Face it, whatever decision is made by U.S. Congress concerning action to be or not to be taken in Syria, it will not be embraced whole heartedly by the American public. Obviously no decision like this one has ever been fully embraced–not even the invasion of Afghanistan after the attacks of 9/11.
Really, I recall there actually being people at the time that thought that we should do nothing right after we were attacked. There are many people including politicians, small business owners, the economy (if it were a person and had a mind of its own), and parents of lost sons and daughters that might have changed their opinions if they know we would still be in Afghanistan in 2013. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left a filthy taste in the mouth of most people. It’s not shocking to see that almost 3/4 of the U.S people disapprove of a Syrian missile strike.
I have spoken with a number of former special operations members and when asked about us attacking Syria, albeit, only with missiles–each time I have received a resounding “Hell NO!”
What do I think? It doesn’t really matter what I think at this point and time. Every time that I have written an article and proposed a solution to a problem, this is the response:
“That is a great idea Isaiah, but it will never happen.”
So, now once and for all I am not going to propose a great solution that will be applauded by all, but the best of many poor solutions to the Syria problem.
If you haven’t been hiding in your in your grandmothers basement with no contact from the outside world, you will know a few things about Syria (I will cover 10 things you may or may not know about Syria):
1. The civil war started after peaceful protesters in the spring of 2011 were attacked by the Syrian military.
Face it, whatever decision is made by U.S. Congress concerning action to be or not to be taken in Syria, it will not be embraced whole heartedly by the American public. Obviously no decision like this one has ever been fully embraced–not even the invasion of Afghanistan after the attacks of 9/11.
Really, I recall there actually being people at the time that thought that we should do nothing right after we were attacked. There are many people including politicians, small business owners, the economy (if it were a person and had a mind of its own), and parents of lost sons and daughters that might have changed their opinions if they know we would still be in Afghanistan in 2013. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left a filthy taste in the mouth of most people. It’s not shocking to see that almost 3/4 of the U.S people disapprove of a Syrian missile strike.
I have spoken with a number of former special operations members and when asked about us attacking Syria, albeit, only with missiles–each time I have received a resounding “Hell NO!”
What do I think? It doesn’t really matter what I think at this point and time. Every time that I have written an article and proposed a solution to a problem, this is the response:
“That is a great idea Isaiah, but it will never happen.”
So, now once and for all I am not going to propose a great solution that will be applauded by all, but the best of many poor solutions to the Syria problem.
If you haven’t been hiding in your in your grandmothers basement with no contact from the outside world, you will know a few things about Syria (I will cover 10 things you may or may not know about Syria):
1. The civil war started after peaceful protesters in the spring of 2011 were attacked by the Syrian military.
2. There are thought to be over 100 different rebel factions fighting Bashar al-Assad’s regime, with the Free Syrian Army being the largest and most secular/democratic.
3. President Obama and his Administration have been calling for Assad’s resignation since August 2011, and have pressed the United Nations Security Council to condemn the Syrian government (Russian and China have prevented this from happening).
4. The violence between the Syrian government and the rebels is increasing by the week and civilian deaths (per/month) have already topped the deadliest month for civilians in the Iraq War.
5. The death toll for the conflict has reached over 100,000 and surpassed the Bosnian genocide of the 90’s.
6. There are approximately 4.5 million internally displaced Syrians and over 2 million refugees. (That’s the equivalent to the combined populations of Los Angeles and Chicago)
7. Russia is fully committed to an extensive military relationship between Moscow and Damascus, worth an estimated $4 billion.
8. Qatar has pumped over $3 billion in support of the rebels.
9. Chemical weapons were used, although it is not know from which side. I for one have heard so many damn lies that I don’t know who to believe anymore.
10. The proposed missile strike that President Obama has left to the hands of U.S. Congress will more than likely (if authorized) utilize cruise missiles fired from ships and submarines in the Mediterranean. On average each one of these missiles will cost $1.5 million and estimates are that around one $1 billion would be spent if the strike is approved.
*I listed these particular items so that it may spark interest in you the reader to go out and educate yourself on different aspects of the civil war in Syria. The solution that I am proposing below may not be the best solution and I am not even sure if it is the best course of action, but I am ready for the abuse that may follow.
Okay, on to the unpopular solution.
Approve the missile strike and launch hundreds of cruise missiles at various targets throughout Syria.
The key word here is various. Not only could we decimate key Assad and Hamas strongholds, we could also destroy a large percentage of the Jihadist factions. With the intelligence and technological superiority of the United States we are capable of locating and destroying the backbone of the Islamists.
From conversations that I have had, most Americans aren’t afraid of further destabilizing the region. They are afraid of what a strike could lead to concerning the safety of soldiers and our frail economy.
For each Assad target, we hit one Hamas and one Jihadist. What does this do? It breaks the back of our greatest fears. It strengthens Israel’s resolve to destroy Hamas once and for all and instills that we will have an ally in the Middle East for years to come. Yes, this may cost a few billion dollars to accomplish, but unfortunately action will take place now or later. Either we spend the few billion now or the tens and hundreds of billions it will take down the road.
Keep boots off of the ground and weaken our enemies when they are most vulnerable–fighting each other.
We would absolutely piss off the international community, but we would once again be a Nation to be feared.
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