Intervention in Syria.

Syria is another Arab country that has a chance due to its physical location, but is in trouble due to its past. There are, however, a few factors that complicate an intervention in Syria much more than an intervention in Libya. First, Syria has a wee bit of a border problem with Israel. Second, Syria has strong ties with Iran. Third, Syria has a much stronger military than Libya, and, it has a border with Iraq that while not quite as sensitive as the Golan, still puts them right next to American troops.

Syria has tribal and religious cleavages, and that appears to be the source of the underlying tension leading to the uprisings. But to allow Syria to breal up along these lines, and to leave it without a strong central state would completely destabilize the region. People don’t like propping up dictators, but in most cases anarchy and civil war are much more brutal, and, from a foreigner’s perspective, unless that dictator is hostile to other nations, it is a preferable situation.

There are too many moving pieces in this one for me to comment on a strategy—too many that I don’t know anything about. But I am not sure that President Obama, before he has even finished the job against Qadafi, should be staking his credibility on calling for the takedown of Assad.

Having said that, there are murder squads roaming the country killing hundreds. It is a crime against humanity going on.