Editor's Note: Joshua Landis is the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies and Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma. He writes the blog Syria Comment, where this was originally published.
By Joshua Landis, Syria Comment
Two distinct camps are forming to battle over Syria policy in Washington. The first is made up of the neoconservatives, who are busy fitting the Arab Spring into U.S. strategic interests as they see them. John Bolton, Michael Doran, and Elliott Abrams have been leading the charge in articulating this argument.
The second group are the “realists,” with a liberal coating. Anthony Cordesman of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies has articulated a “don’t get involved” argument.
The first group want to take down Assad’s Syria and the second do not. The first see it as a vital U.S. strategic goal, the second do not. The first see it as part of a broader effort to help your friends and hurt your enemies. They see Israel and Saudi Arabia as America’s main friends in the region and want to build them up. They want to crush Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas.
Read: What's behind Assad's violence? Three opinions.
Syria is important because of Iran, America’s number one enemy. They tend to depict the battle in the Middle East as a struggle between good and evil and freedom versus tyranny. The second group sees shades of gray. They see an ugly civil war lurking behind the surface of democracy promotion and are not sure Washington would be wise to get sucked into further expensive commitments that have more to do with messy emerging national identities and less to do with U.S. interests.
The neocons have a number of strengths. Clarity is first. Second is the nature of the Assad regime, which is oppressive and run by a family surrounded by a narrow elite, dominated by Alawis, who are a minority themselves and unpopular among a broad section of the Sunni population. The regime has failed to deliver sufficient economic growth to reverse the growing pool of unemployed youth and to raise the standard of living for most Syrians. The country is suffering from all the ills of a growing income gap, drought and bad policies. Reform has been too slow and many believe it will never come because of the vested interests of the narrow and highly corrupt elite at the top. A growing number of Syrians argue that the entire system must be destroyed and Syria must rebuild itself. Increasingly, leaders of the Syrian uprising are beginning to embrace the ideas being put forward by the neocons. In order to win full U.S. backing, they are pushing for acceptance of a complete strategic reversal of Syria’s foreign policy goals.
Read: Sanctions and their impact.
The neocons are not advocating direct U.S. military involvement in Syria today. They understand this is not politically feasible. But they are preparing the grounds for a much higher level of military commitment in the future. They understand full well that in order to take down the Assad regime and counter the force of the Syrian military, the Syrian opposition will need to develop a full military option. To do so, it will need major U.S. and NATO backing. This will not be a fight for the feint of heart.
Their strategy for angling the U.S. toward making such a commitment in the future is economic sanctions. Broad economic sanctions imposed on Syria by the European Union would have major moral implications down the road. Should Syrians start to starve, as they surely would if real sanctions are imposed, the moral argument for intervention and military escalation would improve.
Should the poorest and most vulnerable Syrians begin to expire, as happened in Iraq in the 1990s, military intervention would become necessary to end the suffering and starvation. Liberals would have to support the military option in such a case. Today, most do not. Sanctions imposed now will make military intervention in the future imperative. Liberals embraced the invasion of Iraq in large part because of the moral argument. Saddam was starving his people. It would be hard to resist such an argument.
European governments have so far resisted imposing blanket trade sanctions on Syria for this exact reason. Once we see European governments impose devastating sanctions on Damascus, we may safely assume that they have accepted the notion of greater military involvement down the line in order to solve the humanitarian problem that sanctions will create. Perhaps they will not support a ground invasion as was done in Iraq, but they could support establishing a no-fly-zone and arming and training a proper Syrian insurgency, as was done in Libya. Of course, in Syria it will be a much bigger and more expensive operation as Syria has no frozen assets that can be diverted to fund the opposition. They Syrian army is much tougher than Libya’s was.
The realists argue that the U.S. should not get militarily involved. They argue that Assad is too strong. The U.S. is trying to prune its military commitments not grow them. The Assad regime still has the support of important sections of the population. It is not a clear good versus evil battle but something reflects deeper civil and sectarian divisions in Syria. The Syrian opposition is hopelessly divided. Perhaps it will develop a leadership, but that will take time and must be left to emerge organically for the time being.
