Obama Face-Saving Solution on Syria Emerging

When the world came dangerously close to nuclear war in the Cuban missile crisis, a key issue in resolving the confrontation was how to allow Khrushchev to back down. America’s concession was to remove nuclear weapons aimed at Russia from Italy and Turkey. On paper, this looks like a win-win (indeed, some historians think those armaments were the reason for Russia’s efforts to move missiles to Cuba in the first place). But the missile withdrawal from Italy and Turkey was a secret deal, so Khruschev was perceived to have come out a loser. He was ousted from power two years later in large measure because the resolution of this crisis was perceived to be a humiliation.
Fast forward to today. The Administration seems finally to have woken up to the fact that in trying to escalate in Syria, it has bitten off a ton more than it can chew.
The arrogance of the Obama administration’s national security team is a parade of red flags right through the halls of Congress. Secretary Kerry actually argues that if Assad is “arrogant” enough to defend himself that the US and our allies have ways to make him regret that decision, apparently without going to war. The arrogance of John Kerry implies the question to Congress, what could possibly go wrong? With no political policy or strategy that can be articulated publicly, no military objective of consequence, no coalition of consequence or authority, and by taking action that injects our nation into another nations civil war uninvited – my question is, how does this possibly end well?

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/09/obama-face-saving-solution-on-syria-emerging.html