Putin Checkmates Obama

Putin Checkmates Obama

by Stephen Lendman

John Pilger once called Washington’s Afghanistan war “the grand illusion of the American cause,” a failed aggression no matter how long fighting continues.

The same applies to Syria, notably after Russia’s intervention, routing ISIS and other US-supported terrorists, destroying their weapons, munitions and facilities, forcing thousands to flee for safety after just ten days of strategic bombing. What a difference a few days made.

US policymakers have no effective way to challenge Russia’s determination to crush terrorism in Syria, perhaps extend its campaign to Iraq if Baghdad requests help.

The New York Times called Obama’s “strategic patience and persistence” policy an utter failure, “paralysis. (His) advisors say there is little they can do to change the situation in the near term.”

He has no strategy able to counter Putin’s “real” war on terror, polar opposite his phony one. The world’s stage shifted dramatically - Moscow the lead player against a scourge free people everywhere want eliminated.

Obama’s advisors said he may have to “wait out Russia’s intervention,” said The Times. At the same time, he’s supplying more weapons and munitions to terrorist groups Moscow intends to crush.

They’re no match against its formidable air power combined with Syrian ground forces on the offensive - regaining territory, maintaining pressure, ISIS and other terrorists groups now on the defensive.

Sputnik News cited the German publication DWN, saying high level Obama security advisors recommended US withdrawal from Syria. Abandon plans to oust Assad.

Instead, efforts should be made to help beleaguered Syrians as well as rebuild destroyed cities and infrastructure.

So far, it’s advice not taken. US bombing continues, joined now by France, exclusively targeting Syrian sites, not terrorists as claimed, intending increased support for ISIS and other takfiri elements - polar opposite public pronouncements.

Obama’s Syrian strategy failed. Putin’s intervention checkmated him. He won’t tolerate John Kerry’s harebrained no-fly zone notion if implemented.

An unnamed US senior official said he “wants to revisit this and (have it) looked at more seriously.” He supports “more robust measures” in Syria - despite four-and-a-half years of dismal failure, displacing half the Syrian population, millions externally, desperate people struggling to survive.

Russia will veto a US Security Council resolution proposing a no-fly zone. It won’t allow a  Libyan scenario to repeat.

If Washington imposes one unilaterally, Moscow will ignore it - ordering radar locks on aircraft threatening its bombing campaign against whatever targets it chooses anywhere in Syria.

The Wall Street Journal reflected reality, saying “(t)en days into a Russian military campaign…upended US policy in Syria…”

Putin changed the dynamic. Washington’s hegemonic Middle East agenda took a major body blow. It’s just the beginning.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen [at] sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.