US backs down from Syria

Obama's Provocative Syria Retreat   "In the eyes of the only people who really  matter - Bashir Assad, Vlad Putin, Ayatolla Khameni, Kim Jong Un, and assorted lesser examples of ruthless heads of state, not to mention terror groups - Barrack Obama has retreated from his redline. He has blinked and they think they have his number." 

Via Drudge;
Syria crisis: Obama turns decision on military action over to Congress  "Mr Obama made clear that he had the authority to order a strike in response to the Assad regime using chemical weapons against civilians, and stands ready to do so at any time. But announcing a delay that stunned many, he pledged: “I will seek authorization(sp) for the use of force from the American people’s representatives in Congress. We should have this debate because the issues are too big for business as usual.' ”

In Syria, Anger and Mockery as Obama Delays Plan  “Dictatorships like Iran and North Korea are watching closely to see how the free world responds to the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people,” the opposition coalition said in a statement issued in Istanbul.

"Still, some rebel leaders were angry. A member of Syria’s opposition National Coalition, Samir Nachar, called Mr. Obama a “weak president who cannot make the right decision when it comes to such an urgent crisis.' ”

 

 Analysis: Putin sees chance to turn tables on Obama at G20  "The U.S. president's dilemma over a military response to an alleged poison gas attack in Syria means Obama is the one who is under more pressure going into a G20 summit in St Petersburg on Thursday and Friday."

 The mask is off: They hated Bush, not war

Ultimately, the study suggests, the anti-war rallies of 2003 weren't just about Iraq -- they were also a way to register disapproval with the Bush administration. Now, even with most Americans wary of military intervention in Syria, the Democrats who marched a decade ago are mostly staying home."

Analysis: Obama's credibility on line in reversal  "For more than a week, the White House had been barreling toward imminent military action against Syria. But President Barack Obama’s abrupt decision to instead ask Congress for permission left him with a high-risk gamble that could devastate his credibility if no action is ultimately taken in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack that crossed his own ‘‘red line.' ’’