Obama to meet with GOP

Obama to meet with GOP:

House Republicans are set to hold talks with president Obama today in an attempt to strike a deal on the federal debt ceiling and budget. Yesterday, the possibility of short term increase for the debt limit was floated in the hopes more time would lead to more productive talks and eventually a broader compromise. Any conversation between the two parties is progress, but these meetings will have to go very well for a resolution to be reached by next week's deadline. 

 

Today's current events

An update on Syria: On August, 21st Syria killed hundreds of their own population with poison gas. Since then the U.S. has been looking to send a message to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the world that use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated. Despite aggressive stances from both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, it appears a diplomatic solution may have been reached as the Russians (Syria’s greatest ally) have brokered a deal that will avoid U.S. strikes and destroy the presence of chemical weapons in Syria. Syria’s government is hailing this agreement as a “victory” to the frustration of some world leaders.

 Iranians Increase Their Presence in Syria: It is important to keep in mind all that other countries have invested in the situation in Syria. Iran is Syria’s most important Arab ally (I still believe Russia’s influence on the UN makes them more important) and serves as a bridge for Iranian arms and funding to Lebanese and Palestinian militias fighting Israel. If Assad were to fall, Iran would suffer a major blow.