Losing Control Over Syria Policy

Obama Has Lost Control Over Syria Policy -- Robert Hutchings, Special to CNN

Clausewitz famously wrote about the fog of war – the confusion and chaos that undermine even the best laid battle plans. The same could be said of diplomacy, particularly the last two weeks of American diplomacy toward Syria.

In an earlier commentary, I praised the Obama administration for handling an intractable challenge reasonably well, but warned of the danger of escalation once military action commenced. That was before the decision to delay action while consulting Congress. Since then, the administration’s cautious approach has unraveled, and the president has wholly lost control over U.S. policy.

There was no need to go to the full Congress – and many reasons not to do so. The limited strikes the administration was considering did not rise to a level that required Congressional endorsement. Consultations with senior Congressional leadership, even without gaining their full support, would have been sufficient. The policy would then have been judged by its effectiveness, and had the objectives been limited to punishment for the al-Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons, there were good prospects of success. Taking such limited but important action without Congressional authorization could easily have been defended on grounds of urgency.

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My Comment: What's my take .... I think Robert Hutchings is harsh in his assessment. No one has control of Syria today let alone having a policy .... the Syrian government and the rebels have done a very good job in insuring that chaos and mayhem is the norm for that country today. The idea that outsiders like Russia/U.S./Iran/Saudi Arabia can change the course of events to their benefit is not in the cards .... especially now .... and as the Syrian regime showed very clearly last month when they launched their chemical attack on a Damascus suburb .... if one side feels that they are losing the conflict, a scorched earth policy will then be the result.

If the U.S. had any control over a Syria policy .... it was at the beginning of the Arab Spring when the first demonstrations broke out in Syria. The extremists were not present .... and the sectarian hatred that is now the norm was absent. But U.S. policy at the time was to have no policy .... further coupled by a lack of interest and motivation from everyone else in the international community.

The only good Syria policy today is one of making sure that the carnage and mayhem stays in Syria itself .... and not engulfing the entire region instead. The countries that will need to be watched are Lebanon and Iraq .... but even here U.S. policy is one of non-involvement and staying on the sidelines. In short .... a repeat of U.S. policy when the first protests broke out in the Suburbs of Damascus almost three years ago.