According to Secretary of State Clinton, Russia is sending attack helicopters to the Assad regime in Syria. It seems that Vladimir Putin is prepared to go all in to save his friend Assad. After all, the Assad regime provides the only port in the Mediterranean for the Russian navy and the Syrian armed forces are one of the best customers for Russian arms exports. And what is the American response to this move? We are buying about one billion dollars worth of the same helicopters for the Afghan army. That's right, American money is going to reward the arms dealers in Moscow who are supplying Assad and his murderous attacks on Syrian civilian populations.
This is all so wrong. Just think about it. (1) If the United States is now buying helicopters for the Afghans, why are we buying them from Russia? That order would provide jobs for tens of thousands of American workers if the copters came from the USA. Oh, I forgot, the private sector is doing fine, so there is no need to spend tax dollars here at home. (2) Russia knows that the United States is at least giving lip service to the idea of peace in Syria. So, Putin makes sure that Russia blocks any moves in the UN to stop the killing and then he sells Assad weapons that will make the slaughter so much more efficient. Putin might as well just tell Obama to go to hell. (3) America is doing absolutely nothing about Syria and we are sitting on the sidelines even in the face of Russia helping Assad survive. Why would we get involved? After all, wholesale slaughter of civilians is apparently no big deal. Having Russia save the one arab ally of Iran is of no importance. We have an election to get through.
American policy in Syria is a disgrace. There is no other word for it. Obama is just so ineffectual.
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