The U.S. should not tie its cart so closely to Israel and Saudi Arabia because both countries are pursuing policies which are not good for U.S. interests in the long run. What is more, the realists do not believe that the U.S. should take sides on the broader religious war being fought between Shiites and Sunnis in the Middle East. The U.S. wants to check Iranian power and dissuade it from going nuclear, but it does not want to enter into the religious war. Most importantly, the U.S. has too many military commitments in the Middle East, a region that has sucked up far too much of Washington’s time and money over the last decade. Greater involvement in Syria is not popular. In the end, this is a Syrian battle and the U.S. should not be trying to decide it.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of Joshua Landis. For more, visit his blog Syria Comment.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
"They see Israel and Saudi Arabia as America’s main friends in the region and want to build them up. "
Saudi Arabia is not a friend. They are an enemy in disguise. They will fall this decade.
Israel are more trouble than they are worth. They need to be humbled and accept a smaller than hoped for state.
You say Saudia Arabia is not a friend, does that mean you think Israel is even though you do properly criticize Israel. I don't believe that Israel is any more of a friend of the U.S. than Saudia Arabia is. A user of the U.S., yes, but friend, no.
Your one of the smart ones not like all the sheep out there.
and "YOUR" definitely one of the smart one too. You can't even spell and you are going to tell us how to run the world... It reminds me of someone who got us in a war with the wrong axis of evil country; He mistook a Q for an N.
Israel is a friend of America in the sense that they are a massive proxy military force for America to use in it's semi-fictional fight against terrorism. You couldn't even count the number of times that that Israeli special forces have acted at America's behest so that America could keep it's hands clean – or the appearancefor the international community. Saudi Arabia is a friend of the US in that they are the main provider of a resource that is fundamental to the American way of life and American and Global economy.
I am politically neutral in that i am not aligned with any of the aforementioned countries, nor any i will mention – but i'd like to help raise awareness of some of the facts. America provides something like 4 billion dollars of aid every year to Israel. This money is used, in part, to drive the Palestinians from their home and move them to places like Gaza where they are incredibly deprived. Israeli's deserve to have a home where they don't need to live in fear – but at the same time they need to stop subjugating it's other inhabitants.
Isn't it kind of interesting that this little dot on the map(Israel) continues o survive despite all of it's enemies surrounding them as well as the world in general? I sure wouldn't want to be betting against them when this all comes to a head......which it will.
the only reason that little dot on the map is still in existence today is because of America. If they didn't get billions and billions in free handouts, access to our military tech, etc, they would be wiped off the face of the earth in a matter of weeks.
Beyond a certain point, bellicosity becomes suicidal. Two examples: Hitler fighting a war on two fronts, and the Zionists making war on the entire region, though outnumbered 100-to-1. However, the Zionists have had powerful allies, and these allies have saved them from the Masada-like self-destruction they so evidently crave. Zionists are fascists, and fascism is the ideology of national suicide.
You can bet as you like but rest assured Israel's end is in sight.
What enenmies, you mean Egypt Mubarak who was in bed with Israel or King of Jordan who is a kiss a$$, or Syria bashar who never fired a bullet at Israel unless it is convenient to take the attention of him. No fool Israel is not that strong, that became clear when hezbollah kicked their butt in Lebanon, so Israel started killing civilians since they could not get the armed fighters, which is typical because they beleive winning is based on how many you kill, and as far nuclear weapons goes, mind as well dumb them on top of themselves because regarddless where they use them in the middle east they will end up dying from the radioactive material
Thanks to the hundreds of billions of U.S tax dollars to prop up an apartheid like regime, that oppresses and occupies Palestinian lands and against countless UN reselutions that are vetoed by U.S which in turn is powerless because it's great democracy is manipulated and hijacked by a powerful lobbies like AIPAC that makes sure every politician that comes to office knows fully well to survive he must sing the praises of Israel from day one.
in 1973 Israel was 20 km from Damascus and 45 km from Cairo and had surrounded Egypt's 3rd army. If Nixon was not a crooked politician, Israel would have decidedly won the 73 Yom Kippur war, and the arabs would have absorbed their arab brothers who lived in Israel, just as the israelis absorbed their jewish brothers who were illegally expelled from moslem countries where they had been living for 1,000 years before the moslems and arabs conquered those lands. Ah! history in the hands of sports' page aficionados can make for a very dangerous world. If Israel turns to China for military and economic cooperation, the biggest loser will be the USA, and don't think that this is lost on the chinese government.. There will be a time when the self-righteous leftists will force Saudi Arabia, Israel, Europe and other US Allies to turn to China for military and economic cooperation. This is already happening and it all started with Jimmy Carter, which brings us back full circle to Richard Nixon – that American crooked politician. And that's the rest of the history.
