by David Turner, Times of Israel
Two days ago, on 11 January, defense secretary Panetta, accompanied by General Dempsey, JCS chairman gave a press conference in the DOD press room. Mostly devoted to Afghanistan and the budget the question ofAmerica’s role in the Syria conflict was raised minutes before the conclusion.
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SEC. PANETTA: Well, I mean, look, we — we’re not working on options that involve boots on the ground. You know, with — you know, I think you — you always have to keep the possibility that, if there is a peaceful transition and international organizations get involved, that they might ask for assistance in that situation. But in a hostile situation, we’re not planning for that.
Panetta appears uncomfortable in the full transcript of his response presented above, out of character with the ease with which he dealt with even the most delicate questions regarding President Karzai and corruption in the Afghan government. But leaving the secretary’s discomfort aside certainly the response of the civilian head of America’s military should raise eyebrows in the Middle East, if not at home.
Several weeks ago I addressed the issue of America in retreat in another TOI article, Obama II, Fight or Flight? That earlier article followed news that Obama was withdrawing the aircraft carrier Eisenhower and the Iwo Jima with 2000 Marines:
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“Shortly before the deployment of two American Patriot missiles manned by 400 US servicemen for defending Turkey against Syria was announced Thursday, Dec. 13, Washington quietly recalled from Syrian waters the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group and the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready group and the 2,000 Marines on their decks.”
The move appeared a cautious response to several weeks of media attention to Syrain chemical weapons. Apparently a contradiction to the threat implied in weeks of hints from Washington that special forces expert in chemical weapons were already positioned inside Assad’s terror state. If confirmation that Panetta had not misspoken under duress, his JCS chairman General Dempsey standing beside him during the press conference chimed in,
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The — the effort — or the act of preventing the use of chemical weapons would be almost unachievable… On the other hand, you know, our collaboration with regional partners, Turkey, Israel — I talked to my Lebanese counterpart yesterday, Jordan. We’ve got a planning element in Jordan. You know, messaging, such as our president did, that — that the use of chemical weapons would — those that would be responsible would be held accountable.
I think that Syria must understand by now that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable. And to that extent, it provides a deterrent value.”
Perhaps the litmus test to the degree of dissembling taking place in that DOD press room may be measured by the next question:
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“And do you still believe that the sarin would expire after 60 days, after mixed?”
“That’s what — what the scientists tell us. I’d still be reluctant to handle it myself.”
In fact it is understood that Syria has developed sarin variant able to remain active for a year.
Why is Syria important in assessing American intentions? Syria, of course, is now completely under the control of Iran, and should Assad survive, which seems increasingly likely now that the US has shown its true intentions, that means a long-term enemy at the gates not only to Israel, but to the Saudis, Jordan and, via Gaza, Egypt and points west.
And if the US is avoiding the less dangerous puppet state, what does Obama’s plaintive threat regarding the puppet-master’s nuclear weapons program, “all options are on the table,” come to? Ironic that Obama, entering office as committed to nuclear non-proliferation has all but lit the fuse on a Third World nuclear arms race.
And finally, the US is in full flight as Russia has positioned a fleet of naval vessels and thousands of troops on-site to discourage a Western military intervention. What does that imply for Russia’s future intentions for the region? Keeping in mind that Russia is patron to and supports both Syria and, more important, Iran: Has the United States decided to back off the Russian challenge, to abdicate the region in favor of its historic competitor? And what implications does that hold for America as a global power, for Europe now surrounded by the Russian Navy to the south in the Mediterranean, the Russian Army on their northern borders?
What has been absent for ten years of public pronouncements by Israel’s political leadership has been any indication of understanding that US policy regarding the Iranian bomb, Iranian hegemonic intentions, has not, repeat not changed. Bush, with all his apparent toughness, neverchallenged Iran directly, either for its aggression against US forces in Iraq/Afghanistan, nor its progress towards the bomb. Add to this that Bush hired Gates/Mullen to lead the military, two men who swore off an Iran attack under any conditions. And this long before Gates was chosen as defense secretary and Mullen chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Their joint mantra throughout was that an attack on Iran “will result in unforeseen consequences.” Like failure?
So, Obama keeping that dynamic duo with their commitment to not confront Iran should have been an immediate sigh, recognized as a dead giveaway to American intentions. That he replaced them with ideological look-alikes in Panetta/Dempsey, is even today promoting Hagel, another politician with an aversion to confront Iran: What might it all mean?
