Why President Obama Decided To Arm Syria's Rebels

It is hard to see how President Obama can allow Russia and Iran dictate the future of Syria. Photo: Reuters

Analysis: US Responds After Iran Threw Down Gauntlet On Syria -- Richard Spencer, The Telegraph

By sending in Hizbollah to take the Syrian town of Qusayr and, it seems increasingly likely, its own troops, Iran threw down the gauntlet to America this month: is it in this war, or not?

The mercurial Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is a more difficult man to read. But by not calling off his Middle Eastern allies, despite the promise of an American-backed Geneva peace conference, he essentially did the same.

President Barack Obama has spent two years trying to avoid this choice.

Like many of his countrymen, and many Europeans, he likes neither side. He does not want to be seen to merely to be supporting the Sunni Muslim world in a sectarian battle with the Shia. But once the gauntlet had been thrown down, few of his strategic advisers would let it rest there.

To allow Russia and Iran to back their man in reconquering Syria would be a stunning blow for the United States, when Mr Obama had specifically said that President Bashar al-Assad had no place in Syria's future.

Read more ....

My Comment: I was hoping that it would not come to this. Iraq and Afghanistan has thought us that getting involved in these type of conflicts would only drain resources and stir bitterness throughout the region. If Russia and Iran want to follow the same policies that got the U.S. involved in this messy region .... I say let them .... but we should stay out. Unfortunately .... we are now going to become actively involved, and as a result I expect the Syrian civil war to not only escalate but to also start to impact the entire region as different governments and peoples start to take sides.

On a side note .... when it comes to providing military assistance to Syria's rebels .... President Obama is going against the wishes of a majority of Americans. He is definitely going to be paying a political price from his base who do not have any enthusiasm to get involved in these type of conflicts.