America needs Israel. Israel is the only stable democracy in the mid east. If there were a mid-east war Israel is the only country the US could trust to house military bases. Think of it as a large aircraft carrier
Israel turns the entire region against us. Then, once it has a stranglehold on our affections, it stabs us in the back.
+( Prior to [the 1947] period, the United States had been viewed very favorably in the Arab world. As a result of extensive private American educational, philanthropic, and missionary activities and the absence of American imperial involvement, most Arabs perceived the United States to be a champion of self-determination, human rights, and democratic freedoms. )+ - Cheryl A. Rubenberg, Israel And The American National Interest, p. 27
That is one of the most self-harting statements I have ever heard. It's like saying that I want to be friends with murderers, rapists, and child molesters so that they will like me and not do harm to me or my family.
The better and more ethical approach would be to say that 'I want to be friends with people who are righteous like me, even if the murderers, rapists, and child molesters hate me'. If we had people like you during the revolution we would still be living under the boots of the British Kings.
Give this guy a medal. Finally someone who calls it as it is.
You are so right.
bobalu, Israel already is the smallest country in the region. Do you want all of them to live on a postage stamp?
There IS an important point about iran . If NATO decided to go in military strikes for the Syrian regime IRAN will not get involve because IRAN can not expose there Nuclear reactors for the military stikes . specialy that IRAN in its way to make a nuclear bomb.
There IS an important point about iran . If NATO decided to go in military strikes for the Syrian regime, IRAN will not get involve because IRAN can not expose there Nuclear reactors for the military stikes . specialy that IRAN in its way to make a nuclear bomb.
As always, these so-called neoconservatives will win on this, too. As we get more and more needlessly involved in all these countries, the economic conditions here in America will only deteriorate. As long as these neoconservatives( better know as the right-wing thugs) continue to run things in Washington, and they will, America's future does look grim indeed!
Yes, the trio- Elliot Abrahms, Michael Doran and John Bolton resembles a bunch of immature school-boys, who love to explore new playgrounds abroad. Their experiment is real, those fiighters on the battlefield aren't tin soldiers.
I'm not a neo-conservative so lets get that out of the way first but I believe it was Obama that led us into yet another attack on a sovereign country. It's not just neo-conservatives that seem to like to bully other countries.
We bullied Libya? Really? Did you forget about Lockerbie?
So we should get involved in Libya over 1 guy who will be dead within the next year or two and is confined to a wheelchair, who had been tried and convicted in another country. Stop crying because you didn't get your way and realize that all that money spent on them over there could of been spent helping out americans.
There's nothing sovereign about a dictatorship. It's just but a bunch of thugs with guns holding the rest of the country hostage.
+( Iran, America’s number one enemy )+
the Israel-first neo-con traitors are America's number one enemy. They are the ones who lied us into creating the trillion-dollar holocaust in Iraq. They are the ones who shattered our economy. They are the ones who called for the U.S. to experience a "new Pearl Harbor event" in Sep 2000, a year before 9/11.
What has Iran done? It has been seeking better relations with the U.S. since 1995. Its efforts have been blocked by the Israel-firsters at AIPAC.
The neo-cons - and also the neo-libs - are fanatical supporters of the fascist regime in Israel. They go before AIPAC every year and declare their "Absolute" and "Unconditional" fealty to that regime. Call them what they are: a traitorous fifth-column. It is not in America's interest to serve as Israel's slave.
Nonzionist,
Your writings are full of hate for the Jewish people. The term Zionist simply means the movement to create and preserve a Jewish homeland in the middle east on the land that was ancient Israel. It is definitely a democracy, it is not at all facist. It is definitely not racist, as you appear to be. The land of Israel existed as a Jewish homeland in history from about 850 BCE until about 70 AD. That land was conquered by several ancient peoples, including Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, Persians, and later Muslims. The Jewish people have historical ties to that land. You make the word "Zionist" sound like something really evil, which it is not. Today, while radical Islam wants to establish a caliphate and reign supreme on a worldwide basis, Israel is an important ally in the struggle against those forces. 70% of the aid Israel receives from the US is spent in the US helping our factories keep running and our people employed. Israel is a technologically advanced nation and many of its inventions are helpful to the US economy and to our military. It is not the pariah you make it out to be. But then, we don't know what your background is, perhaps you have a vested interest in trying to sway public opinion against Israel? The vast majority of Americans support our policies of friendship with Israel irrespective of any views you may have. That is because we share common values, beliefs, and culture with Israel. All your printed hatred will not change that fact.
