[Peace-discuss] Independent: French were 'hours' from strikes on Syria before phone call from Obama

[Karen Aram]

Robert
 
By "ultra-left structuralism" are you referring to many leftests insistance that unless we change the capitalist system there is no real hope for positive or lasting progress in respect to eleviation of poverty, war and/or climate change?  EX: they now criticize 350.org and Bill Kibbon's focus on defeating the XL pipeline as being counter productive in respect to "reducing climate change". 
While I agree with them that unless we have real economic structural/system change we will never uproot the real problem. Nonetheless its worth addressing major issues that have tragic consequences for many of the peoples, animals, earth, etc., thus they are worth pursuing.  EX: Convincing our Congressional representatives by way of phone calls, petitions, and protests, that a missile strike against Syria is not in anyones best interest.  
Where we must be cautious is the distractions, so many, that are thrown at us daily and are difficult to differentiate as "all important."
 
Karen Aram
From: galliher at illinois.edu
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 09:30:47 -0500
To: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
CC: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Independent: French were 'hours' from strikes	on Syria before phone call from Obama

"Ultra-left structuralism" (whatever that is) is the problem, and not Obama's war crimes?
That's why it's a victory to promote pro-war liberals like Hagel and Warren?
It seems to me far more important to promote popular rejection of Obama's military and economic policies - which is the only thing the child-killer fears. 


On Sep 30, 2013, at 7:46 AM, Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:
Key takeaway: don't let ultra-left structuralism dissuade you from activism and political engagement, because history is contingent. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-were-hours-from-military-strikes-on-syria-before-phone-call-from-obama-8847551.html 


French were 'hours' from military strikes on Syria before phone call from ObamaFighter jets were preparing for scheduled take off when President Hollande took 'stunning' call from US telling him to hold fire

ANNE PENKETH  Author Biography  PARIS  SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2013
French President Francois Hollande called off military strikes against Syria on 31 August following a phone call from the US President only hours before fighter jets were set to take off, a French weekly magazine has revealed.


The report in the Nouvel Observateur shows how close the West came to launching a war on Syria over the Syrian regime’s presumed use of chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb, before Washington backed down. President Obama announced in a televised speech on 31 August, after informing a “stunned” Mr Hollande, that he would seek a Congressional vote, effectively lifting the military threat.


Rafale aircraft were readied that Saturday for take-off and official statements prepared in anticipation of the strikes, according to the Nouvel Observateur. “Everything made us think that D-Day had arrived,” a French official is quoted as saying. The magazine said that “this incredible misunderstanding lasted until the end of the afternoon,” at 6.15pm, when President Obama telephoned Mr Hollande, who was expecting to confirm the military orders just after the phone call. The strikes had been intended to start at 3am later that night, targeting missile batteries and command centres of the 4th Armoured Division in charge of chemical weapons.


But instead of confirming that the US and French military would intervene jointly, President Obama changed his mind following a conversation in the White House Rose garden with his chief of staff Denis McDonough.


The French Defence Ministry had no comment on the Nouvel Observateur report today. But it was clear that the French military establishment was stung by the US leader’s behaviour. The former head of the French military academy, General Vincent Desportes, told Le Monde on 2 September that “President Obama’s U-turn reflects a great contempt by the United States for France.”


-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org

naiman at justforeignpolicy.org


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