At the G20 this week Obama should announce an emergency meeting of the Security Council!
Obama is seriously boxed in and now in the most dangerous moments of his Presidency. He has been cornered by Bibi Netanyahu and by Bandar bin Sultan — two long-time operatives far more experienced as well as far more ruthless. brutal. and so far determined. than he — as well as by the American Neo-cons.
Once he is forced to give the order for the attack on Syria he not only ignites the great Middle East war of 2013 he flames his Presidency. Bush 41 was in a dire situation in 1991 but he managed to wiggle out of it after “liberating” Kuwait. Clinton avoided this in 1998 by holding back the great pressures to totally bomb and invade Iraq then. Bush/Cheney exploited the moment and used gross lies, deception, and chicanery to invade Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11 — but then resisted tremendous pressures to attack Iran before leaving office. Now the Israelis, the Saudis, and the Neo-cons have Obama in their clutches having worked for years to maneuver him into the war trap he finds himself.
Yet, a historic opportunity is immediately ahead if only Obama has the smarts, and guts, and strength.
Obama can use the G20 gathering in a few days to save himself not to mention his country and world. He can in fact use the G20 to earn that Nobel Peace Prize so wrongly and prematurely awarded him.
At the G20, with the leaders of the world’s most important countries* in attendance, and with the leaders of all five permanent members of the Security Council as well the UN Secretary General at his side, Obama should announce that all have agreed to an emergency meeting of the Security Council in accord with its primary responsibility to safeguard world peace.
Unannounced, but agreed and planned, should be a decision for a unanimous vote of the Security Council to:
* Require the International Criminal Court to investigate and indict whomever has used Chemical Weapons in contradiction to international treaties and law
* Announce that the U.N. will convene a major conference at its European Headquarters in Geneva — with all parties to the conflict and all regional neighbors invited — to achieve, in the interests of global world peace, a political settlement of the war in Syria
To achieve this goal Obama will have to go up against Netanyahu and the Israelis, as well as Bandar and the Saudis, as well as the super powerful Israeli/jewish and Neo-con lobbies in Washington, in a major, unprecedented way. It is beyond doubt a most daunting, and dangerous, task. But in view of all that has happened, and might otherwise now happen, this is now his challenge, his responsibility, his moment in history. And he is so fortunate that this G20 opportunity is ahead of him in the next few days!
By taking this unprecedented step Obama can avoid a precedent vote in Congress that will further corner him to soon attack Iran. By taking this masterful step Obama can still attempt to fulfill his mandate and his convictions. Instead of succumbing to the Israelis, Saudis, Neo-cons, and military-industrial warriors, he can try to finally checkmate them. Fighting these major political war battles is now the challenge Obama should engage; avoiding the military war battles he will otherwise confront for the rest of his Presidency as well as saddle his successor with.
* The countries of the G20 comprise about. 90% of global GDP. 80% of international global-trade. and 2/3 of the world’s population.
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