Opinion
President Obama's dilemma
Orly Azoulay
Published: 29.04.13, 10:12
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30 Talkbacks for this article
1. President Barak Hussein Obama's apathy on Syria
Ricky ,   The Bronx   (04.29.13)
Obama and America's Karma will not be a pretty site/sight..
2. How does the writer attribute this to Obama?
jrebecca ,   modiin   (04.29.13)
While I agree with the sentiments, I cant see how the writer attributes this to Obama. From what Obama has said he could be wondering how far extreme he can support.
3. Funny, as if there was an option for non-Islamic dictator in
tom ,   tel aviv   (04.29.13)
the Arab/Muslim world, anywhere/anytime. As long as the well hasn't been sucked dry($) these "Springs/Autumns" will go on and destabilize our region even more.
4. The choice after the Arab spring/revolution
tiki ,   belgium   (04.29.13)
Cholera or malaria! Great achievements!
5. All yours, Israel
Cameron ,   USA   (04.29.13)
We may move on Persia since, in perfect honesty, only we have the required ability to succeed in the matter, but basket-case Syria we toss to you to grapple with.
6. #1 Ricky: Obama is only expressing the will of the people.
Dee Bee ,   Israel   (04.29.13)
Obama does not want to get involved into another war with the Muslims and, be honest, nor do the people of the USA. The important thing to us in Israel is that, no matter who is running Syria, Israel will still be the enemy. This was confirmed by the "Rebels" even before the radicals came into the civil war. Israelis know that we can never trust the USA, the EU and any other so-called "friendly country" when it comes to our survival and that of the Jewish people. We are on our own and that is the way it has always been. The one time the UK was allied with Israel was in the Suez Crisis. It didn't take the Brits long to kowtow to the Arabs and stab Israel in the back. As for "Obama's Red Line", well it is now a faded shade of pink!
7. His Red Line is a White Lie
ASTRONAUT ,   SC, USA   (04.29.13)
Like all polished politicians, Obama's promise of a Red Line is just another Little White Lie. For readers unfamiliar with western jargon, a "little white lie" is a polite lie, a sort-of falsehood, a pretty way of distorting the truth and coming out smelling like a rose. A little white lie is a ploy used by guilty little children, guilty big adults, and guilty underhanded politicos, CEO's, and UN members.
8. Doomsday Chaos
Zechariah   (04.29.13)
The Israelis ought prepare for doomsday chaos .Im not saying it will happen but contingency plans are necessary .
9. Two things...
Robert ,   New Jersey, USA   (04.29.13)
Obama, the US Narcissist in Chief simply doesn't want to be blamed for failure. His entire administrations is, "It's (former President) Bush's Fault!" Your assumption, Orly, is wrong. obama DOES want to topple Assad. He just doesn't want to have his fingerprints on the bloodbath that will result when the Muslims take over. Yes, bloodbath! After Al Qaeda takes over Syria, it will make the Assad war look positively pacifistic. Obama is all about blame avoidance.
10. What Red Line?
Tim ,   SA   (04.29.13)
The Red Line is like the Aurora Borealis, beautiful and full of energetic rhetoric but totally elusive.
11. The Assad regime ARE terrorists.
Chaim ,   Israel   (04.29.13)
Ynet today reports the Assad regime is using WMDs on its own people! If that doesn't meet the definition of a "terrorist regime", what does?
12. flawed argument
tom ,   toronto, canada   (04.29.13)
there's no evidence that president obama has any problem supporting an islamist regime. in fact, he has provided support for islamists in yemen, saudi arabia, egypt, libya, and turkey. his hesitation over syria is more likely the conjunction of domestic politics, such as the winding down of military spending, with the weight of bashar assad's backing, partly from iran, but more especially from russia. realistically, the american administration has no appetite for a fight just now.
13. Chaim, this qualifies as state terrorism..
Nour ,   Palestine   (04.29.13)
This qualifies: * Systematic destruction of natives' lands, property, and lives * Illegal looting of the natives land and its transfer to illegal immigrants from Russia and Poland * Uprooting of olive trees and the livelihood of local farmers to please illegal settlements' greed for more land * Kidnapping of 8-year olds during their sleep and whisking them away to Apartheid Regime dungeons * Kidnapping of the natives to harvest their organs
14. let syrians settle their own matters
mofta   (04.29.13)
john mccain asidewith his viet nam experience, let the syrians settle their own matters. USA cannot deal with every matter and they have had enough of moslem wars.Let turkey deal with syria and their chemical weapons. If israel gets involved so be it. If assad wants to kill 1 million syrians and the rebels want to smoke 1 million alawites, so be it. le them settle their own problems and mccain ought to shut the helll up about internvention.
