STRIKING SYRIA WILL NOT IMPROVE US CREDIBILITY

I just read the 4 page US assessment of its evidence on Syria.  It begins by saying "The United States Government assesses with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013." Beyond this there is nothing else. "High confidence" is just short of confirmation.

There are no satellite images showing that rockets were launched from Syrian government controlled areas at a specific time when these chemical weapon massacres took place, as the report claims.  Although the report states that numerous public media reports from different locations throughout the site of the attacks have been reviewed, no references are provided and the reader must research the internet on his/her own to verify the information used by US government.

There is nothing in the report, beyond the "assessment" of the US Government that would prove its veracity. While I am no fan of the Assad Regime, I must say this is Déjà vu: Iraq/Colin Powell/weapons of mass destruction.

The US claims that its credibility is at stake if it does not act against Syria. It says countries like North Korea and Iran are waiting in the lurch wondering if Syria will get away with using chemical weapons.  But the credibility of the US has already been devalued because of its lack of response to Israel's use of chemical weapons against the Palestinians.

There is wide spread evidence that Israel admittedly used white phosphorous on the Palestinians in Gaza.  see http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2013/05/03/israels-illegal-use-of-white-phosphorus-during-operation-cast-lead/

But the US did nothing against Israel. Incidentally, UN buildings in Gaza were targets of the Israeli Army and Israel was in no way penalized for this egregious crime.

The "assessment" by the world is that hose who are allies of the US can use chemical weapons but those who do not subscribe to US dictates and its inconsistent foreign policy cannot.

Inevitably, US officials claim "national security" interests to justify what it does.

US foreign policy cannot be based on "national security" for the use of this policy allows every other country to claim its own "national security" to do whatever it wants thus creating chaos in the world. But wait, there is already chaos in the world. Could it be that the leader of the free world, the country that is the oldest constitutional democracy, is creating chaos in the world?

A constitutional democracy is the best form of government, yet the US is making a mockery of this system by its inconsistent and chaotic foreign policy. By allowing Israel to go unpunished for its use of chemical weapons and then punishing Syria for its use of chemical weapons leaves one to doubt the credibility of the US government. Striking Syria would not make the US credible. In fact, striking Syria would make the US less credible for its lack of response to the Israeli use of chemical weapons against the Palestinians.

US credibility is already at a low point. Striking Syria will not improve US credibility.

US foreign policy should be to encourage the people of every country to want to establish a democracy in their country.  The US should encourage the rebels in Syria to want to remove the President-for-Life Assad for a democratic government.  The US should be a shinning example that a constitutional democracy is the best form of government.




http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/USGassessmentonSyria08302013.pdf