(National Interest) Bilal Y. Saab - A State Department official enumerated to me three reasons why Obama and his foreign policy team are not likely to go all the way and ask Syria's Assad to step down. One, war weariness: The American people are dead set against another war in the Middle East. A forceful policy toward Syria that is backed by the credible threat of military intervention will not be supported by the American people. Furthermore, Libya killed all chances of more aggressive U.S. action in Syria. Two, no regional consensus: The crushing majority of Arabs, governments and publics alike, supported NATO's intervention in Libya. On Syria, there is no regional consensus whatsoever. Three, no critical mass among Syrian protestors: The Syrian popular uprising is viewed in Washington as a "rural phenomenon" and until it becomes more "urban," more forceful action by Americans and the international community will remain elusive. The images of thousands of Egyptians demonstrating in Tahrir Square made it relatively easy for Washington to call for Mubarak to leave. No such images have appeared in Damascus. The fact is: Assad is here for now.
2011-07-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive