Was the United States of America recently bombed into submission?
In the Battle of Britain, the Brits survived the German blitz. The North Vietnamese persevered through storms of our B-52s, for years. Bombing alone never seems to conquer an opponent.
But Russian air strikes against U.S. positions in Syria sent Secretary of State John Kerry scurrying to the negotiation table.
In June, but just reported last week, Russian planes bombed a “secret base of operations for elite American and British forces” in Syria. (No Brits were at the base at the time, only Americans.) Putin’s planes also attacked “a site linked to the Central Intelligence Agency.”
“U.S. military and intelligence officials” told the Wall Street Journal that the strikes were “part of a campaign by Moscow to pressure the Obama administration to agree to closer cooperation over the skies in Syria.”
It seems to have worked. Sec. Kerry quickly struck a deal with the Russian Federation – but “over Pentagon and CIA objections.”
Those critics complained that “the White House gave in to Russian bullying,” and also “doubt[ed] that Moscow would abide by the terms of the agreement,” according to the Journal.
“Officials close to Mr. Kerry said he shares the skepticism of military and intelligence officials about Russian intentions, which is why he inserted a clause during negotiations to allow the U.S. to suspend cooperation with the Russians if they started bombing U.S. allies again.”
What a deal! Kerry sure knows how to lead from behind.
Does anybody think our Middle East policy makes sense?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
4 replies on “Bombed into Submission?”
It is tragic and too costly to have bombing raids as a necessary precursor to cooperation. Neither the US nor Russia is an innocent in this proxy war. Both powers should recognize that,, at the root, they should have more common interests than disputes.
A resounding NO!!!
John Kerry is a bigger disaster than Hillary Clinton as Sec’y & that’s saying a lot. He is a wimp of a “negotiator.” I didn’t approve of most of GW Bush’s middle east policies but at least he had policy & followed through. Pres Obama’s administration, is so clueless when it comes to the Middle East, it is pathetic. That is why Putin scoffs at him & holds no respect for the man or his administration.
The rot started from the top. BHO is running this show. He wrote the script. Kerry and Clinton are merely two has-been actors desperate for parts. Americans asked for ‘fundamental transformation’ when they elected this crew not once, but twice. They got it. There is no comparison between America today and the country which survived the German blitz. Obama is no Churchill.
Officially, I’ve crossed over to believing absolutely nothing conveyed via the MSM, which is merely an organ of disseminating whatever the government and its puppetmasters want us lowly peons to believe. Ref. Carl Bernstein’s famous column in Rolling Stone, probably the best thing both of them have ever done: The CIA and the Media (http://brianrwright.com/CoffeeCoasterBlog/?p=6848).