Until Assad made a more or less graceful exit impossible America was already well into retreat from the region.
Iran is a regional problem, created and allowed to fester by the United States, but still a problem demanding response. So long as the Arabs refuse to acknowledge Israel a necessary ally; so long as Israel refuses to accept that the US will not step in as defender of last resort: so long will Iran be a threat to every country in the region, from Turkey to Yemen, Egypt to Morocco.
An Israel-US Special Relationship has always been at the convenience of the (past) superpower. Israel cannot afford the luxury of Denial.
@ Canadian Otter:
I’m hardly the one to be disputing that. With me, you’d only be preaching to the choir on that score.
If Felix wants to go at it with you, it’s his call; I was only offering a point of information. Regards.
Felix Quigley Said:
Israel must officially support the FSA as Israel officially did support the Libyan revolution. It gives Israel the moral high ground if the new powers become a threat it give legitimate justification for taking military action.
It is perfectly legitimate to support revolutions against tyranny especially it the eyes of the ordinary people of the world , it doesn’t mean you will go to bed with the enemy , quite the contrary it makes you more adept at finding,identifying and killing the enemy.
We get to know the people, we drink tea with them,we enjoy their culture and then later when we press the button and give the orders to attack, or make alliances and/or distribute propaganda , we know exactly who and what elements we are fighting, why we have to do what we do and we do it with regret.
You cannot wage war without also waging peace, else you have already lost civilization.
The superior perosn is not happy his enemies are fighting each other – he is sad , it is a failure of civilization. This gives the superior person more ability to make detailed analysis and more power in decision making.
—
@Felix – which kind of communism do you represent? Stalinism? Trotskyist? Other? What is your role for Russia in your new World Order – to return to her former Soviet Glory?
Some Jews got it right – it’s not people or ordinary Islamic people that are the enemy – it is Fascists and fascist leaders. Even more than that it is the society that carries the seed of fascism and has the conditions to breed fascism. When fascists come to power it is because elements of that culture breed fascism and there is no moral foundation to oppose those elements.
If Israelis/Jews/Zionists make people the enemy then they have no moral foundation and they create their own destruction – declaring humans the enemy or even ignoring the destruction of humans is evil.
@ dweller:
Thanks for the clarification. But would the Trotskyites have been any more respectful of human freedoms?
Marxism, Islam, Fascism, Orwellian America, etc. – all those movements spring from the same source where an “ideal” justifies the means, and the means are oppressive, degrading, brutal, and murderous.
@ Canadian Otter:
FTR (and FWIW), I believe that Felix would tell you he identifies as a Trot, so it seems rather unlikely that USSR & Red China would stand as models in his sight.
HALLUCINOGENIC CHEMICAL weapon used in Syria?
Syria Dropped Hallucinogenic Weapon on Rebels, U.S. Claims
Agent 15 is a powerful hallucinogen that the American military tested out on its own soldiers during the Cold War. Its emergence on the Syrian battlefield would be nothing short of bizarre.
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/01/syria-agent-bz/
Muslim cruelty against animals – In the UK you can get arrested for posting online comments against Muslim inhumane slaughter of animals. This link has a video of cruelty in the slaughter of a tied up young camel. You may not wish to watch it.
“Kevin Carroll of the English Defence League and new chairman of the British Freedom Party was arrested for posting comment on a Facebook page that was condemning the barbaric custom of animal sacrifice for the Muslim holiday Eid. – Arrested on suspicion of ‘threatening abusive/insulting written material with intent/likely to stir up racial hatred’.”
http://www.barenakedislam.com/2013/01/15/in-the-uk-you-can-be-arrested-for-speaking-the-truth-about-brutal-and-inhumane-halal-islamic-slaughter/
Canadian Otter Said:
so true, dear otter, so true.
– Felix, I am familiar with your Communist point of view. I disagree with it profoundly because I value personal freedom above everything else. I don’t defend Capitalism either, but it’s the best between the two options. I’ll be brief because Ted is not available to rescue our comments from Spam Filter. So I’ll just mention the USSR apalling record of genocide and devastation of the environment. And Comm. China’s own record of genocide, enslavement, and Cultural Revolution state-ordered instances of cannibalism. Plus devastation of the environment. ~~~~~ I don’t subscribe to any established ideology or religion. I’m a born skeptic. I don’t have heroes. I don’t have faith in humankind either, that’s why defending personal freedoms from govt. infringement is so important. Any attempt of that sort on govt part – under any excuse whatsoever – should be nipped in the bud.