15. Why are you deniying the real reason?
Tom W ,   USA   (04.29.13)
It's is the Russo-Chinese axis. In spite of all the bravado, the U.S. never dared to confront Russia, and when the Chinese also in the picture, it's beyond the U.S. ability to do anything. Russians/Chinese are not PC pussycats like Westerners: they have the capacity to thwart Western interference easily. --- And they mean it. The Libya adventure was a wake up call for Putin: he's the true reason Obongo won't do anything.
16. and the winners are:
zionist forever   (04.29.13)
ASSAD & IRAN If the US intervenes militarily then it really will mean the end of Assad, as long as its just a civil war he can keep on fighting especially of Russia continues to send him weapons. He at least though has a fighting chance . The other winner is Iran, if they see that Obama is not even willing to intervene militarily to sort out Assad who has WMDS already and is no match for an American attack then what reason do they have to believe that Obama will follow through on any threats to do anything but talk. Iran has a better military than Syria in terms of both offensive and defensive capabilities and they have threatened to block the Straits of Hormuz which would be economically disastrous for the US. Once again Obama tried playing poker and he lost, the man has no credibility in the arab world. What he needs to do now is bomb the chemical weapons plants but no humanitarian operations through things like the creation of no fly zones or putting boots on the ground. He also needs to stay out of post Assad politics, let them kill each other through sectarian violence if they wish or if they go with a hardline islamist government then fine accept thats the choice they made even if we don't like it and then decide on how to deal with it at a political level. Iraq went so badly wrong because the US wanted to be involved in rebuilding under a new pro west government and it ended up getting them stuck there for over a decade. Obama no more mistakes bomb the chemical sites and leave the Syrians to kill each other.
17. To all the Asad haters here, be carful what you wish for
(04.29.13)
The Syrian border was the quietest for the last 40 years, the ones who want ro change that situation are the rebels not Asad.
18. Iran's nuclear weapons program must be destroyed
Cipora Julianna Kohn ,   Z   (04.29.13)
as long as the vile genocidal terror regime of iran is allowed to continue to operate, assad will continue to gass and murder his people. without iran, assad would be forced to make a deal or quit power. obama's constant declarations about "red lines," "game changers," and "all options are on the table," are only proof that he cannot keep quiet since he loves the limelight. no one believes obama anymore. his words are absolutely meaningless.
19. Many People Are Wrong
Brett ,   Florida   (04.29.13)
About obama. The rightist opinion is that he is totally inept. I disagree somewhat. On world politics and his ability to conduct war, he is a bufoon. Dangerous to Israel and flagrantly disasterous to America. I have just read he sent hagel to tell Netanyahu, "do not attack iran". But, his internal stateside policies are spot on. He intends to ruin this country and drive it into the ground...to be torn down and remade in his 1960's socialist utopian dream. At that game, he is rapidly becoming an expert. Back to the world stage, he shoots his mouth off about things he has no clue about, has to backtrack, and the world (not to mention the lamestream media) never holds him accountable (on Murbarak for one) for his idiotic statements.
20. 12
zionist forever   (04.29.13)
What Obama really needs to do is try broker some kind of military coalition between Israel, Turkey and if they want to get involved the Arab League. Israel & Turkey who have the most powerful airforces are on the Syrian border and worried about the WMDS should destroy the chemical weapon sites. After that Israel will stay out of it and leave Turkey and the arabs to either just get out like Israel does and leave it for the Syrians to fight it out or if they chose carry our a humanitarian military operation, their choice. All Obama needs to do is broker this coalition and provide any special weapons that might be needed to do the job properly. The US would then not be involved at a political or military level but the WMDS would have been taken care of and they are the only threats to the US itself because unlike Israel it only has to worry about terrorists getting hold of chemical weapons.
