War Party Targets Putin and Assad

Guest Post by Patrick J. Buchanan

Having established a base on the Syrian coast, Vladimir Putin last week began air strikes on ISIS and other rebel forces seeking to overthrow Bashar Assad.

A longtime ally of Syria, Russia wants to preserve its toehold on the Mediterranean, help Assad repel the threat, and keep the Islamic terrorists out of Damascus.

Russia is also fearful that the fall of Assad would free up the Chechen terrorists in Syria to return to Russia.

In intervening to save Assad, Putin is doing exactly what we are doing to save our imperiled allies in Baghdad and Kabul.

Yet Putin’s intervention has ignited an almost berserk reaction.

John McCain has called for sending the Free Syrian Army surface-to-air missiles to bring down Russian planes. Not only could this lead to a U.S.-Russia clash, but U.S.-backed Syrian rebels have a record of transferring weapons to the al-Qaida affiliate.

The end result of McCain’s initiative, sending Stingers to Syria, could be airliners blown out of the sky across the Middle East.

Hillary Clinton wants the U.S. to create a no-fly zone. And Friday’s Wall Street Journal endorsed the idea:

“Mr. Obama could make Mr. Putin pay a price. … In Syria the U.S. could set up a no-fly zone to create a safe haven for refugees against … Mr. Assad’s barrel bombs. He could say U.S. planes will fly wherever they want, and if one is attacked the U.S. will respond in kind.”

U.S.-Russian dogfights over Syria are just fine with the Journal.

Saturday’s Washington Post seconded the motion, admonishing Obama: “Carve out safe zones. Destroy the helicopter fleet Mr. Assad uses for his war crimes.”

Has the War Party thought this through?

Establishing a no-fly zone over Syria, which means shooting down Syrian fighter-bombers and helicopters, is an act of war. But when did Congress authorize the president to go to war with Syria?

When last Obama requested such authority — in 2013, when chemical weapons were used — the American people arose as one to say no to U.S. intervention. Congress backed away without even voting.

Unprovoked air strikes on Syrian government forces would represent an unauthorized and unconstitutional American war. Does the Party of the Constitution no longer care about the Constitution?

Is a Republican Congress really willing to give Barack Obama a blank check to take us to war with Syria, should he choose to do so?

Is this what America voted for in 2014?

A no-fly zone means U.S. warplanes downing Syrian planes and helicopters and bombing antiaircraft defenses at Syrian airfields.

To Damascus this would mean the Americans have committed to the defeat of their armed forces and downfall of their regime.

The Syrians would fight — and not only the Syrian army. For Russia, Hezbollah and Iran are all allied to the Damascus regime, as all believe they have a vital interest in its survival.

How would Russia, Iran and Hezbollah respond to U.S. air strikes on their ally? Would they pack it in and leave? Is that our experience with these folks?

Today, the U.S. is conducting strikes on ISIS, and the al-Qaida affiliate. But if we begin to attack the Syrian army or air force, we will be in a new war where the entire Shiite Crescent of Iran, Baghdad, Damascus and Hezbollah, backed by Russia, will be on the other side.

We will have taken the Sunni side in the Sunni-Shiite sectarian long war.

How long such a war would last, and how it would end, no one knows.

Whatever one thinks of Putin’s policy in Syria, at least it makes sense. He is supporting an ally, the Assad regime, against its enemies, who seek to overthrow that regime.

It is U.S. policy in Syria that makes no sense.

We train rebels at immense cost to fight Assad, who cannot or will not fight. We attack ISIS, which also seeks to bring down the Assad regime. And we, too, want to bring down Assad.

Who do we think will rise if Assad falls?

Do we have a “government in a box” that we think we can fly to Damascus and put into power if the Syrian army collapses, the regime falls and ISIS approaches the capital?

Have we forgotten the lesson of “Animal Farm”? When the animals revolt and take over the farm, the pigs wind up in charge.

For months, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia has called on Congress to debate and decide before we launch any new war in the Middle East.

One wishes him well. For it is obvious that the same blockheads who told us that if the Taliban and Saddam and Gadhafi fell, liberal democracy would arise and flourish, are now clamoring for another American war in Syria to bring down Assad.

And who says stay out? Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, both of whom also opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

There is something to be said for outsiders.

