It’s Not Too Late to Act in Syria
Something amazing and critically important happened in Tuesday’s vice presidential debate. While there were plenty of disagreements and jabs over policy differences, there was an important area of bipartisan agreement: the complacency of U.S. and global inaction in Syria must stop.
In August, we saw the heartbreaking image of a young Syrian boy named Omran sitting alone in an ambulance, dazed and bloodied from the shock of a Syrian/Russian air strike on his home in Aleppo. It was even more tragic when we learned that Omran’s ten-year-old brother, Ali, was killed in that same strike. While Omran became a symbol of the tragedy unfolding in Aleppo and throughout Syria, we need to remember that his story is the story of so many Syrian children. More than 50,000 Syrian children have been killed by the evil dictators Bashar al-Assad, Vladimir Putin, and Ali Khamenei as they build their evil axis of power and murder. That’s 50,000 innocent children whose hopes and dreams were robbed by the barbaric and incendiary attacks on peaceful protestors.
Perhaps also tragically, we have watched as America’s reputation has been systematically torn apart by this stubborn inaction. As a result, Russia — with an economy on the verge of collapse — has continued to expand its influence across Europe and the Middle East by filling the vacuum left by America’s absence.
Even as we look at a global community where instability is more rampant now than it was eight years ago, I was somewhat encouraged by the recent vice presidential debate. Both candidates agreed on the need for action to avert an ongoing tragedy and prevent further destabilization of the Middle East and Europe. It seems that Republicans and Democrats can agree on this important principle: America has a vital role in the world. With the increased activity from Iranian military and Russian airstrikes aiding the Assad regime, the past year has shown us that Russia and Iran are not our allies in ending the conflict in Syria. Five years later, it’s still not too late for the United States to act in concert with our like-minded allies.
As an Air Force pilot that flew missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, I strongly believe utilizing humanitarian safe zones that allow assistance to reach starving men, women, and children are important to ending the suffering. Additionally, an effective and strict no-fly zone can be even more powerful providing relief to the besieged people of Aleppo. If we want to end the tragedy, we must prevent Russian and Syrian aircrafts from dropping barrel bombs, bunker busters, and incendiary munitions on the civilian population. More importantly, we need to impose a cost to Assad and Putin’s air forces for these actions.
There must be penalties for breaking the ceasefire, bombing UN aid convoys, and continued strikes on hospitals and medical centers. Punitive strikes on Assad air defenses and airfields to prevent the takeoff of these planes can and should happen immediately. After those initial strikes, we can attempt to reengage the Russian and Syrians in a strong ceasefire that will hold. Furthermore, if the Russians and Syrians do not accept a comprehensive ceasefire, the United States must retain the promise of more strikes. Experienced and recognized military leaders like General David Petraeus continue to argue that a no-fly zone is viable to protect civilians. It is time we heed their advice.
While our options remain limited in Syria after five years of civil war, there is one thing I can promise: the situation will not simply improve on its own. The Syrian people will not simply subject themselves to the torturous rule of Assad once again.
In 2013, I loudly called for the President to enforce his now infamous red line against Assad’s use of chemical weapons on civilians, only to be met with plenty of people in my own party telling me this will only spread the conflict and make it worse. I don’t think any of us could have imagined just how bad the conflict would spiral or the negative implications for the Middle East as a whole. I can assure that further inaction will only bring about more instability, which will continue to threaten our national security.
I have had profound disagreements with the way that President Obama has conducted foreign policy, particularly in Syria. In these challenging times, I am reminded of that old adage: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Hearing President Obama say that Syria will continue to “haunt” him makes me think of President Bill Clinton, who said his biggest regret as president was the failure to act in Rwanda. Nearly one million people were slaughtered while the civilized world stood by and watched.
The time for strong U.S. action and leadership is now. How many more innocent Syrian children must die, how many more refugees must flee to Europe or elsewhere, how much more global chaos must Russia cause until we finally realize inaction is no longer an option?
Every day my heart breaks for the people of Syria and my anger rises knowing that real lives are being cut short despite America’s capacity to help. Rather than continuing this policy of inaction and empty threats, it is time for America to stand up and be that “beacon of hope” and the guardian of global stability. We need to be the global leader that will stare down tyrants and despots in order to prevent the murder of innocents. We need to show strength and we need to do so now.
On Tuesday, we heard both vice presidential candidates support some form of military response to what’s happened in Syria. I was further encouraged to see so many strong editorials written on the crisis. In the Washington Post, Chicago surgeon Dr. Samer Attar, a volunteer with the Syrian American Medical Society, wrote again about his experiences in Aleppo and the horrific carnage he saw every day. Senator John McCain wrote about the lack of strategy from the White House in Syria and the need for military intervention. I spoke with Josh Rogin last week and hope the President read his column this morning. Photos and videos on NBC News and CNN show the families, the children, the white helmet rescue workers all crying out for help.
With all of this much needed attention, and collaborated call for action, I sincerely hope the President will step up.
Mr. President, the world is watching. This will be your legacy. Don’t let humanity down.
