I certainly wish we never would have gotten involved in Syria, at least until we knew who was going to win. But Obama got us involved. So we are involved.
Here is the problem that it creates. If Assad wins (which seems likely), we have a more rabid enemy when it is over. And that enemy is a friend of Russia and Iran with good backing. Syria becomes the next regional power. This is the next breeding ground for high tech terrorism down the road. You have to think 10 years down the road sometimes.
Unfortunately, whether we pull out now or keep “supporting” the terrorists, we are in a no-win situation. In a best case scenario (at this point), Assad is overthrown, the government crumbles, Russia and Iran are thrown out. After that, we have to INSTALL a government, help them re-build and then eradicate the terrorists we have been supporting to get to that result.
FRiends, that is a long and expensive WAR with a bunch of nation building attached.
The cheap and easy strategy is to pull out, let Assad alone (Puts Israel at higher risk) and plan to fight that fight down the road when the players and sides are clearer.
In short, I am saying, I don’t know what the better strategy is at this point. There are no “good” options. Obama pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan because he didn’t agree with those wars. That was bad. Then he got us into Syria, also bad. The clean up is worse than the party. The bigger issue in the big picture is the influence by Russia and Iran. What strategy neutralizes their influence?
The whole post 9/11 strategy was to get us to Syria.
You might recall Iraq was invaded for WMD’s which didn’t seem to be around once we got there.
The stories put out when the WMD’s were not found is that they were taken to Syria.
Iran was the end game in W’s time except the GOP got booted out of the WH in 2008 and Obama was not as willing to go the route George W. laid out to Syria to eventually get Iran.
McCain was always gung ho about Syria, he would have got us there if he had won in 2008.
It was George W.’s intention, McCain’s intention but Obama inherited the plan so to speak.