Harper writes at Pat Lang's place that the launch of the new Middle East war is imminent:
I am told by current intelligence officials that President Obama intends to bomb Syria in the coming days–with or without Congressional approval. With the whip count in the House of Representatives looking worse and worse for the war party, the White House is pressing Harry Reid to rush the Senate vote, perhaps as early as Monday evening, Sept. 9, the day that the Congress returns to Washington and the debate is scheduled to begin. If Obama can get a Senate majority, sources close to the White House say that he will order strikes before the House can get started. Perhaps this is why Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is saying that a House vote is unlikely before the week of Sept. 16, given that passions are running so high on the issue. The reality is that opposition in the House is growing and the chance of a "yes" vote from the GOP-led lower chamber is well below 50 percent.
A report in the New York Times somewhat disagrees:
Although Mr. Obama has asserted that he has the authority to order the strike on Syria even if Congress says no, White House aides consider that almost unthinkable. As a practical matter, it would leave him more isolated than ever and seemingly in defiance of the public’s will at home. As a political matter, it would almost surely set off an effort in the House to impeach him, which even if it went nowhere could be distracting and draining.
Obama's and Kerry's arguments, based on dubious intelligence, for the illegal war that they don't even dare to call such are not having the impact they hoped. Even fanatic Obama supporters reject their reasoning.
While the Senate may pass the all-out-war resolution the House seems likely to reject it. To change that a massive Israeli and AIPAC lobbying operation for war on Syria and Iran is underway:
Officials say that some 250 Jewish leaders and AIPAC activists will storm the halls on Capitol Hill beginning next week to persuade lawmakers that Congress must adopt the resolution or risk emboldening Iran’s efforts to build a nuclear weapon.
Obama has canceled further travel to press on Congress and to propagandize to the public for his war.
One reason for this war and its likely extension to Iran is the fact that sanctions against Iran are breaking down in Europe and elsewhere. That the sanctions on Iraq were receding without achieving their goals was one of the arguments that was made for the war on Iraq.
But rejection of the war within the U.S. and globally is massive. The U.S. military is not at all on board and also rejects the war on Syria and its likely regional escalation. The administration is showing no understanding that the other side of an attack also has a vote and that any escalation could well have militarily catastrophic consequences.
Mission creep already starts even before the open shooting begins. Instead of "a few cruise missiles" the orders have moved to an all out bombing campaign on more than 50 sites to "degrade" the Syrian military and thereby relatively increase the power of the already coordinating and preparing al-Qaeda insurgents.
The build up of forces in the area continues. Russia is sending more ships to the Syrian coast as are other countries. The U.S. has moved an aircraft carrier to the Red Sea from where it could reach Syria. I am certain the Navy would prefer that carrier to be in the Mediterranean. But to get there it would have to pass through the Suez Canal where only this week a container ship was attacked with several RPGs by al-Qaeda aligned fighters. A U.S. carrier on its way to kill more Muslims would certainly be a preferred target to them. The Suez Canal is for now a no-go zone for U.S. war ships which could have a serious impact should U.S. war plans, as they are likely to, fail after the first contact with the enemy. In further war preparations the U.S. ordered non-emergency diplomatic staff to leave Lebanon.
Turkey is shifting more and more troops towards the border with Syria. This could be the preparation of a land invasion. Erdogan urgently wants and needs a war while the Turkish population is largely against it. Erdogan's peace negotiations with the Kurds seem to go nowhere and the Turkish economy is on the verge of breaking down:
[T]he benchmark Istanbul stock index has lost one-third of its value since hitting a record high in mid-May, the lira has plummeted to record lows and bond yields have doubled to 10%. Turkey's central bank has failed to stem the declines despite spending more than 15% of its net reserves as billions of dollars exited the country.
…
Turkey's total foreign debt has nearly tripled since 2002 to $350 billion, more than half of which must be repaid or rolled over within one year. That puts short-term liabilities at about a quarter of Turkey's GDP—two to three times more than Brazil and India.
A war against Syria will hurt Turkey further. It will also hurt the United States. The already diminished global standing of the "sole superpower" will decrease further. The likely prolonged war will cost it more money it does not have without achieving its aim. Going to war against the will of its own people will let others laugh at any U.S. argument of "democracy promotion". The global oil price hike that is already occurring in anticipation of the war will hurt the global economy while it will fill Russia's, Iran's and other oil producers war chest.
But argue against a useless war that will cost the U.S. a lot and you will be accused as "anti-American".
This is the non-sensical response one gets for challenging war promoters:
Laura Rozen
@lrozen
look moon you wld like nothing better than russia & iran & china architects of global order. “@MoonofA:
And this is the appropriate response to such idiocy:
billmon
@billmon1@MoonofA @lrozen Scratch a "liberal" interventionist, find Joe McCarthy hiding underneath.
