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The American take on
engaging Syria over its use of chemical weapons is mixed and depends on which
part of the country is polled. Adding to the uncertainty generated by
the lack of a clear mandate is the extreme politicking going on among the
anti and pro Obama camps.
A week ago, Fox news was
condemning O for not engaging Syria and now, when intervention seems imminent,
Fox is scourging O for even thinking of doing so. Fox makes the additional
point that if O takes on Syria without consulting the Senate and House, he
would be in violation of the Constitution. Such action, Fox continues, would be
but another example of O's disdain for the law of the land.
Many pundits fail to
clarify the difference between chemical and conventional warfare. The former is
totally indiscriminate as we well know. To the extent that chemicals
kill or seriously harm humans and animals within range, this type of warfare is
particularly inhumane. The West has pretty much frozen the use of chemical
warfare since its effects became known in WW I.
The Yanks liberally
employed agent orange in Vietnam claiming ignorance of its effects on human
beings. An old soldier in our neighborhood, a Marine, just passed away from
cancer which he claims was caused by his exposure to agent orange in Vietnam.
Although the poor lad was treated at a Veterans hospital, the government denies
any link between agent orange and cancer.
Yesterday, it was almost
certain that O would act today, Thursday. Reinforcing, or perhaps causing,
this conviction, Russia announced that O would strike today. If he
does, he will be alone as Parliament in the UK has not given David Cameron the
anticipated rubber stamp to join the US intervention.
Obama has already stated
that he will not act alone. Hence, the US is waiting for a decision from the
UK. As one of the ranchers here put it, 'a dollar is waiting on a dime'.
However chauvinistic this may seem, it offers an insight into where the USA-UK
relationship stands among local cattlemen.
That Israel is madly
issuing gas masks to its population is a pretty good indication of what they
expect. Namely, that the US will order its fighter jets to hit selected targets
in Syria and that in return, either Syria, or Iran, will retaliate against
Israel. Iran has already threatened such action and all concerned are taking
them seriously.
From every perspective,
the prevailing bete noir
for the West in the Middle East is Iran. People in the US understand this and
would not be upset if Iran, its government, its Revolutionary Guard and its
Ayatollahs, would all be taught an object lesson in American firepower. The
risk, of course, is that American and even American and allied firepower is not
enough to successfully conduct a surgical operation that would neutralize Iran.
The people in the US
would like the Middle East to go away. They are fed up with Iran, Egypt, Libya,
and Syria in particular and have no affection for the OPEC states and our
dependence upon them for whatever oil we are still importing. This
disenchantment, indeed, contempt, is widespread thanks to the expansion of
fundamentalist groups such as Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood.
This disdain has migrated
to Muslims in general, especially those easily identified by traditional Muslim
dress.
Nor is the thought
easily digested that the US military capability may be insufficient to meet
that of Iran and its allies. Judging from the number of wounded warriors who
are now in rehabilitation, war dead and continuing fatalities in Afghanistan,
Americans are worried that we cannot win a war in the Middle East using
conventional weapons. The number of Americans who would promote the use of
nuclear weapons is alarming.
Just now, America has
little stomach for war. We would like to see a sure fire engagement that
would rid us of the Asaad nightmare full stop. There is a nagging feeling that
if such action were to be triggered, it would be neither rapid nor sure fire.
America is conflicted and nowhere more so than in Washington.
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