Why Syrian rebels are on their own: Worthington
peter-worthington
By <
http://www.torontosun.com/author/peter-worthington> Peter Worthington
,QMI Agency
.... One civil war that succeeded without Western involvement was Eritrea's
30-year war against Ethiopia's occupation. Ethiopia was at first supported
by U.S, weaponry and then by Soviet Union. No country supported, or gave
military aid to Eritrea.
I was there during the last battles, when Eritrean fighters were capturing
Soviet equipment used by the Ethiopians, and turning captured tanks and guns
against their enemy. They won independence, thanks only to themselves......
First posted: Thursday, March 01, 2012 02:30 PM EST | Updated: Thursday,
March 01, 2012 04:14 PM EST
When U.S. or Western countries get involved in a rebellion, they inevitably
must assume some responsibility for the outcome. By taking a hands-off
approach to the Syrian rebellion, there is little baggage or responsibility
of Western countries.
TORONTO - Last week. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the
world on the crisis in Syria, and basically said it is up to Syrians to
solve their problem with the Assad regime.
It wasn't that she was striking a neutral, non-interventionist pose, but
that she was being pragmatic and reassuringly blunt.
She said the brutality being exercised for more than a year against Syrians
by their government and its military cannot go on indefinitely and that
"there will be increasingly capable opposition forces . that will find the
means to defend themselves as well as begin offensive measures . I have
absolutely no doubt there will be a breaking point."
She was speaking to representatives of Arab and Western countries who are to
attend a "Friends of Syria" gathering of some 70 nations in Tunis, with the
goal of trying to persuade the Assad regime to stop killing its own people.
What's interesting in this U.S. approach, is that it's registering
disapproval and opposition - but no military ultimatums or threats.
Pity the U.S. doesn't try this approach more often.
Once military action is involved, the dynamics of any crisis change, and
consequences are invariably unpredictable. And usually disappointing.
Of course, Russia and China supporting Syria is an inhibiting factor. Well,
if not exactly supporting, at least warning outsiders not to interfere.
When U.S. or Western countries get involved in a rebellion, they inevitably
must assume some responsibility for the outcome. By taking a hands-off
approach to the Syrian rebellion, there is little baggage or responsibility
of Western countries.
Not like Libya, where the rebellion caught Western countries by surprise.
While we didn't send ground troops, we did wage an air war against the
Gadhafi regime that was like shooting fish in a barrel. Western allies have
been congratulating themselves ever since.
As a consequence we now have some responsibility for the regime that
replaces Gadhafi, and fervently hope it is more democratic than it looks at
present. The same goes for the Egyptian rebellion that ousted Mubarak who,
until he fell, was America's ally and then forgotten.
Western countries intruded militarily in the affairs of Kosovo and Serbia,
on grounds that we were preventing genocide - which turn out to be a myth.
No mass graves, and casualties and atrocities roughly equal by both sides.
A consequence is that Bosnia and Kosovo are now havens for Islamic
extremists.
One civil war that succeeded without Western involvement was Eritrea's
30-year war against Ethiopia's occupation. Ethiopia was at first supported
by U.S, weaponry and then by Soviet Union. No country supported, or gave
military aid to Eritrea.
I was there during the last battles, when Eritrean fighters were capturing
Soviet equipment used by the Ethiopians, and turning captured tanks and guns
against their enemy. They won independence, thanks only to themselves.
Today Eritrea is judged one of the world's poorest nations, at the bottom of
the freedom scale. Yet Eritreans overseas loyally send money to relatives.
America's war in Vietnam was a misjudgment that cost 50,000 American lives,
and solved nothing. The North won, and life goes on. By invading Iraq, the
country is now on a razor's edge. If only the American had eliminate Saddam
Hussein, as they did Osama bin Laden, that whole area might be different
today.
The moral being - don't start a war unless you're going to win quickly, as
President Reagan did in Grenada and against Noriega in Panama. One hopes
Hillary is right about Syria.
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Received on Fri Mar 02 2012 - 11:41:01 EST
