Clay Claiborne, in meticulously detailed articles, says Obama supports Assad and wants neither democracy or Islamists in control in Syria. For this, he was banned by the Thought Police at Daily Kos for his egregious Thought Crimes against the Maximum Leader and the Party. It’s ok to be progressive at Kos but any meaningful criticism must only be aimed at The Other Party, who as we all know, are evil incarnate while Democrats are always filled with wonderfulness.
Claiborne’s basic thesis is that Obama, by red-lighting use of chemical warfare by Assad, essentially green-lighted use of any other weaponry, and then stood by saying and doing little while Assad slaughtered his countrymen.
Obama “green lights” Assad’s slaughter in Syria
In our culture a “green light” tells you when it is safe to do something, and while it can’t be said that what Assad is doing has Obama’s approval, he would prefer that he resigns, it can at the very least be said that he has Obama’s acquiescence.
I believe the reason is simple, President Obama wants Assad to win but he wants it to look otherwise. That’s why there is no “humanitarian intervention” in Syria.
From his Banned from Daily Kos article
President Obama has been playing “good cop” to Russian President Putin’s “bad cop.” Both imperialist powers have had cordial relations with the Assad regime in the past. Russia has many ties with that regime while the US has made torture in the name of fighting terrorism a joint enterprise with its special rendition program. Both fear a truly free and democratic Syria even more than they fear an Islamic state in Syria, as in Iran or Saudi Arabia. They may struggle over which imperialist camp dominates Syria, but both want to see Syria dominated by something like the Assad regime, neither wants to see a free Syria.
Did the CIA betray Assad’s opposition in Syria?
Obama’s Courtship of Bashar Assad Exposed
Yesterday the Washington Post asked this very good question: Why did Mr. Obama overrule his advisers on Syria?
The short answer to the Washington Post question is that Barack Obama has wanted to see Bashar al-Assad stay in power, although now even Obama is starting to see that just ain’t possible.