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For Obama, Syria Reveals Risks of ‘Deals With Dictators' - Did Obama screw up Assad deal?

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For Obama, Syria Reveals Risks of ‘Deals With Dictators'

NY Times, By PETER BAKER 1:27 PM ET

  • After Syria gassed its own people in 2013, President Barack Obama avoided a military strike in favor of an agreement with President Bashar al-Assad to surrender all of his chemical weapons.
  • But last week’s deadly chemical attack has some former Obama advisers questioning the decision to negotiate with Mr. Assad.

Even before last week’s chemical attack, many veterans of Mr. Obama’s team considered his handling of Syria his biggest failing and expressed regret that their administration did not stop a war that has left more than 400,000 dead and millions displaced.

Many of them even praised President Trump for taking the very action that Mr. Obama refused to take four years ago, by ordering a cruise missile strike against Syria. “Donald Trump has done the right thing on Syria,” Anne-Marie Slaughter, the director of policy planning in Mr. Obama’s State Department, wrote on Twitter. “Finally!! After years of useless handwringing in the face of hideous atrocities.”


https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/09/us/politics/obama-syria-chemical-weapons.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=For+Obama,+Syria+Chemical+Attack+Shows+Risk+of+%E2%80%98Deals+With+Dictators%E2%80%99&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us



  1. Live Poll

    For Obama, Syria Reveals Risks of ‘Deals With Dictators' - Did Obama screw up Assad deal?

    5 votes
    1. Yes
      100.00%
    2. No
        0.00%
WhyTrump - a good question



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  • WhyTrumpWhyTrump 234 Pts   -  
    I don't support Trump's actions in Syria, but it looks like Obama's diplomatic approach with Assad backfired big time.  That's always the danger of negotiating with terrorists.  
    WhyTrump - a good question
  • islander507islander507 194 Pts   -  
    That was a strategic mistake by Obama.  It demonstrates unwillingness to take real action
  • osietiperosietiper 7 Pts   -  
    He did, and not only that he negotiated many other terrible deals. I used to be an independent, so, for this election I was really on neither candidates side, but I am now a leaning republican after everything that the Obama Era had done to this great nation of ours. I voted for Trump, because I believed he would reverse what Obama is doing. Although, he changed his stance on getting involved with the Middle Wast and Syria. Although, Trump mentioned that he changes as the world does, he bashed on Obama on this a while ago and now stands in the same position for this as Obama did. I do understand his point, but maybe, he made the wrong call on this one. I'm still a Trump supporter, but he needs to get his act together and his political positions.
  • WhyTrumpWhyTrump 234 Pts   -  
    @osietiper, You are making good points. I think though Trump's and Obama positions are a bit different on Middle East.  Obama tried to sign a deal with Assad that he will not use Chemical weapons while US stays away from Syria.  That deal apparently blew up, and Trump although originally was telling us he will stay away from Syria, is now striking there.  
    Obama unfortunately learned a lesson from his mistake - don't put your reputation on the line by dealing with terrorists.

    WhyTrump - a good question
  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -  
    I think Obama made a popular mistake among people who grew up in modern democratic societies and never had any real dealings with other models of societal organization. He thought, "If we play nice with these dictators, then the dictators will appreciate our good will and listen to our requests". In reality, it works quite differently: "If we play nice with dictators, the dictators will see it as a weakness and unwillingness to defend our ideals, and use the momentum to gain more foothold for their vicious regimes". When Assad realized he could do pretty much whatever he wanted and the US would, at most, send some infiltration groups, then he stopped even pretending to care about human rights and went full on against the rebels - and at that point, it was too late for Obama's administration to act harshly.

    Trump is not much better in terms of handling the Syrian problem. He plays a strongman, but he is also an opportunist who has no real convictions and is easily manipulated by illusory gifts. Assad needs merely to make a few friendly remarks, and Trump already feels appreciated and does not have much antipathy for the totalitarian regime.

    Reagan would deal with the problem easily. Modern presidents, unfortunately, are either too naive, or too incompetent to resolve the issue.
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