A Blueprint For A Military Intervention In Syria

Break The Stalemate! A Blueprint For A Military Intervention In Syria -- Michael Weiss, New Republic

In the past several weeks, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and other independent rebel brigades have made great strides: They have “liberated” key cities such as Zabadani, 20 miles outside of Damascus; set up checkpoints in restive areas throughout the country; and even begun to seize a few tanks and armored vehicles. For a network of ragtag militias, armed mainly with AK-47s and RPGs that defecting soldiers have given or sold them, the rebels have impressively taken the fight right up to Bashar al-Assad’s doorstep. But the rebels can only go so far. “If no one helps us, we can hit the regime painfully but we can’t topple it, not [when it has] jets and tanks,” Alaa al-Sheikh, the spokesman for the Khaled Bin Waleed Brigade in Rastan, told me.

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My Comment: The temptation to get involved and topple a tyrant is very tempting .... but if we get involved in Syria's civil war we will probably end up becoming responsible for it when the dictator and his government are gone .... a situation that may make things even worse. If Iraq taught us one thing .... a country that is controlled by a dictator becomes a full blown mess when he and the control that he and his allies instilled are gone. Are we prepared to get involved when that happens .... I doubt it. Do we have the resources to take care of Syria after this involvement .... yeah .... dream on.

My advice .... stay out and let the Syrians and the Arabs (and Turks) who want change in Syria put their money on the line and their prestige and credibility into play. The Assad dictatorship is going to go away .... the guerrilla war of attrition that is going on right now will guarantee that since there are more rebel supporters than supporters of Assad. And while it is unfortunate that probably tens of thousands of Syrians are going to get killed .... it is after-all their fight.

Update: Daniel Byman at the Washington Post has the following analysis that needs to be read .... Can we help Syria without making things worse?