The Situation in Syria Is What The Situation Is.

[MineralMan]

For the time being, and I expect permanently, we're not going to be firing cruise missiles into Syria to attach CW stockpiles, etc. That's good. Putin will take credit for setting up that conclusion. That's fine with me, since the result is a good one.

However, what went into all of that happening isn't so clear. Both Putin and Obama were at G20. I would not be surprised if there were an unannounced conversation between the two, held in some room, where this solution got cooked up. Not surprised at all.

If that happened, it's very unlikely that it would have been made public.

In the end, it doesn't really matter, anyhow. The crisis appears to have been averted, and it looks like we won't be bombing Syria, now or in the near future. That's a good thing. Period.

How it happened is something we probably will not know in detail. But, the coincidence of Obama and Putin being in the same place when this crisis was peaking is interesting. The result is good. Was it due to a discussion between the two? I don't know. I don't care. The result is good.

There will be no second-guessing from me on this. The result is good. That's enough for this guy.

[pangaia]

1. Didn't Obama say in one of those 'interviews,'

I think the one with Gwynn Ifill, that he and Putin DID in fact discuss it at the G20?
I might be mistaken..

[MineralMan]

2. I'm on deadline for a website contract, so I haven't

been listening much. He may have said that. They did have a couple of photo ops together at G20. I imagine they had a private conversation or two, as well. This was a big deal situation. It wouldn't surprise me if how this was handled was part of the discussion. I don't care who gets credit. The result is good.

[pangaia]

4. Agreed the results are good....

[randome]

3. Second-guessing is pointless, as you say.

But Obama is making the call as to whether the result is worth the tiny bit of ego this will cost him. I say good for him, regardless of whose original idea was the Syrian 'solution'.

We keep harping on DU about how important that the U.S. not see itself as the world's bully. Well, despite how things seemed to be shaping up, if we 'stand down' now, that's a baby step in the right direction.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers. It's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[msanthrope]

5. I suspect that Susan Rice was extremely busy at the G20, and much of the resolution of this

is due to her hard work.

[MineralMan]

6. You could be correct. I don't know.

I'm just glad this has happened, and hope it succeeds.