Mark this down: Pres. Obama got 100% of declared chemical weapons out of Syria without firing a shot

[bigtree]

United Nations ?@UN 21m
News: 100% of declared chemical weapons materials destroyed or removed from Syria http://j.mp/1pai7md


23 June 2014 – The Joint Mission welcomes the removal of the remaining 7.2 per cent of chemical weapons material from the Syrian Arab Republic. With this last movement, the total of declared chemical weapons materials destroyed or removed from Syria has reached 100%. The most operationally challenging task within the effort to eliminate the Syrian chemical weapons programme, has come to an end.

In addition to the completion of the removal operation, the Syrian Arab Republic has destroyed all declared production, mixing and filling equipment and munitions, as well as many buildings associated with its declared chemical weapons programme. With the exception of twelve production facilities that are awaiting a decision by the Executive Council of OPCW, all of the declared Syrian chemical weapons programme has been eliminated in an unprecedented timeframe and under uniquely challenging conditions.


read: http://opcw.unmissions.org/AboutOPCWUNJointMission/tabid/54/ctl/Details/mid/651/ItemID/325/Default.aspx

. . . yeah, I severely doubted this would happen.

[JNelson6563]

1. Good job Mr. President!

[Peacetrain]

2. It can be done.. it can..

With the right person it can be done.. that is why letting the republicans and libertarians and tea party. etc.. anywhere near the White House is always always always a DISASTER.. that we have to go back in and clean up again and again and again..

[cynzke]

85. There may be no way.....

to clean up the next GOP DISASTER!

[progressoid]

3. Or, a United Nations Joint Mission did it.

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

[Cha]

60. Yeah, far be it to squeeze out any credit to the President.

[progressoid]

61. Just reading the OP's link.

The Joint Mission recognizes the constructive cooperation and commitment demonstrated by the Syrian government throughout this complex operation. The Joint Mission is also grateful for the significant support and professionalism demonstrated by the maritime partners – People’s Republic of China, Denmark, Norway, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States – who have provided critical resources and support to the operations. Moreover, the Joint Mission extends its appreciation to the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Lebanon for their facilitation and continuous cooperation.

[Cha]

62. yeah, it was a joint effort with many involved including President Obama and SOS Kerry.

[Demeter]

4. Yeah, When Putin double-dared him to

but of course, credit will never be given to the Russians for anything good.

[Fred Sanders]

9. There is enough success here to go around and share, success does not have to be null sum game.

[jeff47]

21. Putin was good cop. Obama was bad cop. Need both sides for that strategy to work. (nt)

[karynnj]

44. I think you got it backwards - Obama and Kerry had proposed it soon after Kerry became SoS - to no

interest on the part of the Russians. ONLY after the US threat of a limited strike and Kerry PUBLICLY (not behind closed doors) saying that that was what it would take to make the US NOT attack that the Russians were interested.

Russia had the leverage to demand it. Syria is their client state and they had no desire to do so. Do you really think it a coincidence that it happened after Kerry spoke of it?

It is not Russia who often gets no credit for anything good here. They get plenty especially since Snowden made his home there. It is rare that Kerry ever gets credit here -- but there is a long line to parse every sentence he says to "prove" he is doing something wrong. It is less rare, but still too rare that Obama gets the credit.

The fact is the entire right blames Kerry and Obama for NOT striking Syria.

[William769]

5. And I wonder how many people shot off their mouth over this episode?

And no I am not going to be the one to count them (because it's to damn many to keep up with).

[bigtree]

10. bless all the people who 'shot their mouths off'

. . . NOTHING happens in government without pressure from the people.

Remember, in this case, Congress responded to the President first to his request for authorization to stage military strikes. President Obama insisted all along that he had the authority to strike Syria without pre-approval from Congress, and, there are more than a handful of Democrats in the congressional and Senate leadership who echoed the administration's insistence in their initial rush to war with Syria that they wouldn't wait indefinitely before launching their military response.

Thousands of Americans spoke out and called their legislators (and the White House) and urged them against military action.

Kudos to the president for following the will of the people that the U.S. refrain from military action in Syria and rely on international and diplomatic solutions; not unilateral military measures like the president originally pushed for.

[William769]

13. Point taken.

I should have worded it better.

[Bluenorthwest]

18. How would you word a comment like that better?

Seriously, what would improve it?

[William769]

20. Asking since President Obama did do the right thing

That the naysayers at least acknowledge it instead of going silent waiting for the next moment to pounce? Better?

