Article

2016-12-16 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

State Dept Spox: Syria Is Not a Failure of ‘The Leadership of the United States'

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Posted by Besoeker 2016-12-16 08:13|| || Front Page|| [11 views ] Top

#1 Well if you can't believe John Kirby, who else is there ?

Posted by Besoeker 2016-12-16 08:17|| 2016-12-16 08:17|| Front Page Top

#2 Then his lips fell off.

Posted by DarthVader 2016-12-16 09:12|| 2016-12-16 09:12|| Front Page Top

#3 No, it is a failure of the leadership of Outer Mongolia

Posted by John Frum 2016-12-16 09:28|| 2016-12-16 09:28|| Front Page Top

#4 Kirby is at least partly correct. There are a lot of villains in Syria (besides Iran and Russia and Assad, there is Al Q and ISIS and there allies).

Nonetheless, 500k fatalities and untold misery has unfolded on Obama's watch. Remember that every time a leftist complains about some foreign policy glitch during the next few years.

Posted by lord garth 2016-12-16 10:11|| 2016-12-16 10:11|| Front Page Top

#5 The US is the one that paid Iran the money for the bombing campaign.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2016-12-16 10:24|| 2016-12-16 10:24|| Front Page Top

#6 No shortage of villains and scoundrels, but I doubt the situation has been improved by America's empty threats and ultimatums. But to be fair, they did let our POTUS appear manly and forceful for a couple news cycles.

Posted by SteveS 2016-12-16 10:44|| 2016-12-16 10:44|| Front Page Top

#7 [I]t’s clear that diplomatic efforts have not achieved the results that we wanted to achieve, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong approach.
Robert A, Pape's Bombing To Win:Air Power and Coercion and War(1996) made a point that Kirby missed: Some People can not be coerced. Period. If a Regime feels that surrendering equals suicide the "JawJaw" of diplomacy is useless.

Posted by magpie 2016-12-16 11:05|| 2016-12-16 11:05|| Front Page Top

#8 "...We can't figure out how we lost the election, either."

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2016-12-16 11:59|| 2016-12-16 11:59|| Front Page Top

#9 The career diplomats never understand that after a while "open and frank discussions" and sternly written letters and memos don't cut it. Sometimes you either have to stick a knife in the table or shoot the guy sitting across from you.

No one will seriously negotiate unless they know you are going to bring down hell if they don't.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2016-12-16 12:25|| 2016-12-16 12:25|| Front Page Top

#10 Don't you have to have actual "Leadership of the United States" before it can fail?

Posted by Frank G 2016-12-16 13:31|| 2016-12-16 13:31|| Front Page Top

#11 Clarity, Sock.
"Pick a hand"
I like it.

Posted by Skidmark 2016-12-16 13:40|| 2016-12-16 13:40|| Front Page Top

#12 Democrats - When you care enough to send the very least.

Posted by newc 2016-12-16 14:49|| 2016-12-16 14:49|| Front Page Top

#13 No one will seriously negotiate unless they know you are going to bring down hell if they don't.

"Don't call my bluff."
-- Barack Hussein Obama

"I come in peace... but if you fuck with me, I will kill you all."
-- General Mattis

Posted by SteveS 2016-12-16 16:16|| 2016-12-16 16:16|| Front Page Top

#14 What Frank said sort of. I just need to fit the words rudderless, clueless, imperious and vainglorious in there somehow.

Posted by gorb 2016-12-16 18:31|| 2016-12-16 18:31|| Front Page Top

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