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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 16-Feb-2014
16-Feb-14 World View -- Syria talks collapse, putting U.S. military action back on table

Web Log - February, 2014

16-Feb-14 World View -- Syria talks collapse, putting U.S. military action back on table

Indonesia on the alert for jihadists returning from Syria

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Mediator Brahimi blames collapse of Syria talks on al-Assad regime
Collapse of Syria talks puts U.S. military action back on the table
Indonesia on the alert for jihadists returning from Syria

Mediator Brahimi blames collapse of Syria talks on al-Assad regime

Lakhdar Brahimi on Saturday (Fars)

Lakhdar Brahimi on Saturday (Fars)

It's not a surprise to anyone, but the Syria "Geneva II peace talks" officially collapsed on Saturday, with no date set for future "peace talks."

United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi uncharacteristically assigned blame for the collapse, apparently to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. He seemed close to tears as he announced:

"I'm very very sorry and I apologize to the Syrian people -- that their hopes which were very very high, that something will happen here -- I think that the little that has been achieved in Homs gave them even more hope. ... I apologize to them that these two rounds have not helped them very much. ...
Unfortunately, the government have refused, which raises the suspicion of the opposition that in fact the government doesn't want to discuss peace at all. ...
My message to those who are concerned in the crisis in Syria to think of the Syrian people and their huge suffering which was imposed on them."

The two sides were unable to agree to an agenda for continuing the talks. The earlier peace talks in Geneva in June 2012, and now called "Geneva I," called for an end to the Syrian civil war by the resignation of president Bashar al-Assad, and instituting a new transitional governing body with members from the former al-Assad government, as well as members from the opposition.

The al-Assad regime wanted no part of that discussion, but only wants to discuss "terrorism," referring to the jihadists in Syria. So Brahimi came up with a kind of compromise: The Geneva II peace talks would discuss "terrorism" on day 1, then discuss the "transitional governing body" on day 2, and alternate between the two topics on subsequent days.

Well, the al-Assad regime refused to even discuss the "transitional government body," and his spokesman said that the terrorism problem has to be completely solved and agreed by all sides "with a common vision," before any other topic could be even discussed. According to reporters, the opposition were willing to be flexible and discuss all issues, but the al-Assad regime refused to discuss anything but their chosen topic. This is what led to Brahimi's statement, "Unfortunately, the government have refused, which raises the suspicion of the opposition that in fact the government doesn't want to discuss peace at all."

According to Brahimi, a third round of talks was planned, but no date was set. The agenda for the third round will be:

Violence and terrorism
A transitional governing body
National institutions
National reconciliation

AFP and BBC

Collapse of Syria talks puts U.S. military action back on the table

The farcical nature of the "Geneva II peace conference," and its inevitable collapse, while Syria's genocidal monster president Bashar al-Assad continues to drop barrel bombs on innocent women and children, is causing renewed debate in Washington over military action in Syria.

The parameters of this debate are as follows:

If al-Assad launched a second chemical weapons attack against his own people, then there could be a military attack.

There are no plans for American "boots on the ground," though it's a possibility in some scenarios such as, for example, al-Assad's chemical weapons fall into the hands of al-Nusra.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel suggests that Russia may have supplied Syria with chemical weapons or, at least, the military equipment used to support al-Assad's chemical weapons program.

The majority of members of Congress are still opposed to military action under any circumstances.

If a U.S. missile attack on Syria is approved, then the choice of targets would be as follows, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey:

First, targets "directly linked to the control of chemical weapons but without exposing those chemical weapons to a loss of security."

"Secondly, [targets that involve] the means of delivery."

And the third [group of targets include] those things that the regime uses -- for example, air defense, long-range missiles and rockets -- in order to protect those chemical weapons or, in some cases, deliver them.

ABC News

Indonesia on the alert for jihadists returning from Syria

As we've been saying repeatedly for months, the war crimes being committed by Syria's president Bashar al-Assad, and by Russia's president Vladimir Putin for supplying weapons to al-Assad, have made Syria the magnet for jihadists from countries around the world.

In Indonesia, the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) was responsible for the horrendous Bali bombings in 2002, but in recent years, JI has become ineffectual. Now it's believed that dozens of fighters have gone to Syria for training and experience, and now are returning. "The danger remains that fighters returning from Syria could infuse new energy into Indonesia's weak and ineffectual jihadi movement," according to an Indonesian report. Central Asia Online

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 16-Feb-14 World View -- Syria talks collapse, putting U.S. military action back on table thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (16-Feb-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 16-Feb-2014 16-Feb-14 World View -- Syria talks collapse, putting U.S. military action back on table

Mediator Brahimi blames collapse of Syria talks on al-Assad regime

Collapse of Syria talks puts U.S. military action back on the table

Indonesia on the alert for jihadists returning from Syria

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 16-Feb-2014
16-Feb-14 World View -- Syria talks collapse, putting U.S. military action back on table