This editor of Al Akhbar appears to have inside knowledge of the negotiations involving all the important parties to the standoff in Syria. Because there is no supporting documentation, one has to depend on his credibility as demonstrated by past editorials, some of which I have cited on this website (see this and this). This record plus the internal logic and judgement displayed in this article lends a heightened credibility to his analysis of the present standoff in Syria which he portrays as a case of brinkmanship involving major powers.
Commentators in the West will surely declare that it was their democratic systems of government that forced US President Barack Obama to back down on attacking Syria. But the events that led up to Washington’s de-escalation suggest there were other factors at play.This latest move by the US directorate to refer the matter to Congress could be either a face-saving way out if Congress were to deny support, or it could be a means of adding legitimacy to the attack on Syria. From what I have seen in the media thus far leads me to believe that the directorate is only intent on engineering greater support for the attack. Judging from past experience, it will not be difficult to gain Congressional authorization.
While reporting on the issue, both local and national mainstream TV continue to replay scenes of victims from a chemical attack and feature prominent US officials claiming that they have solid evidence that the Assad government was responsible. Just last night I saw local TV coverage of a street scene in Seattle which depicted a small number of people identified as Syrians or people of Syrian ancestry (see this) supporting the attack while numerous protests against the attack by much greater numbers of people all over the greater Seattle area have been mostly ignored.
