The steady drumbeat of preparations for some sort of a U.S. strike
in Syria is stirring up old anxieties. Americans have no appetite for another
military campaign in a foreign land.
Syria feels far away; a tragedy, no doubt, but to many who
strongly oppose any kind of intervention, it is simply too removed, too
complicated, too foreign to view as an American problem. Military action, the
skeptics rightly say, has consequences, often unpredictable ones. But so does
inaction.
Inaction is more dangerous -- potentially riskier and costlier --
than smart, limited intervention. Syria may seem far away, but every passing
day, every calamitous, explosive, hate-infused day, makes it more America's --
and the world's -- problem. Here are five reasons why:
1) Other dictators are watching: When the president of the United States says the use of chemical weapons is a
"red line," other dangerous regimes pay very close attention
to see what he means. If that line is crossed -- as is gruesomely visible in Syria -- and nothing happens, it sends a clear signal
to current and future powers that may threaten American interests and
fundamental international norms.
The message that America's warnings can be ignored, that the
international community's warnings can be disregarded, is most welcome in
places like Iran and North Korea, whose pursuits of weapons are a threat not
just to the United States but to the entire world.
2) Chemical weapons will be used in future
battlegrounds: More than 100,000 people
have been killed in Syria. That alone should stir the conscience of humanity.
But there is something uniquely dangerous about the introduction of chemical
weapons. Horrified by the effects of chemical weapons in the battlefield,
nations have come together over the years to develop international bans on
nerve gases, blister agents, blood agents and choking agents.
The Syrian government, by all appearances, used nerve gas to kill hundreds of its own
citizens. If it passes without a response, this will not be the last
time we see these weapons in use -- and not just in a distant battlefield.
Chemical weapons are not only appealing to dictators refusing to relinquish
power, but they also could make an appearance in other wars, and they are ideal
for terrorist groups seeking to inflict maximum fear.
3) The war is spreading, the choices are
worsening: The United States has
largely kept its distance in the Syrian civil war. Two years ago,
President Obama declared that President Bashar al-Assad must go. A
year ago, he drew his famous red line. But any hope that the situation would
somehow resolve itself has only produced the worst possible outcome.
The U.S. should have provided material and logistical help to the
more moderate among the rebels early on. Failure to do so resulted in today's
terrible dearth of good choices, in which America wants al-Assad to fall, but
the opposition is dominated by extremist jihadists, some of them affiliated
with al Qaeda.
In the meantime, the war is bursting beyond Syrian borders.
Millions of Syrians have fled their homes, straining resources and occasionally
raining fire into Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and even Israel. The war threatens to
engulf the region. The Middle East remains
the most explosive region of the world. It produces a big portion of oil
supplies and it lies at the crossroads of global commerce. This is the last
place to allow a wildfire to spread before trying to affect its direction and
ultimately extinguish it.
4) Inaction will hand a victory to al-Assad,
Iran and Hezbollah:The Obama administration
is telegraphing an attack against Syria aimed at punishing al-Assad and sending
a message to the world, rather than seeking to change the course of this civil
war. But the course of the war matters.
Without forceful American action, al-Assad's latest maneuvers
constitute a victory for his regime and its top allies, Iran and Hezbollah.
Giving a boost to this alliance runs counter to regional and global peace and
stability. Iran and Hezbollah have a nefarious track record. They have carried
out a wave of terrorist attacks in Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Just last week a judge in Thailand
sentenced an Iranian man to life in prison for his role in a terrorist plot against Israeli
diplomats in Bangkok. Iranian and Hezbollah agents have been
implicated in terrorist plots in Argentina, Cyprus, Bulgaria,
India and elsewhere. Even if you don't care about Syria or the Middle East,
handing a victory to this dangerous threesome should worry everyone.
5) A new generation of hatred will perpetuate
this tragedy:The war in Syria has
raged for 2½ years. During that time, it has descended into ever greater levels
of brutality and carnage. It has also become increasingly sectarian.
It all started as a peaceful uprising demanding a dictator step
down and allow a democratic government representing the different religions and
ethnicities in Syria. It is now a hate-filled maelstrom of Sunnis, Shiites,
Allawites, Christians, Kurds and others. People are being killed based on their
community of origin.
This is how you create hatreds that burn through the ages,
enduring for generations of revenge-seeking, and triggering new wars. The
longer this fire rages, the more likely its sparks will start new fires, far
into the future.
The United States and its friends should strike al-Assad in a way
that shows the world will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons, and prove
that America's threats and international commitments have meaning and muscle.
Beyond that, Washington should do what it should have done long ago.
Without sending any U.S. troops into Syria, the United States and
its allies should find and strengthen the more moderate members of the
opposition so they will gain the upper hand against extremists within
opposition ranks.
Then they can remove al-Assad from power by wining what is, most
assuredly, their war, the Syrians' war, but one that is of great consequence to
America and to the rest of the world.
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