Yeah, all the "right-wing thugs" control Washington–like Obama, Hillary, Reid, etc.
Pull your head out!
For every Obama, Hillary and Reid there is a Boehner, McConnell and Cantor. Rattling of a bunch of democrat party member names isn't going to win your argument.
Good article.
Yes, very analytic and serious. I personally am against all military interventions. I'm still very critical towards the way how the Libyan crisis was handled. I do think that a cease-fire and a peace-keeping policy would have been more appropriate. If western forces had intervened in Libya, they might as well intervene in Syria, for the sake of consistency.
You'd probably be against military intervention on your own behalf.
As the author says, the neo-cons have "clarity". Yes - just like a fairy-tale or comic-book.
All ideologues have "clarity". that's because the ideologue puts ideology above reality. He creates a very clear very simple mental prison for himself, then he locks himself inside and throws away the key.
In Iraq, the neo-cons were wrong about almost everything. They told us the trillion-dollar holocaust would be a "Cakewalk" (Kenneth Adelman). They told us it "would pay for itself" (Paul Wolfowitz). They told us that the Iraqis would "Shower Us With Rose Petals" - after burying the remnants of the children dismembered by our cluster bombs. They told us that Saddam and Atta were buddies. Etc., etc..
In other words, our Israel-first ideologues are delusional - and delusion, however clear, is not a good basis for foreign policy.
Hey NonZionist, the neocons were never wrong, they knew exactly what lies they were weaving, they knew what they were doing. They, as always, were serving the interest of Israel and no one else. America be damned.
Though I do still wonder why the District of Columbia is warring over a mid-east country. Bold move a city of only 1/2 million.
This is a great article, let's not forget that the Assad regime is not like any other brutal regime in the region, his crimes against his own people will reflect on the US and west very badly as they stand and watch. The time to analyze, plan, and act is long gone, this is time for serious actions to stop the killing of civilians.
How could they possible reflect more badly on the U.S. than our support of one of the worst dictators in that area, the Shah of Iran who was also brutal to his own citizens.
The regime in Syria is doing what any government anywhere would do: It is putting down rebellion.
The rebels are trying to overthrow the government. If they succeed, sectarian strife or civil war is the likely result. The civil war in Lebanon claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. That is the sort of catastrophe Assad is trying to avert, and it is the bloodbath the foreign supporters of the rebels may be secretly hoping for.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give plave unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the lord.
Our foreign policy with regard to Syria and other middle -eastern countries should consist of 4 words: "Stay out of it."
Mr. landis is on Assad`s payroll , or as someone else put it ; he is marred to Assad.
how coud CNN ask his thoughts about Syria .
go ask Fareeed Zakaria about Landis , or just go visit his blog (bla bla) and find out yourself.
Your claim is no more credible than the claim that the Assad claim that the rebellion is due to "Armed Gangs".
The rebels have been caught in a number of lies already. And I do not want the U.S. to be lied into another war.
Given that the Syrian protesters/rebels don't want America help in any way the US should stay out of it. Otherwise many of the protesters will join up with the government to fight off the 'invaders'.
Finally, a lucid comment. That's the main reason we haven't intervened, because the populace doesn't want us to. As opposed to Libya whose revolutionaries were begging for NATO support.
Actually, the opposition there have seen what it took for NATO backing for Libya-a "somewhat" cohesive opposition gov't--the Syrian rebels are trying to form such a thing, also when Obama called for Assad to step down, this emboldened the protesters-if America gets involved militarily (which I think it eventually will), it should be strictly air support...
victim of democrat hypocrisy
Interesting name you got there.
Its amazing that its the neocons/Republicans that want to go to war,
not the democrats, or cant you read the article ?
Are you that brainwashed ?
A republican senator could walk up to you and puch you in the face
and you would call the cops on the democrats because you are that freaking brainwashed.
YOU.....are in fact, what is wrong in America.
Brian,
Syrian rebels directly asked for the USA and specificaly Nato's help, citing Lybia as an example of what they want
However we need to take in account other interest in the region, not just long term allies like Israel, Saudi Arabia or Turkey.
Russia is deeply involved in the region, but it's been playing ping pong for a few decades since the russian spring. Sometime authoritarian, sometime democratic. It's been doing a dance between its old values and its new values.
The think is, Russia like all large country has pride, and it seeks its place on the world stage. So far, the USA have been too confrontational with moscow.
True, there are issues, there are soviet era leaders still there that are still thinking the old way. And some that turned toward corruption (the whole russian mafia was a splinter from KGB and the military). But there are many that fully embraced democratic values, and new ways of asserting russian values.
