How’d Obama’s Little Middle East Speech Go Over In Syria?

I hate to do back to back posts on El Presidente, however, he started it with his soaring, grandiose opus of a thousand different ideals, which was meant to tell the Muslim World and Middle East how to act. How’s that working out?

Defying a stern warning from President Obama, Syrian forces opened fire on protesters after Friday prayers, killing at least 32 people as the regime led by President Bashar al-Assad showed no sign of easing its military crackdown.

The shootings came a day after Obama said that Assad that he should oversee a transition to democracy or “get out of the way,” marking the first time the U.S. leader has publicly called on the Syrian regime to change its behavior.

Look, Obama cannot be blamed for what is going on in Syria, and, I want to stress, it is not his responsibility. No threats or sanctions will change the dynamics. Nor will soaring speeches and finger wagging. Also, as the Washington Post points out, the US has little leverage over what is going on in Syria, because Iran provides their backing….gee, if only someone had given other protesters a boost by giving them backing, ie, the 2009 Iranian green uprising.

With the protesters also showing renewed determination to brave bullets and tanks to take their challenge to the streets, the country appears locked in a bloody standoff that many fear will only escalate into further violence. Many Syrian activists now say that it may be too late for Assad to change course and offer reforms to a populace that has endured weeks of bloodshed and no longer trusts the regime to change.

So, Obama has once again waited to long to attempt engagement on the issue, just like with Egypt? Unfortunately, the dynamics in Syria are much different from Egypt, and the military will not suddenly take the side of the protesters. And Obama will have given yet another speech with no following action.

Of course, the speech seemed to be primarily a platform to assault the nation of Israel.

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