1.
Mann: You know the Russian position is an interesting one
and it has gained attraction, it has gained Power and dominance as we see
clearly on the military battlefield in Syria, but also politically because it
points, I think, objectively to an incoherence here in Washington that even
supporters of the Obama Administration, among Democrats especially, see a real
incoherence in this determination, this rhetorical determination to fight Terrorism but then to try to
pick out who’s a Good terrorist and who’s a Bad terrorist. It’s
something that is really, I think, riddling the presidential Campaign here and
putting People that otherwise would normally be diametrically opposed on
political issues, be they Foreign Policy or Domestic, on one side which points
to an incoherence in the current Administration’s policy on Syria.
2.
Mann: It was a strategic mistake to begin with.
We knew that invading
Iraq was a disaster. Invading Iraq not only lead to the deaths of
hundreds of thousands of People but it essentially, in a way, strategically
gave influence over Iraq to Iran. The military Intervention in Syria similarly was a disaster
strategically. It gave over Libya to Chaos and led to this enormous refugee
problem or contributed to it significantly. Similarly our Invasion of Afghanistan back in
2001 was a strategic disaster. So the decision here, very quickly, very just
off-the-cuff, to call for the Overthrow of the Syrian Government was something
that was reckless to begin with. I think increasingly People in Washington
understand that. They understand that there is not a military Victory to be had that
the United States could claim, which is why the United States keeps coming back
to the diplomatic process with Russia as much as People really hate it here in
Washington. They find it embarrassing, they find it a Perception of weakness of
the Obama Administration, they find it distasteful, but there is no other way out
of what otherwise will be an enormous strategic embarrassment for the United
States. There will continue to be, I think, these kind of Negociations. It’s important, I think, for all the actors
involved to spare the Lives of thousands of more Syrians, to get serious about
a negotiated settlement and not to be focused on whether a fighter is moderate
or not. It’s really an oxymoron to call a fighter “moderate” or terrorist
“extreme.” They’re a fighter. Fighters fight because they’re Good at
Killing, not because they’re Good at Democracy.
3.
Mann: Absolutely. The issue of moderate fighters
versus terrorist fighters or extreme fighters is really farcical in a way. As I
said, there really is not a lot of difference. I don’t say that to say that the
Russian position is correct, I say that as a statement of fact. It’s almost
impossible to distinguish between these fighters and that’s why you see the
incoherence in US policy on this point. I don’t think the United States is
intentionally trying to stop a Ceasefire or to stop the Bloodshed in Syria,
it’s just an enormous policy problem of Washington’s own making, but it’s still
an enormous policy problem here that I think will only be resolved in a sense
by the next President. You could not
have a more stark choice before the American People between a President Clinton
and a President Trump. They are diametrically opposed in terms of how to work
with Russia.
I think the German Foreign Minister has put
his finger on a critically important issue for the World, which in part will be
decided by the presidential race here, which is the future of US-Russian
Relations. They have never been this bad, including during the Cold War. During
the Cold War the United States recognised Russian Interests in Syria and of course
in the former Soviet Space. Today the United States does not. And whether Russia is willing and capable of
confronting the United States on this issue could really be one of the most
momentous issues facing the World today. In
part, it will be decided by what the next President of the United States wants
to do vis-à-vis Russia. And over Syria.
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