So we need to keep all this in mind.
Respecting Russia and involving it in those unfolding events is critical.
you know, many peoples have the potential to change. Among those in Russia who have a hard stance, many could become more soft edged and seek cooperation if they see it in the best interest of Russia and its peoples.
Now, some might be monsters and unredeemable, but that's their choice. They may end up exiling themselves to China. Until that place get unconfortable too.
We need to be about 100x more clever in Syria than we were in Lybia.
Getting Russia onboard would change the map of the world as much as the arab spring did.
After that, time could do its work in China, and eventaly the old oligarch will capitulate, and the chinese will be free.
Enough American time, money, and most importantly LIVES have been wasted in the Middle East on problems that aren't our concern and people who don't give a rat's behind about us. At what point do we say "Enough"?
neo-cons are still calling the shots in foreign policy after their historical military blunders in Iraq and Afghanistan??? This is a great article, keep it up Landis! sounds like America will get involved in Syria eventually, hopefully just air support.......but don't think Iran will just sit idly by and watch their basturd child and good friend get slapped around.....they'll jump in the mix, which would open a door for Israel to conduct airstrikes on their nuclear facilities....and this will unleash a whole maelstrom of conflict in that area......syria could be the powder keg for WW3......
The longer I live the more wisdom I see in De Gaulle's statement "Nations don't have friends, they have interests". When ever I see someone advocating that we help some "friendly nation" I get that same feeling I get when I enter a used car dealership.
+(
Observe good faith and justice towards all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all ... The Nation which indulges towards another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.
)+
– George Washington, "Farewell Address", 17 Sep 1796
Actually Israel's Likudniks are calling the shots, and the neo-cons are favored because they are champion Israel-firsters.
It doesn't matter how wrong, how delusional, or how catastrophic neo-con policies are. What matters is that they know how to parrot the Zionist Party line and take the cues from Netanyahu.
John Bolton is a moron and a war monger.
I am particularly fascinated by the statement, "The Syrian opposition is hopelessly divided. Perhaps it will develop a leadership, but that will take time and must be left to emerge organically for the time being." How do you propose that the Syrian opposition emerge organically? Perhaps your readers aren't aware that any sort of political opposition is subject to detainment, arrest, or summary execution. Mr. Landis, do you supposeI the Assad regime would stop bombarding villages long enough to allow a unified opposition to emerge? Let's remember that mere assembly is illegal in Syria!
Joshua Landis should change his lastname to ; JOSHUA ASSAD.
Can't wait for another war to occur, won't be long before the US & Europe collapse. I just hope Canada is fine.
@NonZionist...
Is that you, Ahmadina-Jihad, or are you just one of his "secretaries of mis-information?" I'm just waiting for the post where you declare your holy war on us.
To the rest of you, recognize that this is CNN's attempt at news reporting, and that it actually an opinion piece copied from a blog, not an actual news report. What is happening in Syria is a continued offshoot of the Arab Spring, just under a more ruthless dictator. If the US/NATO involvement was right and necessary in Libya, then it is right and necessary in Syria–neocon, neolib or otherwise.
Using juvenile taunts like "Ahmadina-Jihad", you try to whip yourself into a frenzy of hatred for the Enemy of the Month. You would not need such childish invective, if facts were on your side.
Your message reminds me of the scene in Nineteen Eighty Four where the idolatrous masses, screaming out their undying hatred for East Asia, suddenly discover that the Party line has changed: Eurasia is now the Satanic Foe, and East Asia is Oceania's Dearest Ally!
If you're waiting for me to declare a holy war on you, you will wait forever. I believe that evil contains the seeds of its own destruction. Your own addiction to war-making drags you down and drives you mad. Let me know when you are ready to give up that addiction and get clean.
PNAC
Plan for the new American century.
Written by the neocons.
Its better than reading Nostradamus.
They have a plan and that plan is in motion and working very well.
You cant stop it, because you dont believe it.
You should read it, and then you will see where this is going, and who is next.
Hmm, syria sounds like what the US is becoming. We already have massive debt from two stupid wars we had no business getting into. Let the people of syria take care of themselves. If they don't like the regime, they should REVOLT like the libyans.
We Christian Know the Jew is our brother from another mother... So we will protect her ... everyone else can go to H___L we will not be there
+( 38 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. )+ - Galatians 3:38
If you were really Christian, you would take an interest in the teachings of Christ.
