vladimir

The recent appearance of Russian President Vladimir Putin descending from the heavens to resolve the chemical weapons issue in Syria reminded me of a quote from the classic film, Goodfellas:

If you’re part of a crew, nobody ever tells you that they’re going to kill you, doesn’t happen that way. There weren’t any arguments or curses like in the movies. See, your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who’ve cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you’re at your weakest and most in need of their help.

 

No one can blame those who oppose the horror of war for wanting badly to find a peaceful but effective U.S. response to Syria’s use of chemical weapons on its own people.

Especially not Putin. He has made his career on ruthlessly exploiting the hatreds and fears of the many to benefit himself and the few. So it was a bit disorienting for many to see this enemy of peace and freedom, stepping up to propose a peaceful and sensible approach to resolving this issue with Syria.

It is absolutely reasonable to have seen this as a necessity for Putin, in order to protect his key ally Assad from having his military mortally wounded by U.S. strikes, perhaps to the point of losing the civil war. However, as the generalities of this “miracle” proposal that was made just at the right time and just when it was so desired and needed, transform into specifics, the proposal looks to be nothing more than a sham intended to thwart a U.S. military response to Assad’s use of chemical weapons.

But even though that now seems more likely to have been the intent by Putin, it may succeed despite him.

Putin has announced that he will block any attempt by the U.N. to actually enforce such a deal or recognize the crime behind the need for a deal. He stands squarely against there being any military action against Syria if they renege and don’t get rid of their chemical weapons, he opposes any affirmation that Syria committed the chemical attack and he won’t agree to having those who have committed this atrocity tried in the International Criminal Court.

So this “deal” that Russia is presenting appears to be nothing of the kind. It instead appears to be a facade of a deal to deter a U.S. attack on Syria. Russia is in fact proposing nothing that is substantive or enforceable and is fighting for Syria to be protected against all legal and military actions while they are free to commit war crimes and retain chemical weapons.

It is a deal, a great deal for the criminal Syria regime and Russia but that’s all.

Putin has apparently calculated, like the Goodfella-type gangster that he is, that swooping in at the last minute before a potential and undesired-by-all-sides military attack and making an offer that couldn’t be refused, even though he has no intention to make good on it, would be irresistible to those “suckers” who don’t want greater bloodshed.

In this way, Putin touches many bases. He and Russia win the Megabucks of PR coups, military action against Syria is blocked and Putin gets to stick his thumb hard into America’s eye.

Is this just cynicism? Is Putin just using his unreasonable conditions as a starting point for negotiations? It is possible but perspective is everything, when looking at Putin’s track record, one would be highly challenged to see any decision every made by him that displayed any genuine intent to pursue peace in a conflict in which he has a stake. This alleged proposal is inconsistent with Putin’s long and sordid track record.

This is the guy who assassinates and imprisons those, no matter how powerless, who he sees as opposing him (see: Pussy Riot). He poisons his critics in foreign countries with radioactive material, this is not exactly the background of a modern day Gandhi who will bring a peaceful solution on Syria.

The end game here now seems to be, signal a peaceful and responsible solution to Syria’s use of chemical weapons with one hand while with the other hand, tying up the U.S. and U.N. so they are unable to act against Syria.

This is a big game of geopolitical Risk with many devious calculations by Putin. It may be that he believes that while he goes around in pointless circles with the U.N. insisting on Russia’s sincerity to broker a peaceful response to Syria’s chemical weapons attack but making sure his demands prevent it from occurring, the U.S. could get fed up and attack Syria and then be seen as rejecting the world’s ongoing pursuit of a peaceful resolution and acting as an impatient warmonger. So proposing yet blocking an agreement is a win-win for Russia to stop or demonize a U.S. attack on Syria and make Russia look good on the world stage while destroying America’s image.

There is one flaw to Putin’s plan though, by pulling together the nations of the U.N. over an impending solution to Syria’s war crime, by bringing Syria around to finally confessing their possession of chemical weapons, by allowing the U.N. time to establish the use of chemical weapons and Syria’s guilt in numerous massacres, the momentum to address the war crimes of Syria can take on a momentum of its own that can go beyond Russia’s ability to control.

This may turn out to be a case of delayed but not denied justice for Assad and his regime. The world and the U.S. are war weary and don’t relish the prospects of intensifying the war raging in Syria, let alone the possibility of war spreading in the already-unstable region. However, by holding out the carrot of peaceful resolution then repeatedly yanking it away, Russia could in fact whip up enough resentment and frustration around the world that the reticence to act against Assad becomes outweighed by the intensity of emotion to finally act.

