A way out on Syria

opinions

September 10, 2013 - 12:00 AM

A window of opportunity on averting a military strike on Syria opened Monday afternoon when John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, floated the idea of Syria moving its stockpiles of chemical weapons under international control.
Syria has agreed, and the world at large can breathe a huge sigh of relief of a crisis averted. No, it doesn’t end the humanitarian atrocities in Syria where human life seems of so little value to President Bashar al-Assad.
But, the move can halt current discussions as to whether the United States should inflict targeted bombings in Syria.
President Barack Obama is taking no chances and continues to lobby for the airborne strikes, just in case Syria backtracks. 
Make no mistake, it’s only under a continuation of a credible threat by the United States that Syria may make good on its concession to cede ownership of its chemical weapons, currently scattered among eight stockpiles.
A majority of Americans oppose a U.S. strike on Syria. That’s not the same as saying they condone Assad’s tyranny. Or that they wouldn’t be pleased if he mysteriously “disappeared.”
Americans are simply war-weary.
Still, it’s not in the moral fiber of the United States to turn a blind eye to dictators who gas wide swaths of their populations. To date, 1,429 people have died from the Aug. 21 incident outside of Damascus.

IF SYRIA keeps its word, its storage of hundreds of tons of nerve gas and blister agents systematically would be destroyed with follow-up inspections by officials with the United Nations.
If not, President Obama has the backing of 24 nations (and counting) to conduct airborne strikes, despite the reticence of the U.S. Congress.
In his prime-time TV address tonight, (8 o’clock), Obama has a tall order to fill to swing votes in his favor, namely: a clear objective, a realistic strategy and an exit plan.
Even then, members of Congress may not be persuaded precisely because they, too, are hesitant of being drawn into another conflict so soon on the heels of Iraq, not to mention our forces still in Afghanistan.
How nice it would be if common sense prevailed. If only.
— Susan Lynn

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