Obama vs. Putin: FIGHT!

Obama and Putin publicly fight over global stability during meeting at United Nations.

During the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, US President Obama and Russian President Putin clashed over their differing opinions of the Syrian Civil War.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Washington Post reported Obama saying, "...We see some major powers assert themselves in ways that contravene international law. We see an erosion of the democratic principles and human rights that are fundamental to this institution's mission."

"Nowhere is our commitment to international order more tested than in Syria. When a dictator slaughters tens of thousands of his own people, that is not just a matter of one nation's internal affairs," he continued.

Hours later, when it was his turn, Putin took to the podium, saying the United States was the reason there was so much violence in the Middle East.

"The export of revolutions, this time so-called democratic ones," he said, have resulted in "violence and social disaster ... I cannot help asking those who have forced this situation, do you realize now what you have done? Policies based on self-conceit and belief in one's exceptionality and impunity have never been abandoned."

Following the United Nations General Assembly, Obama and Putin met face-to-face to discuss the Syrian conflict. Obama said the United States would work with any nation to end the fighting in Syria. He also attempted to gain Putin's help to bring Syrian's conflict to a close and made himself clearly understood when he said the United States didn't condone Russia's annexation of Crimea or separatist support in the Ukraine and Syrian President Bashar al-Assa.

Obama praised the international order that has "underwritten unparalleled advances in human liberty and prosperity," saying, "This progress is real ... And yet, we come together today knowing that the marks of human progress never travels in a straight line, that our work is far from complete. That dangerous currents are pulling us back into a darker, disordered world."

He then spoke directly toward Russian activities, saying that pulling away from disorder is the only way to stop terrorism, "or prevent foreign meddling." He said nations can't look back and if they couldn't come together to work as a unit, "we will all suffer the consequences."

The President believes Russia's aggression in the Middle East brought Ukrainians closer to Europe and damaged Russia's economy. 

After several pointed remarks, Obama held up an olive branch when he said, "The United States is prepared to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the conflict. But we must recognize that there cannot be, after so much bloodshed, so much carnage, a return to the pre-war status quo."

When Putin spoke, he said it was "an enormous mistake" and an internal law violation to try to expose him, particularly due to Assad's military forces' preparation to defeat the Islamic State.
On Sunday, Putin called the United States' support for rebels in Syria illegal. He also signed an intelligence-sharing agreement with Iraq, Iran and Syria without American involvement.

With Russia at odds with the United States and its supporters, Putin continues to back his country into a corner. Despite Russia's plans, the first thing on Obama's priority list is the continuation of meetings with various people in positions of power to help lighten Syria's conflict.

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