General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMr. President, Don't Do It - Five Reasons
1. A token military strike will not dissuade the Assad regime from further chemical weapons use and will not be effective enough to stop further attacks.
2. A prolonged air campaign like in Kosovo or Libya would be substantially more complex with an uncertain outcome and would likely cost American and other non-Syrian, foreign lives. Personnel on the ground would find themselves in substantially greater immediate danger.
3. There is no acceptable military solution in Syria, the bloodletting that would follow a decisive rebel victory would be just as much if not worse than the level of violence now. Whatever rebel regime that would likely follow would be resistant to international influence and tolerant of militant groups.
4. Iran's reaction to a US military strike in Syria would be to further assist the Assad regime to conduct terror attacks in retaliation and ; Iran would accelerate it's nuclear arms program. This would further destabilize the larger region.
5. We would be acting without the support of our strongest and oldest allies and without UN sanction; going it alone is poor precedence for intervention.
gopiscrap
(24,095 posts)ellisonz
(27,716 posts)I'm not opposed to the use of military force in humanitarian intervention. I'm opposed to bumbling, war-expanding use of military force in humanitarian intervention.
In the last few years, I've supported intervention in Libya and Mali; but I cannot in good conscience, and with open eyes support unilateral American military intervention in Syria.
I'm going on DU record, that I do not, with what appears to be the current plan, support the anticipated action.
I'm fairly confident that President Obama is smarter than to listen to the faction that thinks there must be a military response, I'm hopeful that he will not authorize it at this point in time.
obxhead
(8,434 posts)ellisonz
(27,716 posts)Thank you Mr. President for not acting brashly.