Targets? Goals? Motive? Strategy?

[Joseph Tracy]

From ex CIA analyst Ray Mcgovern

"....And, there are hopeful signs that Congress, which has been fooled more than once before, may see through this latest rush to judgment. “Yes, I saw the classified documents,” Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, told The Hill newspaper. “They were pretty thin.”

Some lawmakers are even stating another obvious point; i.e., that even with congressional approval, a military strike on Syria would be not only an international crime, but also unconstitutional because of the Constitution’s supremacy clause making treaties the supreme law of the land.

Under the United Nations Treaty, signatories like the U.S. pledge not to use – or even threaten to use – military force against another nation without U.N. Security Council approval or unless already attacked or in imminent danger of attack. None of those conditions apply here.

So, even if the “intelligence” against Syria were air-tight (which it isn’t) and if Congress approves a use-of-force resolution, the U.S. Constitution still requires that we abide by the U.N. Treaty and obtain Security Council approval. How can lawyers like Obama and Kerry ignore such basics?

There are also other options for punishing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if there’s real evidence that he was complicit in the Aug. 21 attack. Like other leaders accused of war crimes, he can be indicted by the International Criminal Court or subjected to a special war-crimes tribunal. Yet, instead of following those legal strategies, which are specifically designed for these sorts of situations, President Obama proposes punishing one alleged war crime by committing another."


On Sep 3, 2013, at 8:09 PM, David Morris wrote:

> If Iran is the real target...
> 
> ...then please elaborate on THAT!
> 
> All you have offered for "debate" are ranting lists of past US duplicities, and full-faith surety than no good is afoot.
> And, like Alice, you are prodigious.
> 
> A good conspiracy demands a secret plan of cunning and logic.  Boogetyman rattle dances won't suffice.
> 
> David Morris 
> 
> Former Iranian President Slams Syria for Gassing own People: Sign of deep Divisions in Tehran
> 
> http://www.juancole.com/2013/09/president-gassing-divisions.htm
> 
> 
> On Tuesday, September 3, 2013, Joseph Tracy wrote:
> 
> Robert Fisk and others propose that Iran is the real target. 
> 
> http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iran-not-syria-is-the-wests-real-target-8789506.html
> 
> On Sep 3, 2013, at 10:25 AM, David Morris wrote:
> You have yet to posit motive for the US.  Do you think Obama wants to get involved in that mess?  If so, why?