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Dead Drop: September 23

Dead Drop: September 23

FIGHTING FOR PEACE: Fighting has broken out over the Syrian cease fire agreement.  Not in Aleppo, in Washington.  The Dead Drop hears that there is serious disagreement among warring factions in DC. One side is represented by Secretary John Kerry’s State Department, who view the agreement they negotiated with the Russians as the last best chance for peace – and for earning Kerry that Peace Prize every SECSTATE covets.  Another faction is hunkered down in the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Ash Carter thinks the Russians are completely untrustworthy and any agreement with them runs the risk of a deal with the devil. CENTCOM Commander General Joe Votel says: “There is a trust deficit with the Russians; it is not clear to us what their objectives are.”   To illustrate the distance between two visions – consider a recent principals meeting called by National Security Advisor Susan Rice to talk about the cease fire implementation.  The Dead Drop hears Carter demonstrated his unhappiness by informing the NSC that there was simply no way he could participate – even by video conference – despite the 24/7 communications capabilities of the Defense Department.  Carter sent his deputy, Bob Work. This got Rice worked up.  Eventually, Carter managed to call in but did not soften his views on the Kerry-negotiated deal.

The Military Times this week quoted Josh Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma saying, “The military is pissed off because they’re being asked to do two jobs now. They were asked to do one job, which is kill ISIS. Now John Kerry is asking them to do another job, which is cooperate with Russia and kill al Nusra.”

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