The Syrian "civil war" was supposed to create another Libya: A destabilized, lawless nation that could be used as a safe haven for terrorists, arms smugglers and human traffickers -- another ripe target for endless US military intervention. (And, according to Hillary Clinton's e-mails, a destroyed Syria was in the "interests" of Israel.) But things didn't go quite according to plan.

Because Obama stopped short of direct military intervention, much of Washington's strategy in Syria was carried out covertly by the CIA. And now that the plan has (largely) failed, the CIA has decided to throw Obama under the bus:

The blame game in Syria has begun The CIA in 2012 proposed a detailed covert action plan designed to remove Syrian President Bashar Assad from power, but President Obama declined to approve it, current and former U.S. officials tell NBC News.

According to a former CIA operative, the CIA had a plan to "peacefully resolve" the conflict in Syria, but Obama "declined" to implement it:

Elements under discussion at the time included not only bolstering Syrian rebels, but pressuring and paying senior members of Assad's regime to push him out, the former officials said. The idea was that the Syrian civil war could then have been peacefully resolved--a huge uncertainty. [The CIA operated who proposed the plan] ultimately resigned in frustration — over that and other issues -- after it became clear the Obama administration would not move forward.

In plain English: According to the CIA, Obama only wanted to arm and train rebels, and refused to bribe members of Assad's government. This, according to the CIA, is the reason why Syria is now such a mess.

What a load of utter garbage. Using its client states as a front, the US paid Syrian government officials to defect. The CIA's plan was fully implemented. As the National Interest wrote in February:

It is no secret that the Saudis and Qataris, with full U.S. support, have tried to bribe some of Assad’s innermost circles to defect. The all-important professional military cadre of the Syrian Arab Army, however, has remained thoroughly loyal.

The US did everything it could to oust Assad, short of an actual land invasion. The idea that the CIA's strategy in Syria failed because Obama didn't let the Agency bribe government officials is absurd. Bribes were offered, but it had almost no impact.

What we're witnessing is a coordinated campaign by the CIA to distance itself from its own disastrous plan in Syria.

Thanks to the CIA-controlled stenographers in the US media, Americans are now supposed to believe that the CIA had to work in Syria with one arm tied behind its back. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The CIA failed in Syria. And now the Agency is backstabbing Obama.

We recommend staying away from grassy knolls, Mr. President.