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Southern Sage
Southern Sage

Let me say it again. The destruction of the Assad regime is the number one foreign policy goal of Israel and that, and only that, is the reason we are involved in this mess. The Neo-Cons should be dragged out of their K Street offices and hanged from the nearest lamp post. Putin knows this, of course, and knows that Obama is a pathetic butt puppet of dark interests, a shuckin’ and jivin’ fool, an organ grinder’s monkey. Confront the Russians in Syria? Oh, great. The Russians play chess and the Iranians are the most devious bastards on the planet. if we pull such a stunt they will hurt us -bad. Remember this just in case the pussy in the White House wants to show he is a man instead of the transvestite loving homo he really is (as I have said before, my brother knew him in Honolulu in the 1980’s: gay as a French Horn, a Red and born in Vancouver).

Anonymous
Anonymous

If this goes really hot it will be interesting to see how well our high tech military actually performs against Russia’s newly high tech military, and China’s also maybe.

Wars solve a lot of problems for politicians and bankers sometimes, which is why it is I think it is more likely to go hot than past confrontations have been.

And by “hot” I mean a real all out win or die traditional war, not some low level conflict that no major power really has to win to survive the way it’s been since WWII.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Sage,

How do you figure it is the goal of Israel?

Israel has more to lose by Assad being defeated and some other Islamic power being installed than it has to lose.

And Israel isn’t stupid, if it was it wouldn’t still exist.

kokoda
kokoda

McCain never turns down the chance of war.

Stucky

I wonder not IF it gets hot, but WHEN.

Let’s say the US Mediterranean Fleet decides to cozy up real close to the Russian ships. Lot’s of hotty opportunity there.

Russian planes have already entered Turkish air space. Turkey issued warnings already … and what if they ask ‘Murika for help? Lot’s of hotty opportunity there.

What if the USA!USA!USA! decides to “test the waters” and sends a fighter, or two, in the same space occupied by Russian planes, and an American plane gets shot down? Lot’s of hotty opportunity there.

What is the evil sheepfucking Sauds sends in ground troops … as they are saber-rattling as well now. Lot’s of hotty opportunity there.

I’m sure I left out several other hotty opportunities. This is a very dangerous next 3-4 months …. instead of a Serbian flashpoint (WWI) maybe it will be a Syrian one (WWIII)?

Six months ago I was told ISIS was about to blow up malls from NJ to CA … we haven’t done jack shit to stop their growth and advance. Russia is. We should be sending them a “Thank You” card. Instead, the neocon warfuck dickfucks like Shitstain McCain are getting hard-ons for a full frontal confrontation with Russia. Fuck the 535!!!

yahsure
yahsure

I think McCain wants to start WW3 before he dies. I use him as an example of why term limits are needed.
I see no articles or complaints about countries having Sovereignty? The U.S. Keeps on telling sovereign countries all over the world, what to do. Perhaps admin. could do an article on this.

Southern Sage
Southern Sage

Anonymous,
I don’t say it. I know it, and so do all serious U.S. intelligence and foreign policy officials, a much reduced group, I must admit. I suggest you look into the backgrounds of Wolfowitz, Feith, Perle, et al, all Israeli Zionist agents and traitors. These scum, together with many others, developed the so-called “Clean Break” plan and foisted current U.S. national security policy (“total dominance”) on the idiots who run our government and military. As I have tried to explain, the goal of Israel is to destabilize the Middle East, leaving it the regional superpower, surrounded by broken Arab mini-states, preferably run by ignorant mullahs and imams. ISIS (and probably most of the Sunni extremist movement) has clearly been a result of Israeli policies and clandestine support. You will notice that for all the feigned concern of Israel, ISIS has not touched a hair on the chinny chin chin of any Jew or Israeli, nor will it (unless the evil bastards in Tel Aviv decide to throw a few mundane Jews under the bus for appearances sake). The Assad regime is secular and nationalist and does not tolerate Muslim extremists, period. You know, the guys who supposedly carried out 9/11? After 9/11 Syria provided the U.S. government with some of the most effective support we had against Al Queda. Their reward was to be betrayed on behalf of our Israeli masters. Syria has even offered – multiple times – an honorable peace with Israel, brokered by the U.S. The Israelis want none of it. Listen, you and all of our readers. The Israelis are not our friends, they are not our allies. They despise us and laugh at us while they bugger us on a daily basis. The ones they laugh at loudest are the so-called Christian Zionists, the Rev Hagee’s and Huckabee’s of the world. The Israelis will be the first to strike a deal with Putin to oust us from the Middle East and Putin just may do it considering how much he has been needlessly provoked. Remember this when the curtain is pulled aside and we see just what Israel has done to us, thanks to our treasonous politicians. Keep a map of your local lamp posts handy, and a length of stout rope.

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