There's a part of the Bible that you may not be familiar with. It's called the NEW Testament.
The trick, CNN, is to find crafty ways to never let people assemble in response to horrific and brutal war crimes on US soil and around the globe...
But instead of telling people to shut their mouths, like a proper dictatorship would, you need to use the full force of no cause Muller to put as many people as necessary on stellar winds perverted platform where gauging their reaction to everything creates an infinite number of pretexts to also be able to organically destroy any US citizen that has a problem with being a subject and becoming a potential enemy for life.
Because they where put on this grave and dire platform for life exclusively to shut their mouths-but since we at least need the perception of rule of law at some lower compartments -we have no choice but to make massive numbers of US citizens run around sniffing each others as all day as they get used to this perverted living hell.
But to be successful in such a stupid effort you need to use extrajudicial force to maintain the perception of rule of law and democracy the nation over...
Only you Radio...
Wow, that wasn't just delusional, it was psychedelic!
I told you the brown acid was bad
but you took it anyway.
Where is our priority? Our economy is in such dire condition and Obama / Hilary are demanding the Syrian president to step down. Do we really need to get into another military conflict and bombing countries one after another? Or is this how "we" can fix the economy?
Not to mention Syria's strong links to Iran, which may become involved if NATO countries become openly involved, militarily. Then, we may have Iran sending missiles into Israel; not pretty. Turkey, however, has made noises that they could become militarily involved if the massacres continue. If they get involved, it would at least not draw Israel into the picture, making for a more limited conflict. In spite of the moral imperative to defend the defenseless protestors, this is a much tougher nut to crack.
Joshua Landis is ignorant in Syrian politics, his Alawite Syrian wife influences lots of his extreme pro government ideas. Joshua try to sell himself as non-biased, his agenda sponsored by his friend Ambassador of Syria Mustafa is to lobby the U.S. out of interfering in Syria's politics, ignoring the massacres and killings caused by this brutal regime.
Before we jump to any conclusions about Syria, maybe the United States should get its facts straight about what really is going on. First and foremost, Syria is being invaded by outsiders that are creating the chaos. If you ask any Syrian citizen, they will tell you what a great man Assad is. All that CNN, Al-Jazeera and every other main stream news channel is reporting is wrong. To prove that, just look at the fact that the two people in control of reporting Syrian and Lebanese news for Al-Jazeera resigned close to two months ago because of the ridiculous news Al-Jazeera was reporting. If that isn't enough, if anyone had access to a Syrian facebook account, you could see the videos that were being posted. One such video showed the group of rebellious outsiders killing a Syrian citizen then chopping his arm off like a bunch of animals. In another video on facebook, a man interviewed one of the "rebels" and asked him why he was rebelling. His response was that he didn't know, but he was getting paid to do it. Think about it. Where did the first rebellion start? It started on the border of Syria. It didn't start in the interior of Syria. If any of you have access to the Syrian news network, watch it and discover what really is going on. My parents are both Syrian immigrants and they have only praises for what president Assad has done. Anyone who is friends with any Syrians or Syrian citizens on facebook will see that there is great support for Assad. President Assad is a graduate of an English college. Syria is one of the only countries that allows for religious freedom. Christians, Muslims and Jews all live in Syria without any trouble. Name another Middle Eastern country that doesn't persecute one or more of the three main religions. I don't mean to put down this article or CNN, but before any articles can be written about what to do about Syria, reporters should interview actual Syrian citizens in Syria and listen and find out what really is going on.
Nice try Assad.
Thanks for your comment, Mike. To get at the truth, we need to hear more than just one side. Your comment gives us one of those sides.
The neo-cons and neo-libs are adept at lying us into war. With their drumbeat of propaganda, they manipulate our emotions and stampede us into war. The neo-cons like to use Fear and Hate - fear of imaginary "Iraqi WMDs" or "Iranian Nukes", hatred for other races and religions. The neo-libs use Idealism and Compassion.
Remember the "Poor Kosovars" - who turned out to be KLA narco-terrorists? NATO bombed Yugoslavia in behalf of these ethnic supremacists and installed them in power. That's when the real ethnic cleansing began.
Similar techniques are being used against Syria. On the one side, we have the "Poor Demonstrators". On the other side, we have One Man - the Supervillain Ogre Butcher Madman Assad, who is a Thousand Times Worse Than Hitler. The "Poor Demonstrators" speak for all Syrians and Assad is killing them for sport. As in 1999, we have to DO SOMETHING to stop this GENOCIDE!! - where "Doing Something" means Bombing. Like sheep, we are herded into that one pen: Don't even THINK about alternatives, like a truce or a negotiated settlement or reforms! Think BOMBS and MISSILES: Make the War Inc. people happy.
