The Case For Arming Syrian Rebels

Free Syrian Army fighters take positions against forces loyal to Bashar Assad in Idlib Province, Feb. 21. Reuters

The Case For Arming Syrian Rebels -- Rachel Kleinfeld, Wall Street Journal

The faster Bashar Assad falls, the faster Iran loses its main conduit for shipping weapons to terrorist groups that attack Israel and other U.S. allies.

Wars are ugly. They are deadly. They have unintended consequences and spillover effects. And yet, sometimes, putting a thumb on the scales of war is the lesser evil. Sometimes, dealing in arms is the right thing to do.

Arming the rebels of Syria is such a cause. But don't take my word for it. As Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed this month in Senate testimony, they backed a plan last year to arm carefully vetted Syrian rebels. The plan was also backed by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-CIA Director David Petraeus. They were vetoed by a White House that sees itself as tough and realistic—but is instead being myopic.

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My Comment: I have lost count on how many past politicians/pundits/generals/and presidents have warned us to stay out of Middle Eastern wars and conflicts. I would think that Syria would be one of those conflicts .... especially in consideration of the sectarian nature of that war.  But if I was a betting man I will have to say that the U.S. is probably going to get involved .... through proxies or through direct assistance .... and we will probably end up not happy with what we may have sowed .... just as we are nto happy with what our intrerventions in Afghanistan and Iraq have produced.