nationally televised address in which he kept the threat of U.S. airstrikes on the table and said it was too early to say whether the Russian offer would succeed.


Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/09/11/4941789/obama-conditionally-backs-offer.html

[NoOneMan]

2. Prestige?

wtf

[phleshdef]

5. Yea, it means "reputation".

And its an accurate statement.

[NoOneMan]

7. Thanks Webster

I get that. Just sounded ridiculous like most everything else these days.

I am not sure Russia's reputation can go anywhere but up BTW

[leftynyc]

3. He's right

Putin has at least one eye on Russia looking good for the Olympics and they already have a black eye from their atrocious attitude about gays.

[msongs]

4. 2 presidents waving their hoo-hoos at each other, per george carlin nt

[Maedhros]

6. I don't care whose "prestige" is on the line.

Don't let oneupmanship derail the diplomacy, John.

[azurnoir]

8. well yes of course because Russia was running around talking about "red lines"

hmmmm

[Igel]

9. "Prestige" is like "reward."

It can't be decided on by another.

Rewards, like prestige, are defined entirely by the person who receives them.

Then again, our President does this fairly often--tries to define things for others or make bad assumptions about what others want or don't want. It happens often domestically. It happens less frequently (because of a lack of opportunities) in foreign policy. He can't separate others' views from his own.

[novapress]

10. ?

i dont understand anything yet about this world game

[Alamuti Lotus]

11. Right...*Russian* prestige is on the line here. I hear they're *projecting* a bunch, too...

Those Russians, always craftily implanting their emotions and motivations into White House pressbot briefings...

[Uncle Joe]

12. Like a drive in movie theater