One way of confronting Putin is to support the moderate opposition, including those rebels who have been supported by the CIA and are being targeted by Russian air strikes
Clinton wants Obama to confront Putin over Syria
Josh Rogin
Hillary Clinton took a big step away from President Obamas foreign policy at a recent debate, challenging him to resist Russias intervention in the Syrian war. She also recast her call for a Syrian no-fly zone, saying it is needed to fight President Vladimir Putins aggression.
We have to stand up to his bullying, and specifically in Syria, it is important, Clinton said. I think its important too that the United States make it very clear to Putin that its not acceptable for him to be in Syria creating more chaos, bombing people on behalf of Assad, and we cant do that if we dont take more of a leadership position, which is what Im advocating.
One senior administration official said Tuesday that Russian strikes against the Islamic State are scarce, and that the Syrian government is not striking Islamic State targets.
The Obama administration has not yet responded to Russias attacks on US-supported rebels. Over the weekend, the US dropped 50 tons of ammunition to groups fighting the Islamic State in northeastern Syria, but none to the groups that are being inundated by Syrian government forces and Russian air power near the cities of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama. However, there is some evidence in recent days American allies have been increasing arms shipments to the rebels targeted by Russia.
The principals committee of the National Security Council met Wednesday to consider US options on Syria. But the White House has made it clear that Obama does not intend to confront Putin there.
I think the president was fairly definitive in the news conference that he did 10 or 12 days ago in which he made clear that the conflict in Syria would not turn into a proxy war between the United States and Russia, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday. That is a firm commitment that the president has made, and thats something that we will abide by.
Earnest said then that the U.S. priority was to contain the Islamic State: Countering Russias involvement in Syria doesnt rate nearly as high on the scale. He said the calls to confront Putin in Syria were just Republican rhetoric. Now Clinton has joined that camp. One way of confronting Putin is to support the moderate opposition, including those rebels who have been supported by the CIA and are being targeted by Russian airstrikes. The Russian intervention and the war against the Islamic State are intertwined; to let Putin wage war unchecked is to risk undermining US efforts against the Islamic State.
The Obama administrations ambivalence about Russian intervention is mind boggling, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian American Task Force, an American organization that works with the State Department and several rebel groups. Our mission is to counter ISIL, while Russias mission is to counter the only ISIL resistance in Syria, which is the moderate opposition.
Clintons Syria strategy is not fully articulated. She has not laid out plans to pressure Putin or end the conflict. But she has gone further than Obama has, by saying Russias actions harm US interests.
Bloomberg
