We have to congratulate with John Kerry for a rare moment of truth between the federal administration of the USA and the public. The current Secretary of State was attending a hearing in the House of Representatives last Wednesday (September 4th, 2013) and answering a question admit loud and clear that foreign countries have offered to pay the bill for the military intervention in Syria.
We’re talking about USD billions, something between 6 to 20 billions (difference is between how many days the intervention will last and how many weapons and ammo will be given to the insurgents). Saudi Arabia and some of the Gulf Emirates offered to clear all expenses, with the option to pay in advance on the table. This is unprecedented. There were many rumors about the economic coverage of the wars against Saddam Hussein (namely, first and second Gulf War) but this public revelation is something more.
Do you know what a PMC is? The acronym is for Private Military Company, the kind of firm that employ military contractors worldwide. A great number of National governments use contractors by the thousands, just take a look to Afghanistan for reference. PMC business is legit in many countries of course, I’m not here to criticize it. With the arab offer on the table what will be the difference, if any, between US armed forces and a PMC? Do the US revert from their International role to a far less ethical business?
How about the power struggle in the Middle East? Saudi Arabia royal family is in the middle of every political scandal from 1991, emirates and little nations of the Persian Gulf area (Qatar, Oman and Kuwait) are challenging each other in a “big game” that is active from Algeria to Egypt, from Palestine to Syria, from Afghanistan to Iraq. They pay the bill for insurgents of any kind, political movements and religious zealots, not to mention a number of armed groups linked with the infamous Al-Quaeda.
If Barack Obama accept the Saudi offer, what makes the difference between him and the Bush family?
Links:
Daily Mail on this subject here
What is a PMC? The Wikipedia definition is here
Angelo Benuzzi 
No. We can’t.
Sad but true. Yesterday John Kerry tried a last minute escape with an ultimatum for the immediate surrender of all chemical weapons. It’s a gutter ballet, almost obscene.
Is true, this saddest.
But what do you think about new developments? Kerry’s mistake, “homerata” or proposed planned? I have found many opinions about what happened, and we know that kerry isn’t immune from saying stupids thing.
Kerry is in a difficult position by now. He’s not new to public mistakes but I think that he’s forcing a message to Syria and to the American Congress. In short, the message is: Obama can attack whenever he wants, vote or not vote from the Congress and as a president in his second term (no more elegible next time) he got no political future to protect. Kerry is a burned out, he cannot compete for the next presidential run too.