Syria conflict: Obama rules out ground troops for Syria

[nitpicker]

Source: BBC

Syria conflict: Obama rules out ground troops for Syria

34 minutes ago

From the section Middle East



President Barack Obama has ruled out deploying US ground troops in Syria and says military efforts alone cannot solve the country's problems. "It would be a mistake for the United States, or Great Britain... to send in ground troops and overthrow the [Bashar al-] Assad regime," he told the BBC.

He also said he did not think so-called Islamic State would be defeated in his last nine months of office. But he said: "We can slowly shrink the environment in which they operate."

Mr Obama, who has been on a three-day visit to the UK, also warned that Britain could take up to 10 years to negotiate trade deals with the US if it votes to leave the EU in a June referendum.
(snip)

Mr Obama told the BBC that Syria was a "heart-breaking situation of enormous complexity".

"I don't think there are any simple solutions," he said. "In order for us to solve the long-term problems in Syria, a military solution alone - and certainly us deploying ground troops - is not going to bring that about."
(snip)


Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36121135

[McKim]

1. A Bright Spot for Today

This is my political bright spot for today. After Hillary Clinton and the head of Google conspired to destabilize Syria it has been an utter disaster. The country is almost destroyed and her people are refugees in crisis. Obama at least is saying no to something evil today.
I shudder to think what Mrs. Clinton will do if elected. I read somewhere on DU that Dick Cheney liked her foreign policy. Look out!
I am writing Obama today to thank him for this.

[karynnj]

2. The facts are bad enough, why not keep to them

Stating that "I read somewhere on DU ...." is not an addition to discussion, it is a smear on Hillary on an issue where she is legitimately vulnerable in the primaries.

Why not quote - say the J. J. Goldberg article where she speaks of wanting to be more aggressive in 2011/2012? That is fair and it leads to a difference between Obama and HRC and to a larger difference between Sanders and Clinton. It is possible that Obama and Sanders are closer here than HRC and Obama.

Going with the Cheney nonsense actually HURTS people trying to make the argument in favor of Sanders' positions.

[JayhawkSD]

3. He ruled out ground troops against the Islamic State, too.

Promised "no boots on the ground" when he announced the beginning of the air war against ISIS.

We now have more than 4000 troops on the ground in the war against ISIS.

I'm not saying whether this is right or wrong, whether we should have ground troops or not, and I'm not suggesting that he deliberately lied. I have an opinion, but am not making it here. Sometimes forces conspire to change what one does. I'm just saying not to count on any promise made by any president.

[newthinking]

4. We already have special forces there. But good we are not escalating