Tides May be Turning

++Kudos to Richard Trumpka, the President of the AFL-CIO, for being the only one I have read that emphasized the humanitarian crisis being faced by Syria's refugees and displaced people. None of Sunday's talking heads mentioned the issue. Although  the Nation's Publisher Ms. VanderHeuval did emphasize this later in the morning shows.

++Luis Ocampo, the lead prosecutor for the ICC,wrote an Op-Ed for Huffington Post that made the point that the EU,UK,and the Arab League has a consensus that there are crimes against humanity being committed in Syria. He suggested that the international community take the lead by creating the types of adhoc tribunals they had for Yugoslavia. Through this mechanism, perpetrators of the crimes should be prosecuted. He points at that Russia had a similar draft before the United Nations that included the insurgents. 

++President Obama has an absurdly abstract case to be made for the authorization for the Syrian strikes. People don't get an act of war for 1,000 people killed by nerve gas as opposed to one for 110,000 killed by conventional weapons. 

++But no need to fret, the House is too tired from their five week recess so they may--again--may vote on the authorization in two weeks! 

++The Senate is to take up a procedural vote today to test whether the bill can get to the floor without a filibuster.

++This morning John Kerry said that an attack would be called off if Syria surrendered their chemical weapons. Shortly thereafter Russia proposed that Syria put their chemical weapons under international control. The Secretary General of the United Nations said that if the report by the end of the week shows that chemical weapons were used he would propose to the Security Council that they make Syria surrender their chemical stockpile. Earlier this afternoon, Assad said he agreed with the Russian proposal. Delay or actual compliance would mean the difference between a military attack or a stand-down of American forces. Hillary Clinton on a visit to the White House said that Russia's initiative was significant.

++According to John Kerry, at least a dozen nations have signed on to participate in the military attack if it happened. 

++A historical note. Saddam Hussein under pressure from the international community has agreed to leave Iraq if he was allowed to keep a billion. What a difference that would have made! There is an offer to Assad in the same range for him leaving the country.

++Bloggers note that dictators always give "death interviews". Saddam Hussein, Muammar Qaddafhi,Mubarack (not dead but toppled) just before it is politically curtains for them. So Charlie Rose's interview with Assad now joins the ranks. Assad basically said that there is no evidence he used chemical weapons and the Devil did it or some such thing.

++Ted Cruz said the whole Syrian crisis was to divert Americans attention away from Benghazi. It should be noted that Cruz said to the moderator that 9-11 was the anniversary of Benghazi. Nothing else seemed to have happened that day. Other conservatives are using this refrain,neglecting to mention their hero letting the Twin Towers and the Pentagon get hit by Al Qaeda. Michelle Bachmann, appearing at a Cairo press conference, with Steven King and Louie Gohmert said that she applauded the military coup in the country and that the Moslem Brotherhood was responsible for 9-11. I didn't figure out which 9-11 since the Right also believes the Moslem Brotherhood was involved in Benghazi.

++We are getting the whole refrain that President Obama by doing the right thing--bringing a request for military action to Congress is a lame duck President. In the Beltway, it's about personal wins and losses--not solutions. Frankly,if chemical weapons were removed from Syria, I would take it as a win.