The widening crisis
The other day, we talked about a plot in Jordan that was thwarted when native Jordanians were arrested after bringing both conventional and chemical weapons into Jordan from Syria in order to spread terror there. Today the Washington Times reports that anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia has sent about 200 members to Syria in order to protect Shi’ite shrines, threatening to turn the civil war into a religious battle;
An official in the Badr organization, a conservative Shiite bloc that is part of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s ruling coalition, said Shiite militant groups have acquired new advanced and heavy weapons and were gearing up for a fierce reaction if the Zainab shrine were hit. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
A Shiite militant who described himself as a member of the anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia said about 200 Iraqi fighters drawn from the ranks of various Shiite militias, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Hezbollah Brigades, have made their way to Syria in order to protect shrines there.
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militia is also believed to be sending fighters to help the Assad regime, which is dominated by Alawites, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
The Guardian reports that Turkey is calling on the US and UK to intervene in Syria in order to preclude a widening humanitarian crisis that threatens Turkey’s own security.
“How long can this situation continue? I mean in Bosnia, now we have Ban Ki-moon [the UN secretary general] apologizing 20 years after. Who will apologize for Syria in 20 years’ time? How can we stay idle?” Davutoglu told the Guardian in an exclusive interview in Istanbul.
“We [Turkey] are doing all we can to help these people, using all diplomatic capacity to stop this bloodshed. But there should be a much more concerted effort by the international community. The best way we can see now is direct humanitarian intervention.”
So where are the Europeans? Obviously, the US can’t police the whole world, and Lord knows we’ve heard the Euro-wienies complain that the US does just that, but when it’s their turn to step up, NATO and the European community never does until the US commits our dwindling resources.
Turkey can go pound sand as far as I’m concerned since they left the 4th Division floating off their coast and wouldn’t let through Turkey to Iraq in 2003, and now they want us to commit our blood and treasure to their crisis? F- them.
But this is typical of what happens in the world without US leadership, the leadership that Obama went around the region apologizing for in 2009. I can’t wait until Romney is president and the entire Left will be demanding that he take action in Syria after their guy watched 32,000 people die there and watched the whole region collapse into crisis.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Terror War
“The Guardian reports that Turkey is calling on the US and UK to intervene in Syria in order to preclude a widening humanitarian crisis that threatens Turkey’s own security.”
Um, no, that would be your job, Turkey, not ours.
Humanitarian crisis? Love those magic words. I see Muslims killing Muslims. Just pass the popcorn.
If it’s clearly in OUR interest to intervene in one side or the other, we should. If it’s not, we shouldn’t.
At present, I don’t see a compelling reason for the US to intervene on either side in the current Syrian situation.
Turkey’s request is noted. However, IMO it should be ignored.
Turkey is both free and capable of protecting their own interests vis-a-vis their neighbor Syria.
I really don’t want the US to intervene in Syria, however I also don’t want to see some of Syria’s chemical weapons used on say an NFL stadium during Monday Night Football, for example.
Neither do I, Twist. That’s the one justification I might buy for a US intervention.
However, that poses a real conundrum. Given who some of the folks supporting the Syrian opposition are reputed to be, I’m very nervous of supporting that side. But given Assad’s past and his getting cozy with Iran, I can’t see much reason to support Assad either.
And I just don’t see a multinational peace enforcement mission working – other than to act as a target for fire from both sides.
IMO, this is one we really need to sit out if at all possible. I just don’t see a good outcome to direct US involvement.
@4: Then we don’t support either side and just take care of securing the chemical weapons ourselves and stay out of the rest of it.
@ Air Cav … “Just pass the popcorn” Thanks … fresh starched white shirt and my brand new pink and purple tie … GONE!
@ Hondo … please call me on cell … number is in email footer. We are working on the funniest thing up here and IT WILL make national news!
Old Trooper: as I see it, that’s the quickest way to guarantee we draw fire from both sides. Assad won’t stand by and let us take them without a huge fight – and possibly Iranian support. And the opposition will definitely want them as well.
MCPO: won’t be able to do that until lunchtime, or perhaps after work. That OK?
Another insider attack is on the wire.
I was reading a point-counterpoint article in Hadassah magazine this month between Thomas Friedman and Charles Krauthammer. Friedman made a point that I thought was canny, even if I feel he’s far more sanguine about the outcome than he should be. To paraphrase what he said: Syria is a bitter Shiite minority holding on to power to the bitter end because the bitter end probably means Assad taking a bullet from an angry mob the way Ghaddafi did. In the aftermath, just like Egypt and Libya, the reason why the Muslim Brotherhood will probably emerge to fill the power vacuum is because they’re the only group sufficiently organized in the underground. I get that, I think it’s largely true. Where I think Friedman (and probably the administration as well) fail to understand the region is that these groups, once they have power, are not going to surrender their ascendance in blossoming democracies. These are not birth pangs–this is the establishment of a new order. The ones that have oil, Shia or Sunni dominated, are going to look a lot like Iran since they will have that leverage. Others, like Egypt, I expect, like Friedman posits, to be more moderate like Turkey in the absence of oil. I agree that Obama hasn’t shown leadership in this region, but whatever happens, I’m pretty sure containing whatever comes out of Syria is going to have to heavily involve Turkey. Can you blame them for the 4th Div shenanigans, when you really think about it? Kurdish autonomy in Iraq and a destabilized Syria means a big mess for them. Personally, given Erdrogen’s faux outrage over the Gaza flotilla, I’d like to see Turkey raped in the face with a population of their own demanding autonomy, exposing him and their increasingly Islamist tilt for the hypocrites that they are. This region stands on the precipice for sure. I’ll be honest, I’ve not heard anything from Romney that gives me any more confidence in his leadership in the region than the present administration. Maybe the troops now in Jordan are a good start; trying to salvage… Read more »
Europe’s mint is busy printing money for bailouts. It can’t divert the presses long enough to deal with the unruly neighbors.
I think we need to take 3-4 ICBMs (warhead of your choice) and point them at several smaller mosques throughout the middle east, with the last one being aimed at Mecca.
Then we broadcast, worldwide, in all languages, what we’ve done. With our intent that all Muzzie Islamist Jihadist extremism and terrorist activities against Western targets stop IMMEDIATELY. For every act of terrorism, we target a mosque. With the last one being Mecca. That should (if these people have ANY sense of self-preservation) cause them to police each other to the limit.
If not, it’ll show that they’re not serious about their way of life as a peaceful religion but as an imposed theocracy.
But that would take more brass balls then ANYONE in Gubbment has today or in the future. But it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?