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President Obama has called for a revision of America’s strategy in Syria and it seems as though the commander in chief could once again make a push for military action.
The civil war in Syria has only worsened with time. Diplomatic efforts made by the United States and its allies have failed to achieve any significant results thus far. While an agreement to disarm the Syrian government of chemical weapons was made, Assad has failed to export anything more than a small portion of his stockpile.
Recent peace talks between the UK, France and Syria have failed abysmally. The talks ended after only 27 minutes this past Saturday. Representatives from the European nations were not shy about their feelings that the failure was due to the actions of the Syrian officials.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said, “The responsibility for it lies squarely with the Assad regime.”
France’s diplomat, Laurent Fabius, stated that the Syrian government had “blocked any progress,” according to a report from the BBC.
As the death toll continues to rise and diplomacy continues to fall short of its goals, Obama has sworn to “apply more pressure” on the Syrian government. He has made it clear that his ultimate objective is to see a regime change in the war torn nation.
“We’re going to have to solve the underlying problem, a regime led by Bashar al-Assad that has shown very little regard for the wellbeing of his people. He’s attacked civilians in ruthless ways. We are going to need a political transition in that region,” Obama stated in a press conference following his meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan.
Obama has continuously referenced Assad’s attacks on civilian population centers as an argument for increasing America’s role in Syria. He has also asserted that Assad is responsible for the use of sarin nerve gas in his own nation.
It is important to note that while UN inspectors have confirmed the use of chemical weapons in Syria, there has been no evidence to link any specific entity to its deployment.
White House officials have reaffirmed their stance that there will be no boots on the ground, as they did prior to our engagement in Libya. However, the Delta Force Operators who still have their boots on Libyan soil might question the veracity of these White House Officials.
Obama’s eagerness to exert military force in Syria last September was met with almost universal resistance from the American public. Many Senators and Representatives of both parties expressed their discontent with the prospect of military strikes in Syria. As a result, Obama was forced to opt for a strictly diplomatic solution.
However, with the ever-worsening situation on the ground in Syria, Obama has rekindled discourse for a more aggressive foreign policy. The president, along with other white officials, has remained disturbingly vague in his comments regarding a specific plan of action.
Considering his willingness to order military intervention only a few months back, it is very possible that Obama will once again try to make the case for the use of force in yet another Middle Eastern country. His speeches and commentary in regards to Syria have all served to vilify the Assad regime and garner support for its removal.
For the time being, Obama seems to be making the case for a military based solution to the question of how to handle Syria without explicitly stating so.
Until the Commander in Chief decides to make public his plans for the troubled nation, Americans will be forced to wait in speculation to see whether or not their troops will once again be sent into harms way in another unpopular conflict.
