Clinton Wants Obama To Confront Putin In Syria

[Purveyor]

By Josh Rogin, Bloomberg News
Posted Oct. 18, 2015, at 10:07 a.m.

Hillary Clinton took a big step away from President Obama’s foreign policy at Tuesday night’s debate, challenging him to resist Russia’s intervention in the Syrian war. She also recast her call for a Syrian no-fly zone, saying it is needed to fight President Vladimir Putin’s aggression.

“We have to stand up to his bullying, and specifically in Syria, it is important,” Clinton said. “I think it’s important too that the United States make it very clear to Putin that it’s not acceptable for him to be in Syria creating more chaos, bombing people on behalf of Assad, and we can’t do that if we don’t take more of a leadership position, which is what I’m advocating.”

As of last week, Clinton had been open to the idea of working with Russia. On Oct. 6, Clinton discussed her support for a no-fly zone, saying “the Russians would have to be part of it, or it wouldn’t work.” On Tuesday, after Putin’s aggression, she said a no-fly zone would make sense “because I’m trying to figure out what leverage we have to get Russia to the table.”

Three administration officials told me that since the Russian bombing began, the Islamic State has expanded its territory in and around Syria’s biggest city, Aleppo, taking about eight villages from other opposition groups. “We have seen ISIL make progress based on Russian airstrikes,” Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters in a video briefing from Baghdad Monday. One senior administration official said Tuesday that Russian strikes against the Islamic State are scarce, and that the Syrian government is not striking Islamic State targets.

The Obama administration has not yet responded to Russia’s attacks on U.S.-supported rebels. Over the weekend, the U.S. dropped 50 tons of ammunition to groups fighting the Islamic State in northeastern Syria, but none to the groups that are being inundated by Syrian government forces and Russian air power near the cities of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama. But there is some evidence in recent days American allies have been increasing arms shipments to the rebels targeted by Russia.

more...

https://bangordailynews.com/2015/10/18/opinion/contributors/clinton-wants-obama-to-confront-putin-in-syria/

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Rattle that saber! nt

[AtomicKitten]

13. +1

[99th_Monkey]

2. Her No-fly Zone would doubtless do the trick

for a huge up-tick in MIC stock, e.g. her major donors

[TheFarS1de]

3. Wonderful ...

More wars , just what the world needs right now . Let the Russians have this mess .

[moondust]

4. Okay then...

we'll just declare a no-fly zone and start shooting down those Russian warplanes which, incidentally, are there with the approval of the officially recognized government of Syria. What could possibly go wrong?

[AtomicKitten]

5. Hillarambo.

[Scootaloo]

6. Well, she DID endorse McCain's foreign policy over Obama's in '08

Guess she hasn't evolved on that one.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Wow,when will this Lady ever learn.

Kissing the Neo-Con ring ain't going to do it Hilllary. Your Neo-Con Bud's at State are still trying to do a failed Geo-Political Policy. Wake the Hell up. Enough of this Constant War Crap. Let Putin get his ass mired in a no win situation.

[TheKentuckian]

8. Here is someone who belongs as far from Commander in Chief as can be arranged.

The "experience" isn't helping the judgment even a teensy tiny bit we know you can't fix stupid and thankfully we don't have that problem but wrong-headed and naturally belligerent and imperious don't fix much easier.

Clinton does not have even the baseline temperament or natural restraint to be trusted with the keys to the empire and it shows over and over and over again particularly when in this area she can see John McShame and David Betrayus from her ideological house.

Then at home the person who still supports the so called Patriot Act and the stupid and failed drug war while snarling about whistle blowers will be nominating the AG, judges, and powerful administrators.

BRILLIANT!

[restorefreedom]

9. i am sure if she just tells putin

to cut it out, he will listen.

[silenttigersong]

10. Dear Mrs.Clinton

Please encourage your son to join the military,instead of managing hedge funds.Right now you are sounding like a Chickenhawk.

[stevenleser]

14. She doesn't have a son. nt

[jfern]

19. silenttigersong clearly meant son in-law

[MADem]

20. She doesn't have a son. She has a daughter.

Her daughter is a new mother--not the best time for her to join the services.

You do realize we're in the midst of a HUGE drawdown? Uniformed personnel are leaving service at a swift clip.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Brilliant! Let's get into another we can lose. And, build more monuments to the cannon fodder.

[Purveyor]

12. Lucrative 'gig' if you can get in on it... eom

[stevenleser]

15. I disagree with both Obama and Hillary's positions on Syria. I think Obama in particular has missed

an opportunity.

If Putin wants this one so much, I think we should let Putin own it. Let him own a messy civil war (which he doesn't seem to be able to help the Syrians win battles in so far) and let him own the fight against ISIS.

[betterdemsonly]

16. Like other neocons Hillary prefers an Isis state over Assad!

So it is no surprise.

[jfern]

18. This primary feels like the general election

If George W Bush was trying to do this, most people on this site would be outraged.

[jfern]

17. No more warmongering!

Confronting Putin is an idea only idiotic warmongers support. Is she really advocating shooting down Russian planes? That's Dr. Stangelove level of craziness.

Really, we are not needed there. Our $2 trillion Iraq war has destroyed our credibility in the area.

Aside from possibly helping the Kurds a little, we shouldn't be doing a damn thing in Syria. I mean why would we want to take sides in a 3-way war between Putin, Al Qaeda, and ISIS?