Republican nominee for President Mitt Romney is not ready to support a policy of establishing a no-fly zone inside Syria amid a stalemated civil conflict being fueled by foreign powers.
“The governor has not called for a no-fly zone. Close friends of his such as Sens. McCain, Lieberman, and Graham have called for a no-fly zone for weeks. That is not a step that Governor Romney has made,” senior campaign advisor Rich Williamson told Foreign Policy reporter Josh Rogin at the Republican National Convention.
Along with those three habitually pro-war Republican Senators, a number of Democratic members of Congress have expressed support for a no-fly zone as well. Lobbyists in Washington peddling the interests of the unscrupulous Free Syrian Army have also called for a no-fly zone.
Last year, the Obama administration adopted a no-fly zone policy in Libya only to turn it into an effective tool for a rebel air force for regime change. Both Russia and China have pledged to block such action at the United Nations Security Council this time around.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this month expressed skepticism that such a move would give the US and its allies an opportunity to intervene militarily in Syria.”If you try to create no-fly zones and safety zones for military purposes by citing an international [humanitarian] crisis — this is unacceptable,” he said.
So-called safe zones are simply not a viable option. “Humanitarian corridors,” explained Marc Lynch of George Washington University in testimony before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, ”would be extremely difficult to protect, and could create a new refugee crisis if desperate civilians rush into designated safe zones or neighboring countries.”
Safe areas might also require airpower in some form, but Assad’s “anti-aircraft capabilities are located in or near urban areas, which means that significant civilian casualties could result from any attempt to eliminate them.” Lynch said. ”Creating and protecting a safe area in Syria would therefore require a significant and lengthy investment of troops and resources, and would not likely hasten Assad’s collapse.”
Romney is treading lightly as his campaign enters its apex preceding the presidential debates with Obama. Direct military intervention in Syria is widely acknowledged, even in Washington, to have a likelihood of worsening the situation, rather than mitigating it. But it is notable that even the hawkish Romney, who has advocated for more activist support to the rebels, doesn’t support no-fly zones.
Now that he has picked up the ultra rightist Paul Ryan, Romney takes a calculated step to the left?
Will he keep moving that way and try to pick up Anti-War support?
Naw, don't bet on that. The poor corporate boy is confused. As soon as someone explains to him what it means for Wall Street, he'll pull his other face and speak with the other side of his mouth and go with it. Somebody must have got him all confused by telling him that Obama wanted it.
Who cares? The CIA is already in the big middle of it. Where in the constitution or in law do they get the justification for that? Nowhere? Then why bother anymore? We have a government that no longer recognizes any limits on it's power, that's all that counts. Romney's not going to change that, Obama didn't change that and no one can change that.
Everything you write is correct, but there is one more thing you left out. Syria is the direct path for an Israeli strike on Iran. A "no fly zone" is also clearing a path to use Syria as the fly zone for the air attack on Iran. So it is not just about Syrians not flying there, it is about Israelis flying there. That is a big motive in these suggestions for a no fly zone to take out the Syrian air defenses.
You have a good point here, Mark, but you left out one huge obstacle: RUSSIA. The Russians already have a warship docked at the Syrian port town of Tartus, as well as a crew of nuclear technicians in the Iranian nuclear power plant at Bushehr; thus, any Israeli attack on either Syria and/or Iran will launch WWIII.
Oh, Israel doesn't give a damn, btw.
Romney, a Mormon warhawk, is a dubious quantity. Sure, he is part of the ruling class but just how crazy he is is another question.
Obama promised to be a dove but he capitulated when he felt the extent of his power and showed to the world that every man has his price. With Romney, we already know his price!
Our world goes from bad to worse.
Now he's got the republican nomination wrapped up, It going to be increasingly difficult to pin Romney down any exact position apart from trying (and failing) to give Barry a good kicking.
Romney's a flippin political genius. He's going to maintain his pleasant even-tempered — grown-up, if you will — aspect, and Ryan will be the attack dog. And if you saw Ryan's speech yesterday at the R-con, you realize Romney's genius in his VP choice. I genuinely thought that the Ryan choice was a mistake, the Ryan Budget being so harsh and frightening, but now I see it differently. The Ryan Budget, notwithstanding a Dem push to emphasize it, will be pushed aside with "Ryan's just the VP, it's the Romney Budget that matters."
I'll be watching Romney's acceptance speech tonight to see whether the "genius" assessment holds up. If it's warm, uplifting, positive, hopeful, confident, and optimistic, then "genius" is confirmed.
Bottom line though, is that Romney made $250 million. He did not do that by being a wuss or a fool, but — presumably — by being strategically adept and decisive and perhaps most important, knowing when to apply the crucial knife thrust. That last, crucial talent was amply demonstrated in his deft disposal of first Gingrich and then Santorum. Without a drop of sweat or any severity of demeanor.
"Mitt the Knife" knows how to win. Obama is toast.
it does not matter Romney ain't gonna fly, he is a dodo bird
Wall Street needs to explain it to him again, very, very slowly and he will be on board with the program immediately.
Everything Romny Obama and for that matter all presidential canidates sat is a lie and just for polictical gain.Obama can't be trusted and Romny can't be trusted.They all are tyrants that can care less about America Americans or anyone,but themselfs and their friends the 1%.