Missiles not enough; U.S. needs real policy in Syria
The U.S. and allies Britain and France added a new chapter to the vexing and tragic problem of Syria late Friday, unleashing a barrage of missiles after dictator Bashar al Assad once again used chemical weapons on his own people.
While there is debate over whether President Donald Trump should have asked for congressional authorization in advance of Friday night’s strike, there is precedent: presidents including Barack Obama have done the same. And Trump is to be commended for working with key allies to send this carefully measured message to Assad and his Russian protectors. Actually, it’s at least three messages: The first is that the civilized world will not stand by and allow widespread use of chemical weapons on a civilian population.
The second is that Russia can’t really protect Syria despite its many boasts to the contrary as it works feverishly to expand its sphere of influence in the Middle East.
The third? That President Trump is in fact willing on some scale to confront the Russians and their leader Vladamir Putin. Given that Trump gave the Russians two days’ warning via Twitter that a strike was imminent, whether the message sent was strong enough is another point worth debating.
But while Secretary of Defense James Mattis said the coordinated missile strike was extremely successful and that it significantly degraded Assad’s ability to produce chemical weapons, this is far from problem solved and case closed.
If anything, it makes it all the clearer that the United States and its allies need an actual policy on Syria.
Although Trump recently said ISIS has been defeated and he wants U.S. troops out of Syria, that would be a mistake. Nobody wants U.S. boots on the ground in Syria, but the West simply cannot afford to allow the Russians and Iranians to control this pivotal region. And that is their goal.
The approach here is difficult. This is a civil war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and forced many to flee. And Assad is winning on the ground, with the U.S. essentially pulling all but moral support from rebel groups during the previous administration.
But the U.S. must lead in developing a coalition that includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations along with Israel to confront the budding Russian-Iranian hegemony — one that will almost certainly threaten Israel with extinction. Some justifiably criticize the Saudis, Egyptians and others for human rights abuses and other issues. But we can’t go it alone, and their needs are aligned with ours.
French President Macron reportedly has urged Trump not to remove the U.S. military. That’s probably wise counsel, but simply keeping Americans there won’t resolve the issue. The president and our allies need to convene our best thinkers and develop a realistic path forward to confront and control this threat.
Our strategic interest demands it.