If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The desire for a "low-impact" affair, with minimal western casualties but some kind of "show" of what is "right" versus "wrong" is utterly juvenile. It represents the hole at the heart of western thinking.
"We're not considering any open ended commitment. We're not considering any boots on the ground approach," Obama said, according to White House pool reports. Yes sir. But they are.
It will not be easy to reconstitute the Syrian nation, to reconcile its people, and to heal the many wounds inflicted by this devastating war. But this, not revenge, must be the goal we seek -- for the sake of the region, for Syria and most especially for the Syrian people.
Sorting through the options. (Hint: There aren't any good ones.) ...
Leaving aside whether or not military action in Syria is a wise policy move for President Obama, politically a move to consult with Congress and debate the matter on the floor offers both risk and reward for the White House.
It is legalistic hair-splitting to condemn the use of chemical weapons in Syria while turning a blind eye to the deliberate and sustained targeting of unarmed civilians in Sudan.
Why does this matter? It matters because if President Obama were to strike Syria without Congressional authorization, he would violate the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. But it also matters because debate surfaces key information.
Unless it is embedded in a strategy to bring the Syrian adversaries to a compromise political deal to end the war, a U.S. air strike is a risky gamble that could well exacerbate and enlarge it, all for the modest gain of saving the president's face.
Why jump to any conclusions before/until the investigation is completed by the UN High Commissioner for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane? After more than two years of an absence of direct military response on the part of the West, what is the sudden hurry?
Instead of acting as the regime's enabler, the Obama administration should "reset" relations with Cairo. The U.S. should cut off all aid and withdraw America's ambassador. If Washington has any influence to exercise, it should do so quietly and informally
Because the spoilers play such an important role in Mideast diplomacy, mediators should want to be considered as pursuing a hopeless mission. Most observers wonder why Kerry is wasting his time. That's exactly what he should want.
Following his death on August 9th at the age of 72, Bill Lynch is rightly being recognized for his legendary role in New York and national politics.
Today, Secretary Kerry not only recognizes the added value of the private sector in supporting the advancement of peace between Palestinians and Israelis, but he is leading a full-scale approach to building new partnerships that will have sustainable impact on the ground. Focusing on creating the economic, as well as political and security conditions needed to build a long-term solution of an independent Palestinian state is critical to the viability of the peace process.
John Kerry's trip to Colombia last week builds on President Obama's renewed efforts to deepen relations with Latin America but hidden in his security and trade agenda lie many unanswered questions for U.S. exporters around the pitfalls of starting a business in the midst of an on-going conflict.
Pennsylvania Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate and former head of the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Kathleen "Katie" McGinty, has hired powerful PR firm SKDKnickerbocker for her campaign's communications efforts.
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