Russia Romances Syria

The Russian bear is nosing around the garbage dump again. It is making nice to Syria at a time when the Obama Administration is trying to make them stop beating up/killing/maiming  their people.  Once again we are playing with one hand tied behind our backs and Putin is going back to his old KGB playbook and is dancing around us! Will we ever learn that you cannot play with rules when the other team ignores them!

We somehow feel that if we are nice to people, they will like us. Our entire foreign  and emergency aid budgets are based on that assumption. Has it worked? We don't think so.

So why is Putin doing nice things for Syria, because he wants influence in the Middle East. Giving supplies and equipment gives clout when the bear does it and not when we do. Why?  The reason, Russia gives it sparingly and  everything has strings. We give and expect a positive reaction.

Will it work?  Time will tell, however, there is one thing that is known, our way of doing things does not work. Maybe, it is time we look at the way we hand out the "goodies."

What do you think?

Conservative Tom

Russia Resets Relations with Syria

Michael Rubin - Commentary Magazine,  January 12th, 2012

Well, the Obama administration may still believe its reset policy has a chance with Russia. Indeed, during his swearing-in as the new U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul reiterated that the reset is not over. (Alas, as with Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, who stood down Syria during Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution, only to be ordered to fete Damascus by Secretary Clinton, it seems the Obama administration specializes in nominating great people and then giving them horrendous instructions).

While Washington grovels, Vladimir Putin, however, seems to have another reset in mind: with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A Russian cargo ship laden with arms has reportedly just docked in Syria in order to resupply Assad’s troops as they try to restore control after a popular uprising. The resupply effort comes after this weekend’s port call by a Russian aircraft carrier in Syria.

Putin’s embrace of Assad suggests the absurdity of trying to corral Russia into any international coalition against Iran and its nuclear program. Putin sees foreign relations as a zero-sum game with absolutely no room for morality. He is the Russian Stephen Walt, only with dictatorial power. Obama’s over-reliance on the United Nations Security Council under these circumstances is strategic malpractice of the worst kind. The only reset the State Department needs is to dispense with the assumption diplomacy will work with insincere partners.