Joke's on U.S.

 

This is all starting to look like a really bad, off, off Broadway play, replete with wannabe stars.

Last week Secretary of State John Kerry laid out the case for the United States use of military force against the Assad regime in Syria  citing a chemical attack that allegedly occurred on helpless civilians on August 21. He spoke in no uncertain terms of the resolve of the United States to use military force, if necessary, to deter and punish the Assad regime.

He laid out a  vague scenario whereby the US would “degrade” Assad’s military capabilities for future chemical attacks. Acting unilaterally if necessary – without UN sanctions, a coalition of nations or the US Congress.  Shortly after, the president no doubt feeling Kerry didn’t sell the plan sufficiently enough re-iterated the possible use of unilateral military intervention, still  under the illusion that the Obama magical rhetoric  would win over a skeptical and war weary public. He, too, failed to seal the deal.

The military option became less palatable because of the lack of support on all fronts. So did the chest thumping. Our threatened military intervention  evolved  to a  slight, minimal operation we were told. Obviously the plan is still inchoate like most Obama initiatives. Here’s a suggestion, how about  throwing a cherry bomb in the vicinity of the Syrian Embassy in Washington, if the brain trust is still looking for  minimal action options.

A flippant remark by Secretary Kerry got the second act of this flop going when he said that the Assad regime could prevent a military strike if Assad were to hand over his chemical weapons for international scrutiny. Russian president Putin seized the moment and without spending a ruble or firing one round from a Kalashnikov he managed to increase his sphere of influence ten-fold in the region, make Obama and Kerry look ridiculous and pull off a diplomatic coup in one fell swoop.

John Kerry was cast as the enabler. He and his staff still maintain the remark was not a gaffe. Then the president  arrogated credit for Putin’s initiative, saying it was the result of his discussions with the Russian  president at the G20 conference last week. This myopic president fails to understand, the international community does not hold him in the high regard the American press and the sycophantic Democrats do.

For the time being there will be no vote in Congress on the use of force. Now we will wait to see what transpires with the international inspection and the inevitable delays that will entail and the concomitant ridicule the US will endure.

One wonders how an international team of weapons inspectors can freely travel a country engaged in a  horrific civil war and find and transport  these dangerous weapons to safe storage facilities and not let them fall into the hands of any one of a host a barbaric factions.  It’s a logistical nightmare.

Let’s hope  Act 3 brings a happy ending. Because this is getting tough to watch.