Hamas’s Desertion of Assad is Body Blow

Commentary  "What is the significance of Hamas, an extremist group long resident in Damascus, suddenly throwing its weight behind the anti-Assad uprising? At first blush it is easy to dismiss it with a snort as rats leaving a sinking ship, and there is much truth in this analysis, but there is also more than that going on here–and it bodes ill for Bashar al-Assad’s longevity. A friend who follows the Middle East closely emails me this compelling analysis which bears a close read:"....

Rick Moran: Hamas finally abandons Assad - backs Syrian revolt   "Tehran is still sending arms, still supplying fighters through Hezb'allah who are apparently in the thick of the massacres, doing the dirty work Assad's troops are reluctant to do. They have little choice. Assad's Syria is one of their few friends in the region and if he goes down, they lose a valuable strategic ally on Israel's border."


Assad wins out against opposition as Russia and Iran strengthen ties

Jerusalem Post  

Saudis disgusted with Obama; To draw Iran into nuclear talks, Obama avoids ousting Assad   As one of the world’s richest oil and financial powers, Saudi Arabia could buy and sell Iran several times over, and after seeing the ayatollahs get away with insulting America time and time again, the Saudi foreign minister did not pull his punches when he faced his US colleague. He was frank about Riyadh and the Obama administration being miles apart in their perceptions of current Middle East events; resentment over the US role in the overthrow of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak remains a constant irritant.
...."Every attempt by Washington to find out what had gone wrong drew a blank. Iranian officials withdrew into total hush and let the entire diplomatic edifice so painstakingly constructed by Washington start falling apart.
"But Obama the eternal optimist has not given up."   Via  DEBKAfile

From the irony folder: Obama Says America More Respected Around World Under His Presidency  

Still clueless admirers of Obama cheer and adore his feckless presence.