I wonder how many farmers realize that the insecticides they use to protect their crops trace their origins to the poison gases developed as weapons during and after World War I? That people have benefited from the higher yields these poisons have made possible is a reminder that good can come from bad things — just as bad can come from good things.
Rarely has separating good from bad been more difficult than in deciding what, if anything, America can and should do in Syria. For two years now Syrian rebels have been battling the regime of former London optometrist turned brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad. Since it began in March of 2011, an estimated 100,000 people have died, half of them civilians. And another 2 million people have fled to neighboring countries, creating a huge refugee crisis.
In addition to all this human suffering there is also great concern because Syria has a substantial arsenal of Russian-made chemical weapons. President Obama appeared to make it very clear that the U.S. would not tolerate the use of those weapons against the rebels, declaring that to be a “red line” Assad had better not cross.
But the trouble with ultimatums is you have to be ready to carry them out if the other party doesn’t back down. Reports have been coming in for months indicating that poison gas has been used, but America has done nothing in response – claiming only that more information was needed. This despite calls from many on both the Right and the Left demanding action to end the suffering of the Syrian people.
Last week thousands of Syrian citizens were injured and hundreds killed in what is believed to have been a “neurotoxic” agent – some form of poison gas.
No one (except Assad) denies that there is a great humanitarian crisis taking place while the rest of the world sits by doing little or nothing. Some urge sending additional arms and ammunition to the rebels so they can overthrow Assad. But exactly who are these rebels? Originally they were young pro-democracy demonstrators guided by the dream of a free and fair society. But beyond this they had little cohesion or organization. This made them ripe for infiltration by fundamentalist Muslims, including groups allied with al-Qaida. There’s a very real danger that if/when the rebels do overthrow Assad, the arms we’ve supplied will then be turned against us in terrorist attacks.
Enforcing a “no-fly” zone has also been proposed. This seems to have aided rebels in taking control of Libya. But the chemical attacks last Wednesday came via rockets, something a no-fly zone could not prevent. There has even been talk of seizing the chemical weapons depots, but it is believed many weapons have already been moved, making them that much harder to locate.
To really take control of the situation would require a full-scale invasion of Syria, an invasion that experts estimate would require at least 75,000 troops. These troops would have to stay there for years to prevent Syria from breaking – like Iraq — into Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions, all at war with one another.
Usually when I discuss a problem in a column I try to suggest a possible solution, but here I can’t. Because of the devils in the details, we’re damned no matter how we choose to intervene. Because of the terrible human cost of this war, though, we’re morally damned if we don’t intervene. They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions; it would be hard to find a better example of this than the appalling situation in Syria.
P.S. As I went online to post this I received an email from a German friend currently in Lebanon (which neighbors Syria). He said “The Christians in Lebanon (and neighboring countries) are an endangered species. A local Christian taxi driver recently told me that he wanted to die in Lebanon. Although he meant that he does not want to emigrate, when our churches get torched by radical Muslims equipped with American or Saudi weapons his wish might be granted.”
He then quoted Shakespeare in regard to the hope Obama once inspired in many, saying,
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low’r’d upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
He then added:
“Looks like the ocean has released the clouds we hoped to be contained. [King] Richard’s fate should be a warning to [Obama]…
Best to you sitting safe in the homeland while your elite plays with fire at other people’s expense.”