According to the New York Times, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel confirmed that the Obama administration is now seriously considering arming the Syrian opposition. Apparently, General Salim Idriss--the commander of the opposition's Supreme Military Council--has impressed Washington with his "moderate instincts" and "pledge to reject extremist elements like Al-Nusra."
Uh, to give my unvarnished opinion, this seems like a disastrous mistake.
Unfortunately for Idriss, his pledge seems as good as useless at this juncture. Militant Islamist rebels--led in no small part by the kooks of Jabhat al-Nusra--have pretty much usurped the anti-regime uprising and control large swaths of Syrian territory. In the process, they have sidelined pro-democracy activists, liberals, secular democrats, religious minorities, etc., all the while making no apologies for their medieval aspirations of transforming Syria into an Islamic Caliphate. Sorry, but the guys that are actually in charge are not exactly comparable with the peaceful, freedom-loving protestors of Tahrir Square.
Are we really going to support these ideological crackpots? I am not even remotely convinced that the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC)--based in Istanbul mind you--will be able to keep these guys in check. Observers like Shadi Hamid (Brookings Doha Center) and Roula Khalaf (Financial Times) have pressed US policymakers to play a more involved role in the conflict, but arguments in favor of arming the rebels are simply unfulfilling.
Pity really. Syrians deserve a thousand times better than the options they're being accorded.
Uh, to give my unvarnished opinion, this seems like a disastrous mistake.
Unfortunately for Idriss, his pledge seems as good as useless at this juncture. Militant Islamist rebels--led in no small part by the kooks of Jabhat al-Nusra--have pretty much usurped the anti-regime uprising and control large swaths of Syrian territory. In the process, they have sidelined pro-democracy activists, liberals, secular democrats, religious minorities, etc., all the while making no apologies for their medieval aspirations of transforming Syria into an Islamic Caliphate. Sorry, but the guys that are actually in charge are not exactly comparable with the peaceful, freedom-loving protestors of Tahrir Square.
Are we really going to support these ideological crackpots? I am not even remotely convinced that the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC)--based in Istanbul mind you--will be able to keep these guys in check. Observers like Shadi Hamid (Brookings Doha Center) and Roula Khalaf (Financial Times) have pressed US policymakers to play a more involved role in the conflict, but arguments in favor of arming the rebels are simply unfulfilling.
Pity really. Syrians deserve a thousand times better than the options they're being accorded.
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