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Or Putin did

Last edited Mon Jun 23, 2014, 12:43 PM - Edit history (1)

Hard to tell: did Obama have a strategy or win the lottery?

[Fred Sanders]

8. What do you mean? You think Obama does not deserve major credit?

[bigtree]

15. I think his argument would be that this is how you do it

. . . 'soft power', 'big stick', gunboat diplomacy lite.

Who knows what the President would have done, though, if Putin hadn't stepped in . . . or if Congress had acceded to his initial request for authority to strike?

[Flaxbee]

17. Putin also deserves a lot of credit - Russia and Syria are long time

good friends; Russia didn't want its naval base in Tartus involved in any sort of US-initiated military skirmish (can you imagine the hell that would have been unleashed if something had happened there?), and Putin was able to put enormous pressure on Assad to cooperate.

I think Assad would have continued to give the US the finger if Putin hadn't stepped in... and we all know that the Republicans (McCain et al) can't NOT charge a waving flag...they are completely incapable of thought or restraint, they're all knee-jerk (emphasis on jerk) reactionaries.

Now, I do give Obama MAJOR props for working with Russia and not acceding to the crazies' demands here in the US for military action. Major backbone, there.

[jeff47]

22. Both did. Putin was good cop. Obama was bad cop. (nt)

[Fred Sanders]

7. An amazing success for the Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2009, but to hear the media he has done

nothing...I detest the American media for the full scale propaganda war they have launched.

[bonniebgood]

11. If this is true, why is Isreal conducting air strikes in Syria? nt

[former9thward]

54. Maybe because Syria is killing Israeli 13 year-olds with missiles.

That could be the reason...

[Hekate]

12. TY, bigtree -- that is good news indeed

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. PART of this is anti-WMD scare is RACIST.....

The message is that "those people" shouldn't have it because they aren't "civilized" like white people.

This appeals to this type:

[Beartracks]

16. The bearded guy looks so serene.

This pic cracks me up.

=================

[groundloop]

19. You got something against a little good clean fun?

[Iliyah]

23. LOL

[NCTraveler]

30. By "that type"

I guess you mean a group of people who like to get together and have fun on the weekends. Their smiles hurt me.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

37. You obviously missed the Confederate Flag....

It BELONGS in the mud.

[NCTraveler]

73. Ohhhh. That one flag defines all of the people there.

I see how that works. Same tactic has been used against leftist protests forever.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

75. I refuse to get all kumbaya after they refused to apologize for calling us TRAITORS.

[SidDithers]

33. Santa Claus really can fly...nt

Sid

[JI7]

39. the problem was Assad using it on his people including Children

[Spitfire of ATJ]

40. That's an excuse. The REAL reason is the belief that other races want to wipe out White People.

[JI7]

42. so OBama is scared others want to wipe out white people ?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

48. He's doing his best to assure White People that he's on their side.

[JI7]

53. so why doesn't he do anything about india, pakistan, north korea, china ?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

55. He would if the propaganda targeted them.

[Cali_Democrat]

43. So Obama had racist motivations when he tried to rid Syria of WMD?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. That's almost as good of a twisting as the Neocons did on the WMD intelligence.

[Cali_Democrat]

51. So what exactly was racist when it comes to the Syria WMD situation?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

57. "Arabs" aren't supposed to have anything more dangerous than a big curved sword....

Don't you know that?

[Schema Thing]

58. I know they aren't supposed to have chemical weapons.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

63. Unless they say, "Made In The USA".

[Scurrilous]

24. K & R

[Zorra]

25. YAY!!! Thank you, President Obama! nt

[mwrguy]

26. Obama should get another Nobel Peace Prize

[lark]

27. Excellent news

Wonder why this isn't at the top of the msm news? I listened for a few min. yesterday and this am and didn't hear a thing about it.

Never mind, silly me. Of course this wouldn't be important to them, no profit to be made for the 1% so nothing to say on the news front.

[MisterP]

28. quite right: it's an-Nusra & co. who've been doing all the shooting with US-provided arms and $

[MaggieD]

29. And my hat is off to him for that!

I think he has done an excellent job in the area of FP. I truly don't understand what the GOPers are whining about in this regard.

[SidDithers]

31. This is good, but the perpetual outrage machine has now shifted the focus to Egypt...nt

Sid

[bigtree]

35. *questioning and skepticism of government is healthy and vital to an accountable democracy

. . . but there is a new, undefined doctrine of restraint, and a impetus from the administration to robust diplomacy which has characterized this second term. I think that balancing act by the President, at least, deserves notice.

