Are You Serious, Mr. President? Where Is The Diplomatic Effort In Washington?
12 February 2013By Tariq Alhomayed
Over the course of two separate interviews, the US
President responded to criticisms that America has
failed to intervene in the Syrian crisis in the
appropriate manner over the past two years. He said
that he is still working hard to assess whether
military intervention in Syria will help to resolve
the bloody conflict or whether it will only serve to
make things worse! Of course, this is not what was
stunning in Obama's statements, for every country—even
a superpower—has the right to assess their interests.
Rather what was shocking and frightening was Obama
asking, in an interview with New Republic magazine,
?How do I weigh tens of thousands who've been killed
in Syria versus the tens of thousands who are
currently being killed in the Congo?? This is not all;
in another interview with 60 Minutes on CBS
television, Obama angrily added, ?We do nobody a
service when we leap before we look, when we . . .
take on things without having thought through all of
the consequences.? As we said, the issue is not the US
President's right to take his nation's interests into
account or not, for we are all aware that the US is
not a charity. Rather, the issue is this logic of
justification, for with all due respect to the Congo
and its people: Is this country like Syria? In
assessing the age of the Syrian revolution, and the
death of 60,000 people, does this represent ?leaping
without looking?? This is truly puzzling.
For what Obama is not aware of is that the
humanitarian crisis in Syria will lead to security,
political, and sectarian crises that are far more
complex than expected. It is clear that the US
president's problem, as shown by these statements,
lies in his basic understanding of the region. What
Obama is not aware of is that ignoring what is
happening in Syria at present will necessitate his
country spending the next 30 years confronting the
crisis there. This will be far worse than what is
happening in Afghanistan, which the US ignored since
the 1980s, forcing it to confront the crisis that
subsequently arose there today.
The other problem is that the US president does not
understand the danger represented by the Bashar al-Assad
regime, and that its downfall will remove the greatest
obstacle to regional peace and stability. In addition
to this, Assad's departure would also represent a
strategic blow against Iran, which may even ensure
that Washington need not carry out future military
strikes against Tehran against the backdrop of the
nuclear file. Therefore Assad's fall will also have an
impact on Tehran, particularly as the collapse of his
regime would mean the end of Iran's regional
expansionist project. It is also enough to consider
the implications of the collapse of the Assad regime
on Hezbollah, the extremist groups in Iraq, and the
Palestinian militant groups.
Therefore, one can only say: Are you serious, Mr.
President? Obama's logic is frightening, and his
understanding of the region terrifying and in doubt,
particularly as he is the man who saw a revolution in
Bahrain and pushed Mubarak to step down while today he
is saying that he is working hard to assess the
situation in Syria! Even more frustrating: Where are
the region's intellectuals and statesmen? Where is the
diplomatic effort in Washington? Obama's statements
indicate that he has either not heard serious
assessments regarding the Syrian crisis, or that he
does not want to hear them; either is dangerous.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq
Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that
position. He holds a BA degree in Media studies from
King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also
completed his Introductory courses towards a Master's
degree from George Washington University in Washington
D.C. He is based in London.
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