UPDATE: Within hours of originally publishing this post, Arab media reported that Israeli war planes attacked two military targets near Damascus. This would make at least the sixth Israeli invasion of Syrian territorial sovereignty to attack military-security targets. Nicholas Blanford seems to have summed up the situation pretty well: “Usually we have … [Read more...]
Conceding the Inevitable, Obama’s Backs Down
I have to admit, I thought tonight's speech was going to go in a different direction: I figured that Obama would essentially concede a temporary defeat, but ask Congress to give him the authority to attack Syria after a certain period of time if it didn't hand over it chemical weapons. Instead, he back-pedaled even farther, taking the Congressional … [Read more...]
J Street Punts on Syria
Last Friday, a J Street press officer told Buzzfeed that it had not developed a position concerning Pres. Obama's request for Congressional authorization of military intervention in Syria. I awaited J Street's decision with interest and felt it would indicate whether the group is truly Obama's Jewish poodle or an independent peace group. On Sunday, … [Read more...]
U.S. House Closing in on 218 Votes Opposing Syria Attack
The unthinkable may be about to happen. As Washington prepares for a series of dramatic debates and votes in the House and Senate for attacking Syria, the NY Times is reporting that opponents are "closing in" on the 218 votes needed to torpedo Obama's plans. The paper maintains a vote count that finds currently 153 members oppose a strike. Only 40 support … [Read more...]