US ‘Unsure’ About Hezbollah Scud Claims

So Why Is President Obama Publicly Lashing Syria Over Them?

by Jason Ditz, April 20, 2010

Yesterday, the US State Department summoned a top Syrian diplomat to publicly complain about the “provocative behavior” that Syria had taken in supplying Scud missiles to Hezbollah, a claim made by Israel last week.

Today, the State Department somewhat sheepishly admitted that while they are “still looking into it” they aren’t really sure if Syria provided the Lebanese militia with any such thing in the first place.

Syria has certainly denied it. Lebanon’s government has likewise denied it, with the US-backed Prime Minister comparing the charge to false claims of Iraqi WMDs ahead of the 2003 US invasion.

In February the Obama Administration had decided to make a huge move toward Syria rapprochement in appointing the first ambassador to the nation in over five years. Now they’re delaying sending that envoy and publicly lashing Syria, while at the same time admitting that they haven’t even confirmed the allegations yet.

The story seems remarkably predictable with the Obama Administration, which seems forever stuck between selling the idea that it is pro-diplomacy to its European allies while constantly promising not to let the diplomacy amount to much of anything. Never has a US State Department been so determined to accomplish so little in such a convoluted manner.

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