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Browse: Home » Syria » Page 7
Defense and State In a Tug of War Over Obama’s Syria Policy

Defense and State In a Tug of War Over Obama’s Syria Policy

November 2, 2015 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

For many of us, the news last week that President Obama is sending U.S. Special Forces to Syria to oversee the training of Syrian rebels fighting ISIS is confusing. It begs the question—what exactly is the Obama administration’s policy, strategy,…

How Putin Put Obama in a Bind on Syria

How Putin Put Obama in a Bind on Syria

October 26, 2015 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

As Russia’s advance into Syria proceeds, apparently with some early successes against key targets, it starts to look as if Moscow is using the Syria crisis to force the Obama administration into a bind. On Saturday, Jordan agreed to cooperate…

Putin might be right on Syria: The actual strategy behind his Middle East push — and why the New York Times keeps obscuring it

Putin might be right on Syria: The actual strategy behind his Middle East push — and why the New York Times keeps obscuring it

October 14, 2015 · by Patrick L. Smith · in Articles, Salon

There’s actually common sense and historical vision behind the Putin plan. Not that our media covers it honestly One sentence in a news report the other day on Russia’s assertive new campaign to subdue Islamic extremists in Syria simply will…

Obama’s Failure in Syria Now Extends to Turkey

Obama’s Failure in Syria Now Extends to Turkey

October 12, 2015 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

The Obama administration’s failure in Syria after four years of wasted lives, money, and effort deepens by the day now. The Russians have just benched us, whether Washington wants to admit it or not, and we may well sit out the…

Thomas Friedman, read your Chomsky: The New York Times gets Putin/Obama all wrong, again

Thomas Friedman, read your Chomsky: The New York Times gets Putin/Obama all wrong, again

October 6, 2015 · by Patrick L. Smith · in Articles, Salon

“Do you realize now what you’ve done?” The best question about our Middle East disasters actually comes from Putin A lot of good people are asking a lot of good questions these days, and this is an excellent thing. On…

Obama’s Syria Strategy: ‘Scrambling’ and ‘Desperate’ as Putin Takes Charge

Obama’s Syria Strategy: ‘Scrambling’ and ‘Desperate’ as Putin Takes Charge

October 5, 2015 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

What a week for President Obama and his toe-in-the-water strategy to stabilize the riotous anarchy that is Syria. The administration can do all the papering over they wish, but there’s no obscuring the truth that just landed with a thud:…

America owns this nightmare: Everything Thomas Friedman and the media gets wrong about the migrant crisis

America owns this nightmare: Everything Thomas Friedman and the media gets wrong about the migrant crisis

September 9, 2015 · by Patrick L. Smith · in Articles, Salon

The refugee disaster unfolding across Europe is the result of decades — even centuries — of Western policies It is not that the West, or America in particular, is responsible for everything that befalls our awful world. Readers sometimes make…

Our monumental Turkey blunder: Who put the American exceptionalists back in charge?

Our monumental Turkey blunder: Who put the American exceptionalists back in charge?

July 28, 2015 · by Patrick L. Smith · in Articles, Salon

Take a hard, careful look at what the hawks in the Obama administration—and it is crawling with them—have just done by bringing Turkey into the fight against the Islamic State. Given the blur the campaign against ISIS has become, with…

America on Memorial Day: Heavily armed, dangerous, unstable

America on Memorial Day: Heavily armed, dangerous, unstable

May 25, 2015 · by Patrick L. Smith · in Articles, Salon

America is powerful. We are not strong. Now is the time to understand the difference — and to put away the myths. The world never stops turning, of course, but when it is your turn to walk upon it the…

John Kerry admits defeat: The Ukraine story the media won’t tell, and why U.S. retreat is a good thing

John Kerry admits defeat: The Ukraine story the media won’t tell, and why U.S. retreat is a good thing

May 19, 2015 · by Patrick L. Smith · in Articles, Salon

The U.S. seems to admit it overplayed its hand over Ukraine. Caving to reality is actually the best possible policy. It is just as well Secretary of State John Kerry’s momentous meetings with Russian leaders last week took place in…

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