John Kerry is still pushing for a much greater U.S. presence in Syria, and is using the al-Qaeda threat to make the case, despite the fact that al-Qaeda groups in Syria would be the chief beneficiaries of U.S. intervention against the Assad regime.
Also, what does Kerry mean that the al Qaeda threat is real and getting out of hand? “On the campaign trail last year, [Obama] repeatedly boasted that all of ‘al Qaeda was on the run’ and during a fundraiser after the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, declared that ‘al Qaeda is on its heels.’” — Washington Times, May 23, 2013
But that was an election year.
“Kerry Tells Senators That Obama Syria Policy Is Collapsing,” by Jeffrey Goldberg for Bloomberg, February 3:
…According to Graham, Kerry gave the clear impression that Syria is slipping out of control. He said Kerry told the delegation that, “the al-Qaeda threat is real, it is getting out of hand.” The secretary, he said, raised the threat of al-Qaeda unprompted. “He acknowledged that the chemical weapons [delivery] is being slow-rolled; the Russians continue to supply arms [and that] we are at a point now where we are going to have to change our strategy. He openly talked about supporting arming the rebels. He openly talked about forming a coalition against al-Qaeda because it’s a direct threat.”
“I would not characterize what he said as a plea for a new policy, but that, in light of recent, dramatic developments, the administration is exploring possible new directions,” said one Democratic House member who was in the meeting. “He wasn’t arguing so much that the administration needs a new policy, but that the administration is considering a range of options based on recent developments.”…