Thursday, September 19th, 2013 08:53:31

Smart Power Versus Serendipity

Serendipitous events do not a strategy make.

Watching events surrounding Syria unfold the last few weeks, and the Obama administration and media’s cheers of victory these last few days, is proof that our current leadership does not understand the difference between happenstance and strategy. A quick review of events: the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government on civilians; tough talk by President Barack Obama; an administration push for a congressional vote for use of force; Secretary of State John Kerry’s off-the-cuff remark regarding Syria giving weapons up to an international group; Russian President Vladimir Putin leveraging the remark into action; the Obama administration claiming a great solution to the Syrian chemical weapons problem.