American Involvement in Syria

American Involvement in Syria

Here’s the question: Should America take direct involvement in the conflict in Syria? There are a lot of opinions on this matter, and I’m going to share my own Thinkin’s.

President Obama, his administration, and most American politicians seem to be saying yes (MARK LANDLER, 2013). Of course, my information comes from the media, which I don’t trust, so I really don’t know what the feeling is in Congress, the Senate, or President Obama’s cabinet. They say that the Assad regime in Syria illegally used Sarin gas against its own people during their civil war (CBC News, 2013). Early in the conflict when the American government was considering whether or not to be involved, I think I remember reading that President Obama would only consider direct involvement in the case of illegal action such as chemical or biological warfare. Now, I can’t find anything supporting that statement aside from my own vague memories. If I’m right about that, then President Obama’s administration may find itself in a case of making idle threats. If America said they’re going to do something about it and then they don’t, they will wind up with more severe problems down the road. America isn’t planning any “boots on the ground” approach, but they have many other tactics available. They have been positioning and posturing for quite some time, now.  

(British Broadcasting Channel, 2013)

There are some politicians that feel America shouldn’t be involved. One West Virginia Senator said that we don’t have a dog in this fight, or a friend there, either (The Tennessean, 2013). Russian President Vladimir Putin is not convinced that Syria did use illegal chemical weapons and has called upon President Obama to prove it on the world stage before taking any action (British Broadcasting Channel, 2013).

The United States cannot let this go unanswered. Every free man has a moral obligation to stand up to anyone doing evil. However, the USA is not the world’s police force. They have no allies or enemies in this conflict. Any military action by the United States will likely be declared illegal by the UN (Serwer, 2013). Here is what needs to happen: America and her allies need to make a case to the United Nations. If warranted, the United Nations should summon Assad to The Hague to defend himself against the accusations. If Assad fails to show, then the UN Security Council should issue a warrant for the arrest of Assad, with authorization to attack any military asset under Assad’s control until he has been brought in. The Security Council should then appoint an interested party to bring in Assad, and this is when the United States should act. This way, nobody can accuse the USA of doing whatever it wants, or being a bully, or only being after natural resources, or anything else they have been accused of in the past. Action would be backed by the UN, including Russia. Of course, Russia has a veto vote on the UN Security Council and they are strong supporters of the Syrian government. I don’t think that Russia is evil, though. If it is proven that Syria has used chemical weapons, the Russia would have to support action.

Bibliography

British Broadcasting Channel. (2013, August 31). Russia's Vladimir Putin challenges US on Syria claims. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23911833

CBC News. (2013, September 2). Syria 'clearly' used sarin gas, French spy dossier says. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/09/02/france-releases-intelligence-report-on-syrian-chemical-weapons-use.html

MARK LANDLER, M. R. (2013, September 3). House Speaker Backs Obama’s Call for Strike Against Syria. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/us/politics/obama-administration-presses-case-on-syria.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Serwer, A. (2013, September 3). UN suggests American attack on Syria would be illegal. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from NBC News: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/09/03/un-suggests-american-attack-on-syria-would-be-illegal/

The Tennessean. (2013, August 31). Alexander 'concerned about the consequences' of potential Syria strike. Retrieved September 3, 2013, from The Tennessean: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130831/NEWS08/308310070/MTSU-expert-Not-enough-support-war-Syria?nclick_check=1