And let's not forget the fact that Carter's jihadist buddies on the ground launched a mortar attack on the Russian embassy in Damascus on Tuesday. That's another part of this low-intensity war that's already underway. So all this rubbish about Obama mulling over these "new options" for "military strikes" is complete hogwash. Plan Carter is already in full swing, the train already left the station. The only thing missing is presidential authorization which probably isn't necessary since Il Duce Carter decided that it was his turn to run the country.
Now check out this clip from a Memo to the President from a group of ex-U.S. intelligence agents who compelled to warn Obama about (among other things) "asserting White House civilian control over the Pentagon." Here's an excerpt:
"In public remarks bordering on the insubordinate, senior Pentagon officials showed unusually open skepticism regarding key aspects of the Kerry-Lavrov deal. We can assume that what Lavrov told his boss in private is close to his uncharacteristically blunt words on Russian NTV on Sept. 26:
"'My good friend John Kerry ... is under fierce criticism from the US military machine. Despite the fact that, as always, [they] made assurances that the US Commander in Chief, President Barack Obama, supported him in his contacts with Russia... apparently the military does not really listen to the Commander in Chief.'
"Lavrov's words are not mere rhetoric ... Policy differences between the White House and the Pentagon are rarely as openly expressed as they are now over policy on Syria."
(Obama Warned to Defuse Tensions with Russia, Consortium News)
How shocking is that? When was the last time you read a memo from retired Intel agents warning the president that the Pentagon was usurping his Constitutional authority? That sounds pretty serious, don't you think?
Bottom line: The Pentagon is basically prosecuting their own little war in Syria and then chatting up the policy with Obama when they damn-well feel like it. Here's more from the Washington Post:
"The CIA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff ... expressed support for such 'kinetic' options, the official said ... That marked an increase of support for striking Assad compared with the last time such options were considered." (Washington Post)
Of course they want to bomb Assad. They're losing! Everyone wants to bomb someone when they're losing. It's human nature. But that doesn't mean it's a good idea. It's a very bad idea. Just like supporting Sunni extremists is a bad idea. Just like giving shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS) to fanatical crackpots is a bad idea. How crazy is that? And how long before one of these religious nutcases use their new toys to take down an Israeli or American jetliner?
Not very long, I'd wager. The idea of doubling-down on homicidal maniacs (by providing them with more lethal weapons) is really one of the dumbest ideas of all time, and yet, the Pentagon and CIA seem to think that it's tip-top military strategy. Here's one last blurb from the WA Post article:
"Kerry's deputy, Antony Blinken, testified last week that the U.S. leverage in Russia comes from the notion that Russia will eventually become weary of the cost of its military intervention in Syria. 'The leverage is the consequences for Russia of being stuck in a quagmire that is going to have a number of profoundly negative effects,' Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee." (Washington Post)
See? There it is in black and white. "Quagmire." The new "Plan C" strategy is designed to create a quagmire for Putin by gradually ratcheting up the violence forcing him to prolong his stay and deepen his commitment. It's a clever trap and it could work, too. The only hitch is that Putin and his allies appear to be making steady headway on the battlefield. That's going to make a lot harder for Syria's enemies to continue the provocations and incitements without triggering massive retaliation.
But maybe Carter hasn't thought about that yet.
NOTE: Russia issues warning to Pentagon; Hostile aircraft that threatens Syrian troops will be shot down.
This is from a Thursday report on Sputnik International:
"The Russian Minister of Defense said ...that 'Russian S-300, S-400 air defense systems deployed in Syria's Hmeymim and Tartus have combat ranges that may surprise any unidentified airborne targets. Operators of Russian air defense systems won't have time to identify the origin of airstrikes, and the response will be immediate. Any illusions about 'invisible' jets will inevitably be crushed by disappointing reality.'"
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