Syrian President Bashar Assad Has 'Lost Legitimacy,' Says Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton

[onehandle]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that Syrian President Bashar Assad has "lost legitimacy" as a leader interested in reform as the United States formally protested an attack on the U.S. Embassy and the American ambassador's residence in Damascus.

Clinton's comments fell short of demanding that Assad leave power but were some of the strongest public criticism yet by a senior U.S. official and demonstrated Washington's anger not only at the embassy attack but the Assad regime's continuing crackdown on opponents.

"From our perspective, he has lost legitimacy," Clinton told reporters at the State Department in a joint news conference with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. "He has failed to deliver on promises he has made, he has sought and accepted aid from the Iranians as to how to repress his own people."

Clinton said there was a "laundry list of actions" that the Assad regime should be held accountable for. And she condemned the attacks on the U.S. and French embassies while demanding that Syria uphold its international treaty obligations to protect foreign diplomatic missions.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/12/syria-president-bashar-assad-lost-legitimacy_n_895354.html

[robcon]

1. He never 'had' legitimacy. Like Kim Jong Il, he was appointed by his father.

n/t

[Arctic Dave]

2. Pot meet kettle.

[ej510]

3. Like the U.S. has legitimacy. We kill whoever we want to kill,

knowing no one can stop us. The U.S. is a bully.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Exactly. nt

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. According to Dennis Kucinich, Assad is "highly loved and appreciated by the Syrians"

[nyy1998]

13. If true, not one of his better moments nt

[MADem]

16. Yeah, the Syrians who benefit from his repressive regime!

That was an idiotic comment, to put it kindly. What was the context of that verbal diarrhea?

[Bragi]

6. U.S to Middle east -- "We are the judges of legitimacy"

That certainly clarifies matters. Legitimacy is something governments are given by the U.S.

[KoKo]

7. I found her speech shocking. Clip of her with above quotes was on CNN this a.m.

What has happened to her. She was very "hard line" and dictatorial. I don't think she should be telling other countries what to do with their own dictators. Especially since we have worked so well with those dictators in the past. What do we look like to those people in the countries. We help install a dictator then we decide when the dictator goes? Bizarre.

[pampango]

8. Juan Cole: Under Bush the US ignored Syria; not any more

http://www.juancole.com/2011/07/pro-regime-mobs-storm-damascus-embassies-of-us-france.html

"it seems likely that the regime itself put the crowds up to the attacks, since very little happens in Damascus that the Baath Party does not want to happen. This thesis is supported by the poor police response (to say the least) and the consequent need of US and French embassy troops to defend their buildings.

The US has ratcheted up financial sanctions on the Syrian elite, some members of which have seen bank accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere frozen, and has repeatedly called for al-Asad to meet his people’s demand to democratize.

Any background analysis must begin with the plain fact that the US overthrow of Saddam Hussein failed to produce an Iraq more favorable to Israel (indeed, the Shiite minions of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are substantially more anti-Israel than had been Saddam). The general view in the Middle East had been that this failure convinced the Israeli security establishment that the al-Asad regime is preferable to a Sunni fundamentalist one. The latter is widely thought likely to come to power if al-Asad falls, though of course that prediction is speculative. Al-Hayat even ran a story to this effect in 2004 as I remember.

Clinton seemed to be warning al-Asad not to rely too much on US fear of the Muslim Brotherhood, and she signalled that Washington is increasingly complaisant about the possibility that the Baath will fall from power. Her remarks on Monday are the strongest ones yet directed at Damascus since the Obama administration came into power determined to improve relations with Syria (that is why there is a US ambassador in Damascus to attack– the Bush administration used to like to pretend that Syria did not actually exist).

Apparently Bush ignored Syria and let Assad do whatever he wanted within Syria, figuring that he was the lesser of two evils (and the Israelis agreed). Looks like Obama and Clinton seem not as inclined to let Assad do as he wishes to the Syrian people in the interest of stability in the Middle East.

Sometimes it is easier to leave dictators alone. As long as they think you'll not rock their boat too much and they can keep the gravy train on the tracks, they can be more easily incentivized to "play nice" outside their borders. Clinton and Obama has evidently decided to "rock Assad's boat". We shall see if that is a wise approach compared to Bush's "ignore him in the interests of stability" strategy.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. Oh, goody. Now, when do we start bombing THEM? nt

[pampango]

10. The UN can't touch 'em as long as Russia and China are on their side.

Sounds like Russia has had second thought of late given the duration and severity of the government's use of the military to put down protests, but China seems to be holding firm.

A few countries have imposed some sanctions, but in general it looks like the Assad dynasty only has to worry about its own people. Of course, its own people seem unwilling to go home and be quiet no matter what measures the military takes.

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Yeah, but there's always NATO. nt

[pampango]

14. No sign that NATO was going to touch Libya if the UN hadn't said "Go".

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, onehandle.

[bemildred]

15. That's rich.

Not that I want to defend Assad.

[Alamuti Lotus]

17. because, of course, "legitimacy" is determined by the US government

What arrogance! Some small-time punk like Assad the Lesser has nothing on the harm her office and peers do in the world.