21. #15: yes, and no
tom ,   toronto, canada   (04.29.13)
yes, you are right that russia and china are running interference for the assad regime, and also right that the united states is in no position, politically even more than militarily, to risk ww3. and certainly not over the human rights of syrians. but... neither russia nor china have painted themselves into a corner over assad's regime. they have provided support, but they have also left themselves room to back out. (say, over human rights, or use of chemical weapons.) and both russia and china re amenable to "monetary incentives", if presented appropriately (i.e. cash). considering that the american deployments in iraq and afghanistan cost roughly $2 billion a day, a bribe on the order of $10-20 billion could easily solve the "problem" of assad's russian and chinese support, while saving american lives (and taxpayers' money). but the hardest part would be to block the anti-western islamists from taking power.
22. #13
Linichka ,   Gdynia, Poland   (04.29.13)
You know that you need to seek professional help when you list as place of residence a country as mythical as Atlantis.
23. re:13 Nour
HaifaGuy   (04.29.13)
Listen up, sister, this is my prescription: the next 5-6 hours you are to spend watching every Youtube video by Pat Condell, every one of them. Then, let's talk. Knowing you and your ilk, it is safe to assume you won't do any of that. But if you do, don't hang yourself, channel your shame into something positive, like visit a museum, listen to some relaxing music, make a Jewish friend. You will be surprised how a change of karma can generate well-being. Stop hating us, start loving and respecting yourself. You need both. PS PAT CONDELL
24. #21. yes and no - or may be, may be not
Tom W ,   USA   (04.29.13)
You're may be right or may be wrong. I prefer to stay with the obvious and I decline to dvelve into speculating things I am not privy to. All we do know is that the Russia/China couple is a player with weight and means, - something discerning people don't brush aside as it were a farce. Beyond that we don't know anything: who's who, what are the partaking parties real plans and goals and cards. Please notice the absolute news blackout in the "free" Western press anything concerning Libya-Syria. It's more newsworthy than anything we can conjure up. It shows the measure by which the Western gov.ment willing to stifle the freedom of information.
25. #19.Brett: Please go one step further
Tom W ,   USA   (04.30.13)
It's obvious that Obama, - all by himself couldn't do squat for he's not that talented. What people refuse to do is to shed light on his inner circle of grey eminences who are the true intellectuals with money, ideology and superb organization skill. That's his true skill: he is succeeding in covering up, hiding and protecting those who are the string-pullers because Americans are afraid to name names. Anyone who dares to reveal damaging information will be removed from public sphere at once - unceremoniously. As soon as Glenn Beck supplied factual info on the Soros manipulation he was removed, sent to a faraway place and turned into "no person" as Stalin used to do with his enemies. To sum up: the Obama takeover was a well planned, well organized coup by the Marxist elite: conservative Americans are no match for the experienced leftists with Russian/E. European cultural (Bolshevik) roots. It's now irreversible for the revolution cannot be stopped at its ascending, initial phase. It must run its full course until the societal destruction is complete: see E. Europe, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela....
26. Keeping one's hands squeaky clean
Shachar Shalev ,   Eilat   (04.30.13)
In the west no politician wants to get involved in a war, it's unpopular and you damage your re-election chances unless you have a 9/11 type event that pushes you into it. The West's inaction has paved the way for an Al-Qaida takeover in Syria and in the end they will be drawn into far dirtier war after copping terror attacks with chemical and biological weapons. And why are we so happy to take the worst option? We don't want to look bad, keep our hands squeaky clean even if it costs us dearly.
27. to5
jasin   (04.30.13)
thanks..asked condi how it was failed in lebanon
28. 17 is correct!
Michael ,   Canada   (05.01.13)
Call a spade a spade. They are all dogs and none can be trusted but at least the boarders have been quite for 40 years. If they want to kill each other so be it! They are all evil and must be treated as such! Obama destroy the weapons and get the hell outta Dodge!
29. To: Cameron
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (05.01.13)
You won't move on Iran. You'll leave that to us, too. We'll secure the chemical and biological weapons in Syria, and we will neutralize Iran's nuclear threat. Show you how it's done. Watch closely, and don't forget to take notes.
30. be carefull what you
arne ,   chicago usa   (05.03.13)
wish for. there is no good guys in this fight--one's as bad or worse then the other. israel and uncle sam best stay away.let the A RABS tough it out until they both get tired and fall asleep.
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