The Pentagon is worried by Syria's 'rising self-confidence'

[sabra]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/749477.html

The Pentagon is worried by Syria's 'rising self-confidence'

WASHINGTON - The U.S. administration is troubled by what a senior Defense Department official termed "a rise in Syria's self-confidence."

The official, who spoke with Haaretz Thursday, expressed frustration over the fact that the United States, Israel and the international community have been unable until now to persuade Syrian President Bashar Assad to change his behavior. He attributed this failure to the fact that "thus far, no real pressure has been applied to Syria by any of the parties."

The official, who termed Syria's rising self-confidence "a problem for everyone," said that there had been chances to influence Syria, "but they were missed."

Regarding Israel's decision to leave Syria out of the current fighting in Lebanon, he said: "I don't want to say what my opinion of this decision is."

[Roland99]

1. Maybe Syria's just trying to stay out of the fray?

And the US keeps trying to make them a part of it?

[Javaman]

11. Unpossible! The U.S. would never ever bait a nation into war...

The U.S. just invades them.

But these days, their usual pack of lies don't seem to be working as effectively as they once did, so perhaps a little baiting on their part is in order.

[Roland99]

16. Here fishy, fishy, fishy....

[Gloria]

2. If you want to persuade, try talking, which this crew hasn't done

with Syria since 2003, even though they want to.

[Canuckistanian]

3. Now we can't have that, can we?

They should be cowering with fear in a corner somewhere.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Huh?

Syria withdrew from Lebanon under US pressure. How was that not modifying its behavior?

And exactly why is national self confidence now a threat?

[ixion]

9. To a bully, ANY self-confidence is a threat

because the bully, in fact, lacks self-confidence.

What we are seeing is a manifestation of Rummy's personality by proxy of the Pentagon, IMO.

[Ghost Dog]

5. Rummy's Pentagon wants Syria confident enough

to get itself pounded to smithereens from the air. (Hence opening yet another front in the Long War).

http://www.sana.org/eng/21/2006/08/10/56432.htm

[daleo]

6. Rummy - "These people have too much self confidence!"

"This means war!"

[Ragin1]

10. "These people have too much self confidence!"

"This means war!"

Sadly, our entire foriegn policy in a nutshell.

[Hardrada]

7. Anonymous fucking senior DOD official strikes again.

The press should just not use unattributed quotes.

[drduffy]

8. Syria has Russian backing, thank God.

Maybe it can survive. have no sympathy for Israel, the Likud neocons or the neocon fascist bastards over here. When martial law is declared in October based upon yet another false flag 'terrorist attack' we will rue the day we did not intervene and destroy the neocon threat when we might have succeeded. There will be no chance ever following that for restoring the Republic. But, of course, all the sheeple will be ...... safe? Just gotta love that mutton.

[gratuitous]

12. If only we had some self confidence

I am struck by our mystery guest's comment that chances to influence Syria were missed. Does that mean the unnamed DoD official wishes we had been more diplomatic, and been more intentional about reaching out to other countries? Of course not, this is the Bush administration we're talking about here. The only tool they know how to use is a hammer, which makes every situation they come across look like a nail. The official says that he doesn't want to voice his opinion about Israel not including Syria in its latest mad military spasm. He really wishes our violent little proxies had gone off on Syria, too.

God, can we get the cavemen out of power, please?

[Captain Hilts]

13. Because we are so much weaker. nt

[leesa]

14. Now we're going to invade them because they're "self-confident"?!?

[Az_lefty]

15. why shouldn't they be self-confident?

if they move on Israel what exactly are we going to do, invade? 2/3's of the entire Army (active and reserves) are not combat ready, they can't deploy anywhere. I'm pretty sure Iran, Syria and every terrorist in the world knows it.