The President should not be directing air strikes in Syria, but should be focusing US air strikes in direct support of Iraqi military ground attacks to free the civilians trapped in Islamist controlled areas. There are many risks with no strategic gain for the US to conduct air strikes in Syria. The following risks clearly demonstrate why conducting air strikes in Syria do not make strategic sense. Possible benefit of air strikes in Syria: 1. Limited psychological in creating initial anxiety of being targeted. No strategic benefit in fighting the Islamists as they quickly replace killed leaders. Areas continue to remain under their control as they will have hostages as shields where they sleep and train at that would prevent US air strikes, due to concerns of preventing civilian casualties. Risks of air strikes in Syria: 1. Being blamed for civilian casualties that are caused by the Syrian government or Islamists. This would prevent civilians from supporting the US while helping recruit more fighters to join the Islamist cause to defend Muslims against perceived US aggression. Note: the BBC news reported today that civilians were killed when Syrian air strikes targeted Islamist held areas. 2. Weakening the Syrian government. Shooting down Syrian aircraft would weaken the governments ability to fight the Islamists and free their civilians. Bombing Syrian anti-aircraft defenses and army positions would allow the Islamists to attack and take over more territory. This would create more refugees and embolden the Islamists. It would also aid Saudi Arabias (Sunni religion) efforts to take over Syria (Shia religion). 3. Requires significant intelligence gathering and some presence on ground to direct precision air strikes and local forces to free Islamist controlled areas. Without coordination with ground forces to immediately attack and eliminate the Islamists, they will continue to have safe haven to train their fighters and prepare to attack other areas. 4. Pulls resources and aircraft from operations in support of our Iraqi government ally. The Iraqi government is asking for US assistance and it is extremely urgent to free the Iraqi oil fields and pumping stations from Islamist control, to cut their financial gains. 5. Turkey might not allow their airspace to be used to bomb the Islamists due to their previous support with the Saudis to fund the Islamist fighters in Syria. 6. Having a US aircraft shot down or crash land due to mechanical problems with the pilot captured by the Syrian government as a prisoner of war that would create huge diplomatic problems. Or worse, captured, tortured, and then held for ransom by the Islamists. It is highly likely that the President would free more terrorist leaders from detention in exchange for a captured pilot. This would embolden the Islamists while weakening the US resolve in fighting terrorism. 7. Cost of aircraft operations and bombs use in Syria would create further debt. Saudis paying the US would further the perception that we are mercenaries furthering their agenda of religious hatred and extremism. This would weaken our Nations legitimate efforts to eliminate the Islamists. 8. Being blamed for damage to civilian homes and then spending tax payer money to rebuild Syrian homes and infrastructure, once the Islamists are eliminated. If the US causes the Syrian government to collapse, the US would be obligated to help rebuild in order to prevent the Islamists or Saudis from moving in. This would create billions of dollars of debt as experienced from the Iraq war. Conclusion: As demonstrated by the many drone and air strikes previously conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan these past five years, individual air strikes against individual leaders has not resulted in Islamists or Taliban surrendering or giving up the areas they control. These militants simply pick another leader to replace the ones killed. Only through the combined use of tactical air support of the ground forces will the Islamist areas be cleared and brought back under Iraqi government control. The risk is the if the US conducts our own independent air strikes in Syria, we will be blamed for civilian casualties caused by the Syrian government or Islamists. This would be a huge propaganda win for the Islamists and help recruit new volunteers to fight, along with undermining Syrian civilian support towards the US. There is also a concern that the US would be doing the dirty work for Saudi Arabia, who has been funding the Sunni Islamists to fight against the Syrian government. Why should the US put our military personnel at risk to further the Saudi religious extremism that was responsible for the attacks against our Nation in 2001 and our embassy in Benghazi in 2012? The US efforts should be focused on military support to Iraq while allowing arms and ammunition to be provided to both the Syrian government and moderate rebels so they themselves can fight and eliminate the Islamists. Additional military support can be provided to Lebanon to they can fight the Islamists and prevent the Islamist from expanding their control. The Islamists recently attacked and executed a captured Lebanese soldier. This is a warning of where they might attack next.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:37:39 +0000
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