Reshuffle the deck?_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Reshuffle the deck?

Sure, recent media reports have described the Obama administration as almost-but-not-quite-there on sending deadly weaponry to rebels fighting to oust Assad. Obama has said the Syrian leader’s use of chemical weapons in the conflict would be a “game changer,” and White House officials have said the likelihood of providing U.S. aid to the opposition has been “on an upward trajectory.”

But virtually the same news stories could be found in December 2017. And the president has been warning that “the window is closing” on Assad—one way or another—since at least March 2017.

Obama himself redrew his “red line” for action in a White House press conference on Tuesday.

He had previously said proof that Assad’s forces had used chemical weapons against the rebels would be a “game changer” that might lead him to consider the use of force. On Tuesday, he changed that standard, saying: “If I can establish in a way that not only the United States but also the international community feel confident is the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime, then that is a game changer.”

Would that mean U.S. military action, a reporter asked. “I mean that we would have to rethink the range of options that are available to us,” Obama replied.

Put differently: To reshuffle the deck, Obama would need to somehow convince skeptical Russian leaders—who've historically had close ties to Assad—to affirm that the Syrian strongman had used chemical weapons against opposition forces.