While everyone is focused on Iran, it’s important to point out that for the US to attack Syria, we could accomplish a whole lot of very useful goals:
1) The purpose would be to replace the 10% minority Alawite Shiite government with a democratic majority Sunni government. This would “re-balance the equation” in the eyes of the Sunni nations distraught from our “converting” Iraq from a Sunni to a Shiite nation. After the government was deposed, we might even get some Sunni nations to help with the rebuilding of their new democratic government.
2) It would be a three-for-one deal, as it would also neutralize Hezbollah in Lebanon, which would help stabilize that country enormously, and take a lot of wind out of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It would take a LOT of pressure off of Israel *and* Iraq as well. And it would also end a lot of the nuclear proliferation hijinks with North Korea.
3) Iran would be a big loser in the deal, as they would lose three important proxies in their fights against both Sunnis and the West. If they wanted to make mischief in the future, they would have to do it themselves, something they are loathe to do.
4) We would clean out the viper’s nest of terrorist organizations, smugglers, fugitives and assassins that make Damascus their home.
5) It would only cost a fraction of the Iraq war, and would also be over much sooner. The US forces in Iraq could take out any parts of their military that resisted in short order. Most of the clean up would be against their secret police.
Great post. Thanks Sandrat.
Real concrete solutions to REAL problems. Presidential & Vice-Presidential material. You two can flip for it.
As and added bonus as SecDef, I would immediately take out Nasrallah and Amahdinehajad.