Iraq invasion casts

a long, dark shadow

Secretary of State John Kerry is caught in a bind over Ukraine.

With the world on tenterhooks as the old cold war foes face down over Ukraine, the US is caught in a bind.
Almost the entire planet knows this country invaded Iraq almost 14 years ago on false pretenses.
This week we were treated to the international spectacle of no less than Secretary of State John Kerry accusing Russia of doing the same in Ukraine.
What is a poor superpower to do when it no longer has any moral authority?

DECLINE OF AMERICAN INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD SPEEDS UP
The signs are everywhere that America’s foreign policy is in disarray. Allies are anxious; enemies are gleeful.
They all point to a surprising acceleration in the decline of U.S. influence everywhere, most particularly in the volatile Middle East.
Germany, France, Brazil and Mexico are disgusted with over-reach by American spy agencies. Israel and Saudi Arabia disagree on vital issues of Iran, Syria and Egypt.
Russia is harboring U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden, while China is threatening a de-Americanization of the world financial system.
Do we need any more evidence that American foreign policy is a shambles? That U.S. influence is on the decline – and dropping like a stone?
It is not too late. It should be made a top priority.

COMPLEXITY DEFIES ATTEMPTS TO START PEACE PROCESS
As the violence in Syria continues to spiral out of control, attempts to begin a process to end it are stumbling.
But the complexity cannot be an excuse to not try.
After the disastrous and costly nation-building misadventures of the Bush/Cheney years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US electorate is weary of war.
But sitting on the sidelines while the Middle East implodes is not an option. The US is the only country with the resources and means to play a leading role in solving this seemingly intractable problem.
Unequivocally, it must do so.

SYRIAN LEADER MUST PAY A PRICE FOR GASSING HIS OWN PEOPLE
A central point seems to have been overlooked by almost everyone.
If Syria agrees to Putin’s plan to surrender its chemical weapons, and that’s the end of it, Bashar al-Assad will go unpunished for gassing his own people.
This is unconscionable.
The two crucial questions that desperately need answers are these: WHEN will negotiations be abandoned as a delaying tactic, and HOW will Assad be punished for what he has already done?
It is time for clear and precise answers to these vital questions. Everything else depends on them.

Due to my need for Atonement and travel time, posting will be limited for the next few days.

CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL NOT REQUIRED FOR PRESIDENT TO STRIKE
The evidence mounted on Sunday that despite a delay as he awaits a vote in Congress, President Obama will strike back at Syria for its use of chemical weapons.
There is no doubt about which way the wind is blowing from the White House.
President Obama has never seemed so decisive, determined and forceful as he did in his address on Saturday. And he is, alas, correct.
The events in Syria cannot be allowed to stand with no response from those who have the capability to do so. The U.S. does. It must.
Even if it does so alone.