*edited

[LordGlenconner]

36. Oh there's at least one regular whiner

On this thread moving the goalposts around some. Typical from that lot.

[tridim]

32. Yea, but what's in it for Halliburton?

Syria is a 100% failure for the Neocons trying to further enrich the MIC.

Deal with it, warmongers.

[Lil Missy]

34. Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi!!!!!

[hrmjustin]

38. K&R!

[mcar]

41. Well done Mr. President

[Vattel]

45. Thank God Obama didn't get what he wanted, which was to bomb Syria.

The Joint Chiefs, Congress, the American people, some ambiguous intelligence reports, and Putin deserve more praise than Obama for the "not firing a shot" part.

[Maedhros]

46. Makes all those posters who were beating the drums for military strikes in Syria

look absolutely foolish.

[JoePhilly]

52. Along with those who were positive Obama was going to start an endless Iraq like war in Syria.

They were absolutely positive that our lame, puppet of a President, would invade Syria.

They were very, very, upset about it.

[Skittles]

66. they don't just LOOK foolish

they've PROVEN themselves to be foolish

[Alex P Notkeaton]

49. Eat it, Republicretins!

[Jesus Malverde]

50. In this thread we suspend reality

Syria has been under attack by the united states, britain and others for over three years...

[RainDog]

56. k&r n/t

[riseabove]

59. Congrats Mr. President!! Job well done... let the Republicants think about that one for a minute...

You can actually get shit done WITHOUT KILLING PEOPLE?!?!?

Woah, you don't say?

[freshwest]

76. No kidding! Welcome to DU, riseabove.

[Boom Sound 416]

64. Declared?

[Skittles]

67. that's the way to make it ALL!!!

see how that is done?

[Boom Sound 416]

70. Deleting my above response

Nooowww I getcha

[Cha]

65. "Nobody Thought Syria Would Give Up Its Chemical Weapons. It Just Did."

snip//

"The Obama administration was also cautious to make sure that their praise for the removal process’ completion didn’t read as praise for the Syrian government. “The world will never forget the loss of the more than 1,400 innocent Syrians senselessly killed with chemical weapons on August 21, 2013,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement. “The worst of the weapons are gone, but the despicable regime and the crisis it has created remain and require our collective focus.”

thinkprogress

[grahamhgreen]

68. Kudos. When he follows the progressives plan, it works out!!!

[karynnj]

83. This was NOT the progressive plan

You could say that progressives went all out to fight Obama on air strikes - they did that. However, there was NO progressive plan to get rid of chemical weapons. Obama had spoken to Putin and Kerry to Lavrov earlier in the year, but Russia had no interest.

Even when Kerry suggested it as an obvious alternative, most here called it a gaffe - which it wasn't. The far left was so angry at Kerry and Obama, that rather than give them any share of the credit, praised only Putin.

Saying no air strikes does not lead to a careful negotiation and plan to get the CW out. Credit should go to Obama, Kerry, Putin, Lavrov, the Un , the group that actually did the removals and even Syria.

[grahamhgreen]

84. Not true. We always seek peaceful alternatives:

“I believe that the American people share the president’s concerns about chemical weapons in Syria and the brutal Assad dictatorship. But, in overwhelming numbers, Vermonters are telling me they want those issues addressed diplomatically by the UN and the international community – not by unilateral military action on the part of the U.S."

- Senator Sanders

[SummerSnow]

71. Great news...but isn't this a distraction from Bergdahl and Benghazi?

[Iliyah]

72. Don't forget the IRS!

K&R Mr. President.

[freshwest]

77. Don't worry! They'll refuse to report this and get back to their regularly scheduled programming!

[tclambert]

74. How can Halliburton make any money on that? What a disaster!

[SunSeeker]

78. K&R

[JDPriestly]

79. Obama's strength is foreign policy. He gets it right.

[navarth]

80. I am very happy to congratulate the President

when he does something right. I think anybody here would.

I reserve the right to complain about him if I wish, but it's always good to see him doing something I like.

[awoke_in_2003]

81. his best foreign policy achievement

K&r

[Arkana]

82. Despite the doubts of many people here, the President snatched victory from the jaws

of defeat on this one.

I'm surprised myself, but very pleased.

[madokie]

86. Smartest President in our times by far

I love that by voting I was part of getting this man in the White House. Hell Yeah I say