The WP tossed this over, and now believes this is going to be a recurring theme for the next few weeks: I agree to a degree, Mr. Friedman, but no one seems to be asking what ending the Syrians want. We know from relatively recent experience how well any partition works. Just look at Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. Pakistan and India. Partition is an artificial division and the parties on either side of the line pretty much treat it the same way: with minimal respect. Do the Syrian government and the rebels share a winner-take-all expectation? Does either side show any desire to come to the negotiation table...or is this about annihilating the other side? Do you think the killing is going to stop? Look to Iraq and Afghanistan for similar outcomes. Yes, it is a tragedy that all those people died in the gas attack, but what about the thousands of others on both sides of the conflict who have perished in more conventional circumstances? Do their murders not count toward outrage? I am not convinced a military strike of any kind with be useful. But doing nothing is not an option either. If the President wants the court of public opinion on his side, he will ultimately have to answer the question : What type of outcome do the Syrians want? Until we have a clearer understanding of what that is, we cannot strike blindly into the heart off the Middle East. The ramifications are immeasurable. Sept. 4, 2013 at 8:09 a.m.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:59:53 +0000
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