Gerald F. Seib, Wall Street Journal: Syria War Tests Obama’s Security Doctrine
The lack of good options tails the president as he meets world leaders this week at the United Nations.
Every president, it seems, gets one foreign-policy problem from hell, one that defies resolution, that refuses to be ignored, that tests the White House’s strategic theories—and that hangs over the presidential legacy.
Jimmy Carter had Iran, Ronald Reagan had Lebanon, Bill Clinton had the Balkans and George W. Bush had Iraq.
For President Barack Obama, it’s increasingly clear that his problem is Syria. The mess there tails him as he moves around the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week. It will produce some tense moments when he meets Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is taking advantage of the chaos in Syria to establish a bigger foothold for himself in the Middle East.
WNU editor: President Obama's security doctrine is not working .... especially when I read stories like this one .... Syrian rebel commander who turned over equipment to militants says he was threatened (Washington Post). But while the focus is on Syria, today's disaster in Afghanistan may end up eclipsing all the other disasters combined .... Afghan Taliban seize Kunduz city center in landmark gain (Reuters).
