Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to Obama: What?

WARNING: This story contains references to the Obama administration's repetitious and meaningless diplomatic warnings that may be disturbing to some.

Every now and then the Obama administration likes to warn somebody about something. (Scroll to bottom for partial list.) It looks like real action -- even tough -- and sounds pretty good for a news cycle or two. However, like calling for immigration reform or more college education, it doesn't really accomplish anything.

Wednesday, the Obama administration tried to get really, really tough on Syria for repressing democracy demonstrators, reportedly killing upwards of 1,000 so far. This White House began warning Syria and its president with the unsuccessful moustache back when the reported victim count was in the dozens.

But Wednesday the American administration seemed to get serious. It slapped....

... financial sanctions on Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and six of his pals. And the media duly reported the action.

Here's the problem with that deal: With months of warnings, the Syrian ophthalmologist-turned-dictator and his cronies don't have enough money left in the U.S. to buy a kabab.

Given the proclivities of pouting American pols for phony PR gestures -- think Jimmy Carter boycotting the Moscow Olympics -- no bad guy with half a mind would put any loot in a  U.S. credit union CD.

We froze Col. Kadafi's assets over here a while back and all he did was change hats.

But there's a larger lesson to learn from this, both for Obama's foreign warnees and American voters not yet counting down the 537 days to the 2012 referendum on Obama's 2008 promise plethora:

This Democrat's warnings are as empty as his house back on the South Side of Chicago. As long as he or Jay Carney are issuing renewed warnings about 'unacceptable behavior,' you're good to go.

It's when Obama stops  warning that folks need to watch out.

Even with an American-made helicopter crashing in his yard, Osama bin Laden got caught in his jammies. No warning there. And although the White House raid accounts kept changing, it sounds like those non-negotiable SEALs gave the Al Qaeda founder about as much warning of his imminent departure from life on this Earth as his henchmen gave their thousands of victims over the years.

Or how about the war with Libya? Everyone sees Obama pack his daughters, his wife, her mother and her friend onto Air Force One for a trip down to Rio. And, suddenly, kablam, more than 120 Tomahawks are exploding all over Tripoli and suburbs, at $1.5 million per bang.

Obama aides were busy Wednesday afternoon selling the import of their boss' speech this morning on the Mideast and North Africa. The setting will be the State Department, which guarantees a respectful reception.

The goal is for the president to step back and look at the numerous changes across the region in the last six months and announce how the United States can help foster the growth there of both the economies and democracy following the so-called Arab Spring. As usual, we'll have the full text up here later today.

Tomorrow, speaking of the Mideast, the presidentmeets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to see if those talks can be re-started.

Obama will also re-visit the Central Intelligence Agency for a happier occasion than his previous Langley stop 15 months ago. Back then he was sharing the agency's grief for the loss of seven operatives in an Afghanistan suicide bombing. His redacted remarks that wintry day are here.

This time he'll be thanking them for their years of work that led to the slaying of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden during the night of May 1.

 Assorted Obama administration warnings:

Jay Carney again on Syria's 'unacceptable behavior'

Again, Obama warns Syria

Now, Obama warns Syria about violence

Yemen president gets stern warning from Obama press secretary

Obama changes mind on causing regime change in Middle East

New Obama warning to Libya: Stop right now

Obama warns Libya and Bahrain

Obama re-warns Libya: 'The violence must stop'

Enough with warnings, Obama finally sanctions Libya

Obama takes a day off from warnings to praise Algeria, Motown

Next, Obama warns Libya: 'This violence must stop'

Now, Obama warns Bahrain, Yemen and Libya

Obama warns Egypt's Mubarak: 'No going back'

Obama warns Mubarak: 'Suppressing ideas never makes them go away'

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Benoit Tessier / Reuters (Al Assad); Muzaffar Salman / Associated Press (a Damascus shopping street Wednesday).

Comments

[oberkat]

yeah.. how is it that the only thing that grabs world headlines is a body count?
So go away and think about it until you journos grow up a bit !!

Then, just maybe , the world will be a more peaceful placeS . .

[maleek]

I hope Obama says that the Alassad should also go. That would be the best action should be taken.
Al-assad regime behaves like as an organized criminal mafia. He has now only allies in Syria from dope, weapons smugglers. These weapons smugglers called Alshabihah and all of them protected by the security forces. This people also deliver the weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon in order to control Lebanon to be under Iran control.
Free for Syria and Lebanon. The first step towards peace in the Middle East is to get ride from Al-assad mafia. This regime killed until now more than 1000 peaceful demonstrators and tortured more than 10000 people. He punished the whole family and also followed them outside the border in Lebanon.
More than 200 soldiers killed by security forces just for refusing killing peaceful people.
Before 3 days two soldiers fled to Lebanon and the BBC interviewed them and they said how the security forces and Alshabihah were randomly shooting the civilian. The government put tremendous pressure on Lebanon by Hezbollah to return them and Hezbollah did that. The both returned soldiers may be killed now.

[Anonymous]

Good job mr obama the puppet. Wonder who told you to take over the media and then take over the east.

[Navi]

Stupid article. Obviously there was no warning that the US was going to bomb the world's most devious terrorist. Netanyahu is going to convince the US that a peace treaty is not a good idea. Israekl does not want peace, beacuase why then would the US continue to invest their insanely high FDI in the country? They have developed into a well developed country with a powerful military because of the uS and they are getting more and more powerful. Peace would stop that income flow. Wake up.

[Rfr]

So do you have a constructive solution to propose, or are you just ranting against Obama and his administration?

[Scottguiher]

I guss the Arab States and also the North African countries can't see that we are purposely destabilizing their countries by imposing our beliefs and moral standards on them so that one day we will control them as well as their oil. Tch, tch, tch. Meanwhile our hungry get hungrier and our unemployed can't find a job and our sickly just die because so much money is going to the middle east

[Harleywaybill]

So the gist of this is the president shouldn't issue warnings and then...also shouldn't take actions? Where's the beef here? What actions would you have the president do differently? Just be quiet, not use the bully pulpit, and let those poor little dictators alone? Or conversely, shoot Tomahawk missiles at all of them? As you point out, that would be costly. And what does Michelle using Air Force One instead of like, Jet Blue have to do with the price of tea in Damascus?

[Coddington Pettigrew]

Criticism comes easy, ideas are difficult. If you don't like these policies, what would you do instead?

[BI Tool Guy]

This warning is very clearly tied into the plan to develop jump start the middle east and north african economies. I find it's a farce to try to sell it as a humanitarian issue.

[Greg]

The Group Think Peer Pressure In Crowd will be labeling you a RAAAAACISSSSTT! in ..............5...4...3...2...1.