The President Has No Spine: Syria Here We Come!

It is time to let the rest of the world get involved if they must…but it is time for the United States to stop thinking that we need to be involved in every local conflict in the world. But now, bowing to pressure from critics, advisers and purportedly former President Clinton, the president is moving the US more directly into the conflict in Syria. I warned about this back in April…it is STILL the wrong thing to do.

From today’s New York Times:

For two years, President Obama has resisted being drawn deeper into the civil war in Syria. It was a miserable problem, he told aides, and not one he thought he could solve. At most, it could be managed. And besides, he wanted to be remembered for getting out of Middle East wars, not embarking on new ones.

So when Mr. Obama agreed this week for the first time to send small arms and ammunition to Syrian rebel forces, he had to be almost dragged into the decision at a time when critics, some advisers and even Bill Clinton were pressing for more action. Coming so late into the conflict, Mr. Obama expressed no confidence it would change the outcome, but privately expressed hope it might buy time to bring about a negotiated settlement.

As I said in my earlier article, we failed in our original intervention in Afghanistan when we adopted an ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ policy and we are apparently ready to rejoin that position in Syria:

But the move also reflects nervousness in the White House about the increased involvement of Iran and its proxy group, Hezbollah, in the fight on Mr. Assad’s behalf. With the Syrian opposition on the defensive, a victory by Mr. Assad would be a victory for Iran as well.

Any number of other nations are already involved including Saudi Arabia. If they aren’t ready to step up their support of the Syrian opposition in a conflict on their doorstep…why does the US feel the need?

Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, said he was “baffled” by Mr. Obama’s decision to become more deeply involved. “What exactly is our objective?” he asked. “It’s not clear to me that every nondemocratic government in the world has to be removed by force.”

And I’d like to leave with one last quote from the White House…which negates their whole position:

But White House aides on Friday again ruled out sending United States troops and dismissed calls for a no-fly zone over Syria, calling it “dramatically more difficult and dangerous and costly” than it had been in Libya in 2011, as Mr. Rhodes put it. And there is little domestic constituency for another American adventure abroad. (emphasis mine)

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3 thoughts on “The President Has No Spine: Syria Here We Come!

  1. Thanks Ed.

    IMHO, Obama wants something to divert attention away from the privatization of our intelligence capabilities and the relentless war on the Fourth Amendment.

    “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

    Dick Cheney’s one step closer to his dream of a Middle Eastern War between Sunni’s and Shia.

  2. We have a role in the world, and history will wonder why it took so long the US to help stop the slaughter in Syria. The threat of this conflict spreading is more than enough reason, if the numbers of dead are not enough, to allow for a stand from the US. If we are a super power, and we indeed are, then we need to act like it in times when the clear moral path is laid before us. Hand wringing is so unsightly, and makes our image at times on the international scene embarrassing. While I hated the Iraq War, and found it a needless military bloodletting, let us not confuse needless military adventures with correct measures of American might that can tilt the balance, and decrease further escalation into other countries and political theatres. There is such a thing as being liberal and also knowing the military can make a difference for others. This action, though tepid will enhance our nation’s standing, and will better define us to Syrians who will one day lead a new country.

  3. “…and will better define us to Syrians who will one day lead a new country.”

    And that is working so incredibly well for us in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and Egypt so far. And the Syrian opposition forces include groups who are related to Al Qaeda and other groups hostile to the west. Humph!

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