Anodyne
Thursday, September 05, 2013
 
Attacking Syria is a terrible idea.  Let's review some reasons why:

1.  "Limited" cruise missile strikes won't topple Assad & may actually improve his regime's standing with his anti-Western peers.

1a.  Cruise missile strikes guaranteed to cause collateral Syrian civilian deaths.

1aa.  Assad propaganda machine will promptly roll out evidence of civilian deaths, further inflaming anti-Western sentiment throughout the Middle East.

2.  Cruise missile strikes don't address ongoing influx of arms & equipment from Iran and Russia.  They only complicate importation.

2a.  No back-up strategy for when Hezbollah, etc. launches inevitable terrorist attack on American assets in response to cruise missile attacks.

3.  No credible Syrian opposition group ready to assume power if and when if Assad regime eventually topples.

Michael Weiss, writing in Foreign Affairs, labors mightily to rebut me.  He's best on #2, and worst on #3.  His is a well-written, well-argued, totally misguided attempt to involve the US in another adventure that has no clear exit strategy and will undoubtedly cost blood and treasure that the States can ill-afford, but here we go, here we go, here we go.
- posted by cjb @ 6:39 PM


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