WAKE FOREST JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS behalf of Assad, or widespread use of
additional international sanctions, low-level
chemical and biological weapons was
Special Forces operations, or a limited
confirmed, it would cross a “redline” issued
engagement similar to the NATO mission in
59
by the Obama administration. This would
Libya
make U.S. intervention a larger possibility,
options.”62
but far from certain. The administration
described
as
other
“least-bad
The important question remains,
appears to be heavily influenced by public
however, as to what would U.S. interests in
opposition to intervention, and has firmly
Syria be if it were to intervene. Would it be
opposed military option out of fear of
to promote another democratic government
repeating recent mistakes in Iraq.60
in the region, or to remove the regime from
Moreover, there are a variety of
power to protect the Syrian civilians? Would
options that could avoid a large-scale
the U.S. be willing to risk another costly war
military intervention. A coordinated strategy
to achieve those objectives? There are too
of providing military and capacity building
many unknowns; whether a new government
assistance to the opposition, along with
would
increased diplomacy with relevant parties,
intervention would exacerbate the situation,
has been recently put forward as an
or whether the opposition can overtake
alternative policy. Edward P. Djerejian,
Assad on their own. Walt discusses these
former U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Israel,
issues in light of recent commentators
and Andrew Bowen of the Baker Institute
debating intervention in Syria:
for Public Policy at
Rice University
described this as a measure that
but also the perception of the crisis in Russia and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's inner 61
Other
alternatives
pro-U.S.,
whether
military
As expected, there is some difference of opinion expressed by the various people that Sanger interviewed. But what's striking is how the entire discussion of "lessons" revolves around tactical issues, and none of the people quoted in the article raise larger questions about how the United States is defining its role in the world or
“could
change not only the situation on the ground,
circle.”
be
include
59
J.K. Trotter. “Obama Paints His Red Line on Syria.” The Atlantic Wire (2013). 60 Shadi Hamid. “Syria Is Not Iraq.” The Brookings Institute (2013). 61 Edward P. Djerjian and Andrew Bowen. “A coordinated U.S. strategy on Syria.” Foreign Policy (2013).
62
Anthony B. Cordesman.“Syria: The Search for the Least Bad Option.” Center for Strategic and International Studies (2013).
32