The Senate Foreign Relations Committee did pass a resolution (see full text here) authorizing Obama to take military action against Syria. It’s still not clear what the full Senate and House will do — most members are still undecided.
Tom Udall (our senior Senator) tried to add an amendment prohibiting air and naval forces from being put into Syrian waters or air space, but the committee rejected it. The use of ground forces in combat operations is still forbidden, but Senator McCain’s amendment to help the rebels passed. So now one of the goals of any action is to speed a “negotiated removal” of Assad. Obama had said that was not an objective — he wanted the attack to simply be punishment for using the chemical weapons against civilians.
Anyway, I am pleased that my favorite Senator (Tom Udall) voted against the resolution. We’ll just have to see what happens.
What can I say? I think that what is happening in the G20 meeting right now says it all.
Yep, it’s hopeless.
here we go again.
That says it all.
Yes. 🙁
Jean, just come away from an update on the summit. Sick and tired of it all. How certain people can live with themselves I do NOT know. As I said to you the other day: I wish we’d all take care of our own mess first before digging up others’.
Am beginning to despair with the human race. I am so so disenchanted. You know what, Jean, Stanford and all, so please don’t laugh: I was told – and still believe it – that history being taught at school/uni so we’d actually learn something from the past. It’s all so disappointing. Feeling quite down this minute.
U
Yes, there will always be disasters, wars & mismanaged politics. That’s just the way it is & has always been.
I’ve read a lot of history. That’s no doubt why I’m a pessimist. Humans are just part of nature, and I don’t like nature very much. I recently watched Planet Earth. There were some very sad stories there too.
The problem is different people have learned different lessons from history. With any luck that will be the subject of tomorrow’s post.
Addendum, before I forget: You know what high hopes we all had of Obama when he was first elected? I wonder what, these days, he tells his daughters when he gets home at night. And would he send his son, if he had one, in the cause of ‘justice’ as perceived by him? You don’t have to answer that question.
Sorry for my rather emotional outpouring. It’s difficult to discuss this with Americans. Sensitive. Sins of the fathers and all that. Though am pretty certain that most people outside the USA do have the good sense to make a distinction between the government and the actual people of your continent.
U
I hope people in other countries realize the majority of Americans don’t want to start attacking. I wonder if the Nobel Peace Prize committee would consider taking Obama’s prize back.
You’ll be pleased to know that the majority of Americans want to send Congress to Syria: http://www.theonion.com/articles/poll-majority-of-americans-approve-of-sending-cong,33752/
LOL 😀
I’m with the onion
We all are! Except I do like Tom Udall.