In The Wall Street Journal, Fouad Ajami lays out what President Obama should do for Syria in one short paragraph:
"We could, with some moral clarity, recognize the Syrian National Council as the country's legitimate government, impose a no-fly zone in the many besieged areas, help train and equip the Free Syrian Army, prompt Turkey to give greater support to defectors from Syrian units, and rally the wealthy Arab states to finance the effort."
Do you agree? What's your one paragraph solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria?
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I do not agree with establishing a no fly zone in a country like Syria where they have a comprehensive defense system in p place, fully supported by the Russians. We would have to be prepared to engage the Syrian military. Where is the Arab League leadership and the UN in all of this?
True, recognising the Syrian National Council as a legitimate government is a good point to start with. The Arab League should take the lead and do so. It doesn't need the blessing of the Security Council. Once the SNC is recognised, it has a legitimate right to ask for outside help. A no-fly-zone is only possible without the veto of the two game spoilers: China and Russia. I do agree Turkey and the wealthy GCC countries should do more.
"recognize the Syrian National Council as the country's legitimate government"
Why do they have more legitimacy than Assad? Why does that tribe have legitimacy?
tribe? Damascus has a population of 1.7 million, but you describe them as "tribes?"
I also don't agree. Just like Israel is for USA, Syria is for Russia. Do you want a world war?
Red Afghanistan, Serbia, Iraq, Libya – all those Russian "strategic allies" vanished so far and no nuclear war took place. So let's see how "powerful" Russia really is, whether or not Putin dares to actively challenge the West in the Middle East. We shall see if Putin is ready to repeat Brezhnev's mistake and put Russia into quagmire of another Afghan-like war. Let's count who has more cash, who has more advanced weapons: Russia or the US and Saudi Arabia. Let's do the show if Putin wants it too – just before presidential elections in Russia! Syria can be a final test of Putin's decade long twaddle about Russia's "resurgence"! The West and its allies are ready. Is Putin ready, too?
Russia is not going to risk a world war for any country in the middle-east. They know NATO will stomp them.
World War will not occur. It would be a proxy war, just like the good old days. The world powers let other people fight their battles and watch those countries fall into chaos. It's cheap, effective, relatively painless for the people living in the superpowers, and utterly disregards the welfare of the people of Syria.
More UN/Arab League observers at the very least.
The people of China and Russia wont be on the sidelines for long. They are under dictatorships as well. This is a world battle line of the people against cruel governments. Syrian people are HEROS.
As "democratic" Russia China and Iran Posture for a piece of Syria, thousands of Syrian preschoolers hide in the stairwells with no father or mother to hold them, while Russian made bombs rain down on their heads. As a Syrian woman my concern is the humanitarian crisis first and therefore I beg all you armchair warriors in this comment section to put yourselves in our place and imagine it's your children and your family who are being slaughtered, what would you say then?
I'm completely sympathetic to the plight of the Syrian people, but what exactly do you propose that the west do about the situation. Arming the resistance won't work. They're up against armor, air, and ships.
Invading Syria and removing Assad from power by force isn't a good answer either, as I doubt the Syrian people really want the US military in their country. And then what afterwards? Another several years in the country quelling sectarian violence?
Please, if you have a good answer to this crisis, I would love to hear about it. What would you have us do?
I will blame ungoverned UN. Why they have not taken any step in Yemen when Saleh was killing and bombing his own people, why UN has not taken any step when Bahrain government with the help of Saudi government were killing their own people. Why Tibbetans are burning themselves.. Why Palestenians are kiiled by Israel in the name of terrorist. There are so many WHY.
Like I said before, our military has no right to be in Syria. Talk about having blood on one's hands, Barack Obama had better consider the people he's butchering through the use of those ungodly drones of his in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Therefore, Obama has absolutly no moral authority to judge Bahar al-Assad!!!
No, President Obama should not make overt or covert moves toward regime change in Syria. The opposition is fractured and there is no clear way to use military means to force regime change because then civil war will result. Have we not learned lessons from the debacle in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.
