This past week, I was in Washington DC meeting various members of congress and their staff to discuss Syria and America's role. I also attended the 59th Annual Conference of the National Chicken Council, where guest speakers included Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday, Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, and Ambassador Nicholas Burns among others.
A few of the takeaways of the trip were:
1. The only interest that matters in DC, is political interest.
2. Every single person I spoke to or heard speak, where emphatic that President Obama's Syrian policy has been an absolute disaster. A few of those included the offices of Senator Chambliss (R), Congressman Collins (R), Senator Coons (D), and Ambassador Nicholas Burns. I did have a meeting with Congressman Kingston (R), but he never showed up as he was tied up with various elements of the government shutdown. His office did apologize as I waited almost 45 minutes for him to show.
3. I was told by a Congressman that he feels Jordan will be the next country to go through what other Arab Spring countries have (i.e. revolution).
4. A congressman told me that the Syrian conflict will not end until the Syrians decide it is in their best interests to stop killing each other. He also said that it's too late for the US to get involved and involvement should have happened in the beginning as opposed to now. When Obama made the statement, "Assad must go," is when the US should have gotten involved. This was before the foreign elements became involved in the conflict. His concern now is if Assad goes, the group replacing him will be worse than Assad. Had we been involved in the beginning this would not have happened.
5. All of politicians, speakers, etc., grilled Obama for weakening America's credibility. Obama was referred to as a paper tiger, someone who no longer appears strong, someone who has encouraged and empowered our enemies, and that for someone who has spent so much time talking about Syria, he should have done something about it. The red line comment was a back breaker for many, ranging from behind closed door meetings of the intelligence community to politicians. They felt America's prestige took a serious hit with that Obama blunder / gaffe.
6. Chris Wallace of Fox News was adamant that Sean Hannity & Bill O Reilly do not represent that majority of Fox and they are simply opinion shows as opposed to news. He mentioned that freedom of the press is a constitutional right and part of what makes America stronger and unique.
7. Regarding the government shutdown, lobbyists are becoming a bigger problem than Congress. The parties have become further apart, because there is no longer a middle ground. Each side is underestimating the other sides willingness to keep this shutdown ongoing and Senator Coons was adamant that President Obama will not walk away from his signature accomplishment (i.e. Obamacare).
8. Regarding the Egypt conflict, the general consensus was it will be another 5 to 10 years before we see change take place in Egypt. The whole middle east is going through a seismic shift as Americans in the past were used to seeing Arabs chant, "death to America," and now they are seeing them say, "we want to be like America."
9. Politicians are aware that the UN estimates Syria's refuge numbers will double in the next 15 months and go from 6 million to 12 million. They are aware that it is not in the interest of America to see all of these refugees.
10. Although Russia and the US are at odds, they also cooperate in many areas. The Russians allow the US to provide convoys through Russia because they don't want the Taliban to win. Putin is also working with the US on narcotics issues and although Putin is aligned with the Iranians, he still doesn't want them to get a nuke. Consensus among people I spoke with or heard speak, was that the Iranian government is definitely seeking a nuclear weapon.
11. Ambassador Burns laid out America's foreign policy the past decades of being one that wanted stability and access to oil / gas markets. This strategic interest outweighed America's democratic interest. He did feel that by 2017, the US will be the leading energy provider to the world and when this happens, energy needs will shift from Saudi to American states such as Texas and Louisiana. When this happens, the US relationship with Saudi should start to change and the human rights violations they are committing will become more talked about.
12. The Russian President has taken Obama for a ride and he shouldn't be trusted. He is a cynical man and former KGB officer, who recently stated that the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century was the collapse of the Soviet Union. This comment shows Putin's unrealistic thinking.
13. One of the biggest issues for America is dealing with the instability of North Korea. Major questions remain and to be discussed regarding the new President.
Visiting the Capital is a wonderful experience and touring the offices of Congress and meeting our elected officials is recommended. DC politics can be very nasty but that shouldn't stop us from doing what we feel is in the best interest of our country.
