After years and billions of dollars wasted, Obama finally admits he has botched things in Syria:

Still, the biggest questions and answers focused on the Putin and the Middle East, specifically the failed, $AU682 million effort to train and equip a moderate opposition to fight the Islamic State.

The administration ended the program last week, following a report by the US military that efforts to train as many as 5,000 rebels had only done so for about 50 and now only four or five remain.

“There’s no doubt that it did not work,” said Obama.

“What we have not been able to do so far — and I’m the first to acknowledge this — is to change the dynamic inside of Syria.”

In other words, try as he might, Obama just couldn’t get Syrians to join Team America.

When looking at this catastrophe and how Putin has understandably lost patience with Obama’s Cirque du Syria, climate change is also naturally the first thing that came to my mind (stay with me on this one):

Obama also refused to accept the notion that Putin has challenged his leadership and assertion last year that America is an “indispensable nation.”

“If you think that running your economy into the ground and having to send troops in, in order to prop up your only ally is leadership, then we’ve got a different definition of leadership,” said Obama, referring to Putin’s efforts in Ukraine.

“My definition of leadership would be leading on climate change.”

Perhaps Obama thinks that they all wouldn’t be so angry if it wasn’t so hot over there?