Quicksand in Syria
Unfocused goals
Regarding “Russia warns U.S. against Syrian strike” (Page A8, Friday), why and how did the U.S. and Russia come to “own” the Syrian civil war? America has no strategic interests in Syria apart from any threat to our ally Israel, which has shown it can handle itself.
It is Europe that has a vested interest in that civil war. The refugee crisis in Europe comes because of the war in Syria. The 10,000 refugees America has committed to accept is a drop in the bucket compared to the millions flooding Europe. Russia’s interest is to maintain a presence in the Middle East and to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and family which it has been doing for decades.
ISIS in the Middle East is a direct threat to Europe, not a threat to America. ISIS on the internet is a real threat to America.
ISIS in Syria could be destroyed tomorrow, but the ISIS threat on the internet will remain for decades. America is fighting Europe’s war. We are trying to save Europe — again. At what point did it become imperative for America to save whomever in Syria? Are we fighting to protect the anti-Assad factions, the Kurds, the moderate Arab resistance, innocent civilians?
Are we fighting to destroy ISIS because the people most threatened (Europe) cannot or do not want to do it themselves?
The list of groups fighting in Syria is long: the Kurds, Assad, Hezbollah, the Turks, the moderate Arabs, al-Qaida, Russia and America. We went into Vietnam to keep South Vietnam from falling to Communist North Vietnam. We at least had a goal in that war.
Gonzalo Martinez, La Porte