Syria just another pathetic Islamic country who really cares. The diffrence beteween Syria and Eygpt is about 2500 bodies . Islam always leaves a trail of bodies.
Yup. Let's send American farm boys to protect Israel. With the modern technology, we don't need that many farmers anyway. They'll be just moving to the cities and taking away jobs that are hard to find for local people. By joining the army and sending them to defend israel, we'll solve two problems at once. They're too dumb to know the difference as long as we feed them things like honor, consittution and those kind of mumble jumbles.
US should never have agreed to the formation of Israel or any new country for that matter on land belonging to others. For that mistake, US has been paying a dear price and will continue to do so unless the jews and arabs assimilate. Assimilate, yes, because coexistence with Israel is not possible. They are Zionist and that is their mantra
please help syrian people we deserve to be saved from this barbarian regime bachar asad is children killer
Yes, agree, but not by stupid extremists terrorists. No body wants Muslim activists to govern Syria. We want democratic and secular Syria. You want to worship God? do it at home or in a mosque but don't come to the street with your ideas and impose them on others. What democracy and freedon you guys talk about? as soon as one disagrees with you on something you accuse him of being paid by the regime. Who are you fooling? we don't trust you either. You are the other side of the coin of dictatorship and oppression.
Great article, I'm Syrian.
They have been killing people, imprison, torture quietly for 40 years ago and still do, but now people they can show some I mean some of what they are doing???
They took over power illegally by military coup using iron fist assertion and torture to all opponents. The is illegitimate government from the word go.
You know, rather you're reading and commenting on this story from the U.S., the Middle East, Europe, or the Orient, I would try and remember that not everything you see and hear in the news is the Whole story. There are pieces of news stories that may not include parts (large & small) of the Whole story. Surely everyone allows for this adding & subtracting inside their perspective. (?) If you have ever worked with people, especially people from different backgrounds, educations, etc, and there is a common goal or destination, surely you know that at some point, somewhere, you have to do, or operate outside the lines to keep the larger wheel turning-it just happens because we are human.
Individual interests combined with group interests always will have conflicts which breed secularism, back-handed-ness, and the A to Z individual agendas. Will there ever be peace in the Middle East? Maybe, but it will never be unanimously felt by everyone in the Middle East, there will be varying degrees of peace, rest, tolerance, retribution, grudges, agreements, etc,.
I would imagine that the Middle East, in its' most mutually agreeable form will simply be a land of grudging tolerance. That is not meant to sound like a pessimistic viewpoint, but rather an optimistic one.
Bottom line too, just my opinion,...
Assad is Iran's best ally among nations these days. He also is the chief provider of weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, or at the very least, he transships weapons from Iran into Lebanon. The US should not get involved militarily in the Syrian revolution, but we should help those who want to overthrow Assad. All these "Arab spring" uprisings are not events which should get the US involved, we have enough on our plate as is. The real US enemy is Iran which has supplied weapons to the forces in Iraq who have been building roadside bombs which kill our troops. The Iranians are also the primary armaments supplier to Hezbollah which killed 241 US Marines back in 1982 in Beirut. Iran is becoming good friends with Chavez's Venezuela, and Western Hemisphere Hezbollah is planning future mischief against the US homeland. They must be watched carefully and stopped before they do grave damage to us. As far as Israel goes, they are a friend and an ally to the US and a partner in war against Islamic terrorism. They will never ask for US troops to defend their land, but they do need our support to maintain a mideast balance of power. Many of the postings on here are so anti-Israel and so full of hate, I at first thought this column appeared in Al Jizera or Al Manar, not CNN.
Good lord, this is not what the US needs...another intervention in a mid east country to further lower it's standing in that part of the world. Stay away, moral support may be fine (can the US even claim this ground?)...but do stay away.
And I agree, this is a side show...let's work on helping our own people by improving the economy.
Besides, there's no oil there!
Iran and the Russians are refitting a naval base at the Syrian port of Latakia. That makes for a tender "What to do about Syria" momment indeed.
Two Iranian warships reached the Syrian port of Latakia via the Suez Canal, Friday, Feb. 25, an Iranian-Syrian naval cooperation accord was signed providing for Iran to build its first Mediterranean naval base at the Syrian port, debkafile’s military and Iranian sources reveal.
