Someone With Reads to Go to Syria

For John, BLUF:  You may like Amy Goodman, but some of her guests are off the beam a bit.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Not everyone is against us reaching out and slapping Syria around for using chemical weapons against its people, in contravention of agreed standards of international action.  For instance, here is Mr Michael Noonan, writing at War on the Rocks, a "realist" Blog one would assume was against sending cruise missiles to Syria with the intent to destroy things:

(1)  Breaking rules.  Some may scoff at the credibility argument vis-à-vis President Obama’s statements about Syria’s use of chemical weapons and crossing “red lines,” but the more important issue is that Bashar al-Assad’s continued use of chemical weapons against his opposition is not only egregious but it flaunts international conventions.  Many realists generally like to dismiss the reliance on, or importance of, norms but once they are established, they matter because other states, and non-state actors, are watching and will base their behaviors on what they see happening, or not happening, to flagrant violators.  Great powers make the rules, and while China and Russia may not be happy about enforcing these rules in Syria, not enforcing them will have real costs.  North Korea and Iran are watching.

(2)  Don’t let it burn. Edward Luttwak and others think that we can just let Syria burn because if either side wins we lose.  The socoiopolitical tinder in Syria’s neighbors, however, is way too susceptible to the risks of the inferno spreading.  Fire breaks need to be established and expanded.  One method of establishing such obstacles would be the use of limited standoff strikes against targets of importance to the regime, when coupled with intelligence and weapons and training support to the rebels, to help the opposition break the current stalemate.  If discriminate force leads to a breakthrough either militarily or politically, it may help to strengthen our position with more moderate wings of the opposition who currently must lean on violent extremists to serve as the shock troops.

(3)  Shaping rather than accepting the sculpturing of others.  Letting Syria continue to burn will deepen enmity towards the United States both within the current regime and the opposition.  More actively intervening with limited standoff strikes on key regime targets and increasing training, weapons, and intelligence assistance to vetted opposition forces, as possible, will help us to shape the situation on the ground rather than have to deal with the consequences of the fallout that the situation will produce no matter which side prevails.  The foreign fighter veterans that this war is producing will be much more dangerous, capable, and numerous than the veterans produced in Afghanistan and Iraq.  That will have an impact on international security writ large, both across the region and beyond.  Real realism doesn’t tell the state to be passive and hands-off every time it is confronted with a complex problem beyond its borders.

He is wrong, but you can't have a debate if you are not listening to the other side.

Speaking of listening to "the other side", this morning on Democracy Now News Reader Amy Goodman had on Ms Phyllis Bennis, of the Institute for Policy Studies.  At about 16:20 into the show Ms Bennis says that "they"♠ don't have very good control over cruise missiles.  I think she is confused.  The military can put a cruise missile into the City Manager's Office, or his outer officer, or into the studio of LTC's City Life show.  The question is, does the intelligence supporting the attack know which is which, and at what time.  Accidents happen.  Ms Bennis could knock the cleaning lady down the stairs, but that would not mean she has no control.♥

Speaking of having control, have you written your Newspaper Editor or your Representative or either of your US Senators yet this week?

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  The military, the Department of Defense, the guys and gals on the ships doing the launching.  I wonder if some of the missiles will actually be air launched?
♥  Do you think the Institute for Policy Studies should reach out to me and offer me a job as a military analyst?  If I could work from home I would do it dirt cheap.