Two stories that show the real state of the Middle East, as many a clenched fist meet's Obama's appeasing open hand:
The first surprise: Chemical weapons inspectors in Syria miss deadline
I mean who could have seen that coming?
From the Detroit Free Press:
International inspectors overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile have missed an early deadline in a brutally tight schedule after security concerns prevented them from visiting two sites linked to Damascus' chemical program.The chief of the global chemical weapons watchdog disclosed for the first time in a report obtained by the Associated Press that Syria has declared 41 facilities at 23 chemical sites where it stored approximately 1,300 tons of precursors and agents, and over 1,200 unfilled munitions to deliver them.
Ahmet Uzumcu said in his first report to the U.N. Security Council that inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had corroborated the information provided by Syria at 37 of the 41 facilities.
But the OPCW said inspectors were only able to visit 21 of the 23 sites because of security risks - which means the tight timeline for visiting all declared sites by Oct. 27 was missed.
However all is not lost, as with Obama, the red lines aren't really red lines, and dead lines are certainly not dead lines:
While there are no consequences for missing the deadline.....
So, in return for letting Obama off his self-stated red line requirement for action, both the Syrians and the UN don't really have to act in a timely manner, or perhaps really have to act at all. Any bets they'll just run the clock, destroy a few chemical weapons for show and then let it fade from the headlines with the mandated job left undone?
Meanwhile, the second surprise headline of the day:
The Detroit Free Press: Iran sentences activist actress to prison
The latest headline out of Iran belies both Iran's declaration, the leftist mainstream media's declaration, and the US State Department's hope that Rouhani is a reformer. One should note that the State department seems to be on the verge of striking out in accurate reformer declarations, with one strike and on the verge of a second with Rouhani, so at least they haven't crowned him as a reformer quite yet.
An Iranian actress known for her political activism in support of the country's reformists has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after facing security charges, newspapers reported Tuesday.
So much for the nonsense that the appointment of Rouhani means Iran's leadership is in a "reform" mode, as in more democratic, western mode and less expansionist and religiously motivated terror-supporting state mode. While the public face of Iran may have changed,for show to entice the credulous leftists of the west, it's ruling council that holds the real power has not.
2 comments:
Our Middle East policy reflects one of two possibilities: 1) the administration is hopelessly inept or 2) the administration is headed by a radical Muslim.
My money is on #2.
PH:
I think there's an Option 3 - This administration is doing everything possible to undermine America's standing in the world. They want to reduce our liability to protect our friends and interests and diminish out ability to project power and maintain our role as a global power. They want America to be unable to influence world events without having to wait for world approval for our actions.
That this emboldens our Muslim enemies is just icing on the cake, as they're the most convenient tool to use to take us down a peg and reduce our alliances and diplomacy to shambles.
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