So what do you figure this shit is all about?

[whatchamacallit]

10 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Punishing Assad
	1 (10%)
	Influencing the outcome of Syria's civil war
	1 (10%)
	Provoking Iran
	2 (20%)
	Poking a sharp stick in Russia's eye
	0 (0%)
	Wagging the dog?
	1 (10%)
	Other
	5 (50%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[LiberalEsto]

1. Oil.

Somehow, some way, somebody's oil is at the bottom of this,

[leftstreet]

2. Maintaining chaos in regions containing Shit the West Wants

n/t

[sibelian]

3. ^^this^^

[Motown_Johnny]

10. But weakening Assad could speed the end of this civil war

and therefore reduce the period of time that Syria is in chaos.


Isn't allowing this stalemate to continue the way to maintain chaos?

[KurtNYC]

18. If it is only limited strikes then they need only be directed at which ever side

is in danger of winning.

I don't think of it as "allowing the stalemate" but rather managing it.

[leftstreet]

19. +1

Exactly

[Arctic Dave]

28. If that was the case then we could pressure Saudi Arabia

and Qatar to stop funding the jihadist.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Continuing the PNAC plan to "run the table" in the middle east, eliminating every independent regime

[1-Old-Man]

5. Preemptive defense of Israel

[Mosby]

16. Israel has nothing to do with this.

Frankly Israeli administrations benefited in a sense from Assad, the Syrian border has been quiet for decades, not anymore.

The chaos in the region undermines Israeli security, whether we are talking about Egypt, Lebanon or whoever.

[malaise]

6. Russia and

Snowden

[DevonRex]

15. THANK YOU.

Finally.

[avaistheone1]

7. How about some of the usual reason, the continuation of the Pentagon's eternal war,

do a favor for Israel, and there has to be something about either an oil route or a strategic geographic site for military staging or for economic exploitation.

[cthulu2016]

8. Two step process: Premature Idealism >>> CYA

[Graybeard]

9. Appeasing RW war-mongers.

If Obama doesn't strike the Repukes will say it's another case of the Democrats being weak and the nation needs a strong GOP President in 2016.

Of course if Obama does strike the Repukes will say he did it wrong and it's another case...blah...blah...blah.

[woo me with science]

11. PNAC and corporate empire.

Profit and power. Blood for profit and power.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Tough guy PR. But, it's turning into a flop.

[paulk]

21. bingo!

[NYC_SKP]

13. Whatever pics and video we've seen of the effects of use of chemical weapons against civilians,

...the reality and what Kerry et al have seen might be 10X worse.

Just sayin'

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. These days? Please. You are right though, those pictures show very healthy people with full

rosy flesh tone with their eyes closed not very gruesome. I find the mass grave one interesting in that there are some boys standing in the grave with amused looks on their faces.

[DevonRex]

14. Trying to keep Russia from supplying Syria, Iraq and other ME nations with

all sorts of weapons. They already sell $4.4B in weapons to Syria and more to Iran. This was Russia poking a stick in our eye by having Assad use chemical weapons supplied by Russia.

Russia will not stop with Syria. Soon we will have to reassess Iran's nuclear capability if Russia is allowed to continue unchecked. This has much less to do with Assad than it does with Putin.

[KittyWampus]

22. yes, I get the feeling we are at war with Russia via Proxy/Syria. And it leaves me feeling

rather queasy.

[DevonRex]

24. Yes. That's what

Snowden and all the leaks are. Major damage meant to weaken us. Putin thinks we can't do anything now. So he made a move.

If we don't respond the consequences will be far more disastrous than anyone here has imagined. I've gone through the moves Russia has made over the last 5 years. If this one works for Putin we're in a lot of trouble.

[Arctic Dave]

30. LOL

That a unique theory, I'll give you that.

However, that is chump change to the amount of weaponry the US sells around the world.

[The Link]

20. It sure as shit isn't humanitarian.

[rrneck]

23. Money, which is to say oil. nt

[JoePhilly]

25. Keeping DU in a continual state of freak out.

[HereSince1628]

26. Other: Multiple causes and a whole lot of jingo.

[Glassunion]

27. Both sides are worried that their mommy ate too many chicken wings while she was pregnant.

[backscatter712]

29. Face-saving for politicians. It's kabuki politics with bombs. n/t

[BlueJazz]

31. Making sure the one percent make money somehow, someway.

Anything else is just a little dog and pony show.

[Warpy]

32. Other. Profits for the MIC. We have ordinance

that needs to be destroyed so more can be ordered to fatten the arms corporations.

It seems silly to waste it by simply blowing it up without killing anybody.

For newbies who don't know me,

[truebluegreen]

33. MIC needs a bone.

[DJ13]

34. A distraction

Watch the TPP fast track get approved in the midst of the Syria hysteria.