[gomoho]

Originally Posted by Bucco;7***27

I am not being sarcastic or snide.....I honestly compliment our President if he, as he says he did while in Russia, orchestrate this "sting" to get control over Syria's chemical weapons.

So he has been playing us all this time? Wow I don't know which theory is more bizarre?

[Monkei]

Originally Posted by gomoho

I am baffled how Putin was able to start negotiations with Syria about turning over their chemical weapons (which they claim they don't have) and Kerry never tried this approach. Kerry makes an off the cuff remark this morning about Assad turning over the weapons which the state department immediately tried to distance themselves from and Putin takes it and runs with it. Now the President has a life line being thrown to him by the most unlikely character - Putin - and hopefully all this sabre rattling will end.

So best case scenario - the imaginary chemical weapons are turned over to the UN for safe keeping and Assad and the rebels can keep killing each other without us having to get involved. Wow what a world we live in.

I find it hard to believe that all of this happened on a Monday back to work after the G20 summit. I am sure that there was a lot if back room discussions being held and what we see are the results. Russia did not want to appear to be taking orders from US. I think this was all orchestrated.

[Monkei]

Originally Posted by Golfingnut

Ditto. Thank you Mr. Putin.

He is hardly a war monger. He has been true to he words regarding foreign policy.

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by gomoho;7***69

So he has been playing us all this time? Wow I don't know which theory is more bizarre?

Not sure what you are talking about, but will explain mine.

If the President set up this charade...he says that he and Putin talked about this, and Secy Kerry said it was not an error as reported when he mentioned Syria getting rid of weapons the other day and this is the reaction they were hoping for....well, that is a stroke of genius. If this was done...all this bombing talk...to put the pressure on by both USA and Russia to get Syria to do whatever they are going to do....I am very impressed.

That is all I am saying...that is what I have heard today...will listen to the President, but if what he and Kerry say is true, then they done good and used a lot of folks to get here, but....

[gomoho]

The administration will undoubtedly take credit for this, but I don't believe for a minute it was their idea. As soon as Kerry made that "off the cuff" statement about Assad giving up his weapons he dismissed it as well as others in the state department.

I do believe Putin an Assad may have had this up their sleeve to embarrass the US and they are probably laughing their arses off every time they change their story or demands and we react. It's pathetic.

[billethkid]

it is nothing more than the strong (Putin) playing the weak (Obama/Kerry) to his advantage.

In my opinion if it were trully the manifestation of an arrangement it would not be swinging as violently as it has in the last 24 hours......only if one side is playing (Putin) and the other side scrambling (Obama).

The mission has been accomplished the new can (Syria) has been kicked down the road with all the rest of the major issues of the day.

btk

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by billethkid

it is nothing more than the strong (Putin) playing the weak (Obama/Kerry) to his advantage.

In my opinion if it were trully the manifestation of an arrangement it would not be swinging as violently as it has in the last 24 hours......only if one side is playing (Putin) and the other side scrambling (Obama).

The mission has been accomplished the new can (Syria) has been kicked down the road with all the rest of the major issues of the day.

btk

Could be....I agree with you most times BTK, but hope you are wrong on this. Now quite honestly do not know what to think. I spent a good amount of time today reading overseas press, and they seem to be treating us as a minor player, but while folks were deriding Kerry yesterday (I might add according to good reports that derision was even inside the WH), today at the hearing, he clearly said it was done on purpose...which means the reporter who asked him the question (I saw this conference) had to be in on it, but he very very clearly today took credit for doing it on purpose.

The President, to my knowledge, never mentioned in all this time any consideration for Syria turning over the weapons..never mentioned, to my knowledge, the Putin discussions, and when he mentioned Putin, he dismissed any help. Today he kept saying, and last eve how he and Putin had discussed this very plan. He now says he had to threaten to get this done.

Would be difficult for me to trust anything if that stuff was made up, but it is puzzling.

Bottom line is, to your point, they move this to the back.....happy if no bombs but will become even more cynical if every one of the players is not being forthcoming.

A question is.....ASSUME THIS WORKS. WHAT THEN IS THE STRATEGY GOING FORWARD ?