Ribbon.... more agresssion will just lead to more agresssion. This cannot be the answer. JAL – I think you are on point and I think this is why China and Russia are keenly interested in Syria and showin support for the government's intolerance for civil unrest; they need obedience from the people in order to justify their regimes. SyrianAmerican - my heart is breaking over the suffering, the violence and lack of respect for human life. The consequences of mass killings are dire for us all.
What answers have we offered, what suggestions for ending this? Even from this discussion, it's obvious multiple approaches are necessary and must take into consideration the impact of regime change in Syria for China and Russia as well as for the civilians (so as to not repeat Egypt). Talking to Russia and China seems necessary, engagement with them so as to (hopefully) neutralize the threat of regime change for them. But the killing needs to stop before any negotiations can be effective and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.
Syria is too complex right now. It is the center of tension of too many powers. Foreign intervention could unify Syria behind Assad if Israel is perceived as too aggressive toward Iran. Weakening Assad could lead the way for Saudi Arabia to fund a rebellion and control their own puppet government, which may be no better than Iran. Intervention by the US could cause Russia to funnel more weapons and funds to Assad, escalating the war in Syria and causing more loss of life. There is no clear way forward, and there are significant risks involved. There are innocent people dying, but intervention could make things even worse.
The Russia will never leave Syria alone in this crises .Why?/ because there are many Russians live permanently there ...over 100,000 people.If US gov.doesn't care about their citizen Russia does.US play with fire in this crises. It would be better if US gov. concentrates on its own problems , more Americans get homeless , unemployment goes up ....and etc.
You do what the NTC did. The world say Assad and his regime has lost all legitimacy, be the regime still is allowed overseas missions and recognized. There is a dual track diplomatic and on the ground the recent Russian statement is putting the responsibility on the opposition, which the Lavatory telegraphed in is Australian interview, terrorizing them into Russia negotiations. Which means the Russian have made the situation on the ground the basis for negotiations, killing is negotiations. Which means the opposition has to be armed and there has to be a civil war. The FSA will never deal with the Russian and it is an illusion, Assad stays in power the deal is to allow him to keep killing, because it cannot be accepted and Russia is not a fair broker. As Hizbullah said Russia had decided months ago that the uprising will be crushed by a military solution. The FSA are fighting Russia as is Israel in relation to Iran, leading from behind means a cold war against Russia without the US, free range for Russia to threaten and pressure. As with Qatar, Israel, the FSA. Twice Putin has sensed that the US was weak and became the alpha dog, in 2005 when we were bogged down in Iraq and over Iran and Syria recently.
1. Increased sanctions
2. The AL recognize the SNC as the STC and hand over the Syrian seat to them.
3. Recognize the SNC as the STC
4. Expel the regime from their overseas missions.
5. Hand over the diplomatic missions to the STC.
6. Once the US recognize the SNC as the STC, visas can stop being issued to the regime preventing them attending the UN.
7. Hold a vote in the UNGA to recognize the SNC and the STC and hand over the Syrian seat, the Russian will veto this at the UNSC, That gives the US cover to not issue visas under a international consensus, without undermining the UN.
Agree on most.
I agree. Hang the SOB, the baby killer, the coward and the son of a donkey.
Putin is always on the wrong side of history. I got news for him, this uprising won't stop untill Bashar is dead ! lets see what other dictators Russia is going to support after this one is gone.
In a dictatorship, the dictator is the problem. Eliminate the dictator and, problem solved. Someone from his entourage will do for the right sum of money.
As I recall, Mr. Ajami was a proponent of the invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam. Look how well that's turned out. The U.S. cannot afford to "impose" no-fly zones in every country in the Middle East. Moreover, imposing one in Syria is certain to make the Iranians even more anxious. I suppose that's the next place Mr. Ajami expects us to spend blood and treasure.
I fully agree with Ajami ,it seems he knows the region quite well.I am syrian my self and know the sitution.There is no solution other than this.Go for it mobilse the GCC country the Bandits and thugs rulling Syria Bashar and his family they have got be punished other wise what is call FREE WORLD would be lying to us all along
I agree with Ajami.