The base will include a large Iranian Revolutionary Guards weapons depot stocked with hardware chosen by the IRGC subject to prior notification to Damascus. Latakia harbor will be deepened, widened and provided with new “coastal installations” to accommodate the large warships and submarines destined to use these facilities.
Syrian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Ali Mohammad Habib at a ceremony in honor of the Iranian Navy Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, Habib said: “Iranian warships’ presence in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time after 32 years is a great move that is going to cripple Israel.”
War drums...prefer to beat those that advocate them....leave my kids alone please.
Now if want to send people like Cheney...well let's talk!
Of course we need to act in Syria
But we need to be clever, think outside the box.
Syria is an incredible moment to build ties with Russia.
This is the event that can Galvanize all of Russia (it's peoples)
and move Russia politics more toward democratic values
Russia isn't China. It has leftover strongmen from the Soviet era, and a powerfull mafia, but all this is shrinking with the new wold that is currently emerging
Russia must be convince to participate in the operation. It has to be a moderate operation, like Lybia was. One of support, not intervention, where the Syrian peoples determine their future
Not easy, I'll give you that
Remember the zoinist cabals Russia has a naval Base in Syria !! You have done enough damage to Uncle SAM.
No more !!
zionist cabal about the Syrian naval base? you may want to seek some serious therapy.
America should be a little more discerning when turning its back on Israel. The Saudis can be left to fend for themselves but a smart nation does not turn against Israel. It's been historically proven more than a handful of times that nations who've turned against Israel (God's land) actually cease to exist today. As hyperextended in worldly affairs as we are today, I'd say the last thing we can afford to lose is God's covering.
The fact the regime in Syria is corrupt and oppressive does not mean we have to support the extremist Muslims trying to topple it and take over. Don't be fooled, the people demonstarting in syria er the worst breed of the extremists. They are murderers, criminals, and terrorists....Ben Laden kinds. Do you wanna help these people take over a secular regime????? I don't think this is the right move for America.
I think we need to get rid of Saudis and other stupid Arab kings and Emirs before messing with a secular regime like Assad's in Syria. Are we talking about democracy and human rights? are you really serious? democracy and human rights in Saudi or Katar? you must be joking....Don't ever forget Ben Laden and his supporters; they were raised and nurtured by Saudis.
assad will not falls in easy way because assad clan fight as a religius duty they will not care for the Sanctions . and iran support him with billions of dollars . he has 120000 of alawit soliders just under his brother maher . Except for the security forces which are alawite 95% . so he will not fall if there are no Military strikes . also the Military strikes will Encourage the other soliders to Defecting the army .
IF THE WORLD DONT STAND WITH THE PROTESTERS THEY WILL BE KILLED FOR THE FUTUER . AND IRAN WILL BE STRONGER AND AMERICANS Existence WILL BE AT RISK.AND THE SYRIAN REGIME WILL FEEL STRONGER SO ISRAEL WILL BE ON IRANIAN LIST AND IT IS NOT SECRET THAT IRAN About to MAKE NUCLEAR BOMB
O AMERICA IT IS NOT ABOUT OIL IT IS ABOUT EXISTENCE.
I feel for the people of Israel... they will suffer when hell will break loose with islamists in the north, east and south! What will they do when those who faught alongside the talibans in afghanistan and the insugents in irak will push their way to Israel.
Maybe a small Nuclear bomb in Baghdad will ripple through to jordan, syria and turkey and this will open the road to the jewish state from sea to river. God bless israel!
Everyone knows that israel has WMDs yet no one does anything!!! if you count the number of human rights violations committed by israel it exceeds the ones committed by saudi arabia! And the US citizens fund those violations with our tax money because the US government is israel's slave!!!
Israel Has been working hard on the dominance over the region through Media control and weapons control. Anyone that criticizes Israel is branded as an anti-semite! And the whole world runs to the rescue of Israel... the spoiled brat that is no less than a criminal state!
Karel de Grote
I do agree with you....in particulair America's middle east policy controlled by jewish americans is the core reason for worldwide terror in the air and on the ground. The islam world has decided to fight back...... Meanwhile, it appears to me the USA has not learnt a lesson, it uses the current turmoil in the middle east to unsettle Syrie and create a civil war in that country hoping Iran will also be infected sooner or later they hope Israel will emerge as the only ME super power.
Joshua Landis' sick thinking: Starve them and then feel sorry for them. Wishful thinking, you can't starve Syria.