To thwart part of Putin’s plan to weaken and disgrace the U.S., it may mean that the U.S. may have to wait for this twisted game to play out a bit, until its agenda becomes clear to the rest of the world and they too are ready to take action. It would be playing right into Putin’s hand and his scheme to rally opposition to the U.S. (and perhaps Israel) as a warmonger if the U.S. made a military strike on Syria unilaterally. So as difficult as it is to do so, waiting may be the key to success for the U.S..

Perhaps this assessment of Putin and the situation is misguided, perhaps Russia will eventually relent and agree to some kind of meaningful mechanism to forcing Syria to disarm itself of chemical weapons but if that rosier picture doesn’t come to fruition, the U.S. and President Obama need to be prepared to turn Putin’s cynical game against him and Syria and gain international support before taking action against Syria.

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SueInCa
Member

Adlib

I cannot see the US agreeing to an agreement with no teeth. Obama is smarter than everyone trying to out smart him right now. The only problem he has is relaying that brilliance to the people and that may be the humble man in him. If the UN does agree to this arrangement by Putin, the US should condemn the UN as well. What the hell are they there for if not to try to stop these kinds of situations. I am beginning to lose faith in them as well. There have been way too many of these incidences left unchecked for me to believe they are anything but a group of empty suits.

The UN was founded precisely because of the horrors of Hitler’s Germany and there was a vow of “never again” but the UN seems to have lost the meaning of their charter.

agrippa
Member
agrippa

My interest is in enforcing international law. The use of chemical weapons is illegal. Unfortunately, there is no enforcement mechanism.
This results in the US using ‘coercive diplomacy’. It may work.

The idea that there is such a thing as international law is idealistic. The normal operating pattern is ‘the strong do what they will; the weak suffer what they must’.

Ba’athism’ ( Michel Aflaq and Salah al din Bitar were the main founders) was born in violence and will die in violence; and, it has failed. It has not created an ‘Arab Nation’ based upon socialism.
The enemies of Ba’athism fighting is Syria are no better.

Kalima
Admin

Excellent AdLib. The first thing I said here when I heard of this proposal was that I trust neither Assad nor Putin to follow through on this promise. Assad is a mass murderer, Putin still has the soul of his KGB roots and has used them ruthlessly over the years he was in power, and the years he was not. He is doing this to gain infamy on the international stage, he wants to be a rock star, the new Czar of Russia, and the only thing that drives him is self interest. Look at what he owns, the yachts, the palaces he is building, he is no different from the other despots and dictators who steal from their people. As you mention he has been behind many assassinations of those who speak against him and uses the Russian mafia to do his dirty work. How anyone could trust this liar is beyond me. How he is allowed to wield so much power in an organisation made up of so many other nations is an abomination. If the UN gives in to his demands they should be condemned. The time when Russia could hold the world hostage to their threats and blackmail are long over, trying to revive the “Cold War” era between Washington and Moskau is passé.

The man is evil, his interests are not in the best interests of the rest of the world and we should find a way to make him keep his promise to the world or pursue other options put forward by other countries. Russia and China should be removed from the UN SC.

Here are Putin’s main interests in Syria in the link below. Note the mention of military bases, he already parks his ships in a port there. Putin’s interests are not humanitarian or wanting to solve this situation, look at how he treats those that oppose him. His only motivation is control and his ego, and the international community can’t allow that, we cannot give in to his ridiculous demands and bullying then hold our heads up high.

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The Great gas Game over Syria

http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/TheGreatGasGameoverSyria_gdietl_090913

Two recent articles from MB.

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What the world overlooked in Syria

Major events taking place across Syria have been overshadowed by the chemical attack saga.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/20139913505461586.html

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR: A Syrian’s Cry for Help

A half-hearted intervention will not stop Assad’s barbarism.

http://nyti.ms/17SiItx

KillgoreTrout
Member

You make some good points Ad. Putin may be buying time for Assad to just move his chemical weapons to another, undisclosed location, so if we do strike, we would be striking empty targets.

I have to believe though that Syria is being very closely watched, by the CIA and most likely military satellites to try to detect such moves.

I don’t see the president waiting very long to make his decision. I do think that congress should make their votes without delay. If they give the OK, the president may strike at his discretion. If he already has the go ahead, then we will not have to delay a strike longer than needed. A very touchy situation, indeed.

agrippa
Member
agrippa

I agree.
And, there will be no serious consequences for the USA.

Nirek
Member

KT, I bet we know exactly where everything is in Syria. Satellites see all. Infra red, heat, and just regular cameras, you know?

agrippa
Member
agrippa

The ban on Chemical weapons is a self denying ordnance. It is, essentially, unenforceable. But, Syria may comply.
We will have to wait and see how it works out.