– Re. Syria, it’s going to be bad for Israel no matter who wins. Those people can’t live without killing each other. They wouldn’t hesitate from using bio-chem weapons on Israel. A ruthless secular dictator to keep them in line would be the lesser of all possible evils, but now we also have Iran’s tentacles to worry about.
– Re. Animals – don’t get me started. Reading what it’s being done to animals all over the world brings me to tears. There’s so little we can do, particularly because so few people really care. Idiotic humans gush over some microbe they expect to find on Mars, while wonderful creatures are being massively wiped out in our oceans, and all over the planet.
@ dweller:
Dweller, please give Ted our wish for his quick and full recovery.
@ yamit82:
Uncle, I’ll second that.
refuah sh’lemah Ted
Get well Ted. Otter you should see yesterdays BBC report on sale of ivory and how elephant may be wiped out in Africa in 15 years time. the crisis in capitalism is going to take these kinds of actions.
Dogs get a raw deal inside capitalism. Apart from the pet situation dogs are just used for profit. man took dog from the wolf, changed the animal in every way, and now abuses and abandons and makes little of what is really a noble creature, and this applies whether you are religious or atheistic.
i disagree with most of your take on Assad. it is the same as the malvinas, as Mubarak, as Gadhafi and so many other cases.
Israel must defend itself against Assad in every way. An important way would be to decisively knock out the Iranian nuclear structure. It is necessary for the borders with Syria to be most heavily defended.
But on a matter of principle you should defend Assad against those trying to force him from power. In other words against the likes of Qatar and BBC and el Jazeera you defend Assad unconditionally.
This does not imply any agreement with Assad on iran etc. and you reserve the right despite this defence to strike against Assad, but independently, not relying for a moment on US or any of these other states like Jordan or Turkey
Israel because of its not taking a position is betraying its own real interests.
the idea of being happy because your enemies are fighting each other is not relevant. There is a matter of principle involved.
— Message from Ted:
Canadian Otter Said:
how true otter. in fact i wrote almost verbatim this message to dionissis on another thread yesterday or the day before…
but, there is no rest for the weary…
this article is major MAJOR M.A.J.O.R. cause for concern and even more, i daresay than iran’s nuclear program, for this is an EXISTING KNOWN FACT that now is in the hands of..??? who exactly??
and while it might not be totally ascertained whether it is in the hands of musloid a or b the bottom line and the common denominator would be that regardless who has them, and whether they decide to do the musloid thing i.e. kill each other (the more the merrier), they will in all likelihood shoot these wmd into israel as well.
i am sure that “a red marker” in pharsi is now slang for ‘to bluff / bs ‘
and who called for operation orchard?…olmert! go figure.
this is ONE major ticking time bomb and htere is really not much time left
@ the phoenix:
It’s good to have a break of this type among all these serious subjects.
Some Canadian Universities are bringing therapy dogs into campuses at finals time because it’s been found that they are more effective in relieving student stress than pills or anything else. Students line up to spend a few minutes cuddling or playing with the therapy dogs.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/11/28/puppy-room-dalhousie-university_n_2205804.html
@ Canadian Otter:
I love you otter!
🙂
PICTURES instead – Wild big cat family plays in the sun – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2262185/Playful-pride-Big-cats-cubs-time-relax-savannah-sunrise.html
MY COMMENT ZAPPED BY SPAM FILTER
Hat tip to Israel Matzav:
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.ca/2013/01/us-judge-backs-palestinian-authority.html#links
A MORE NEFARIOUS PLAN
I just woke up and the first thing I did was to check the news. Still not quite awake, an internal alarm went off when I saw Panetta’s statement. I didn’t need to read the rest of the article to know why.
The country that let millions of Jews burn in Europe would have no qualms allowing Syrians to finish the job by chemically destroying millions of Israeli lives. Even if there are survivors, the country would be too devastated to resist the US taking full charge of what’s left of it. From their point of view, that would conveniently end the Jewish-Arab conflict, and the US govt would emerge as hero, as its military rescues and relocates survivors away from the Middle East.
That would expedite the slow process of destroying Israel by arming it’s enemies, by influencing Israeli officials, and by empowering Yesha Arabs for an uprising. That’s taking too long because Israeli Jews are too stubborn, and have the habit of winning unwinable wars.