The conventional wisdom is that nothing can be done in Syria, but the conventional wisdom is wrong. There is a path toward ending the horror in Aleppo — a perfectly realistic path that would honor our highest ideals, a way to recover our moral standing as well as our strategic position. Operating under a NATO umbrella, the United States could use its naval and air assets in the region to establish a no-fly zone from Aleppo to the Turkish border and make clear that it would prevent the continued bombardment of civilians and refugees by any party, including the Russians. It could use the no-fly zone to keep open the corridor with Turkey and use its assets to resupply the city and internally displaced people in the region with humanitarian assistance.
If the Russians and Syrians sought to prevent humanitarian protection and resupply of the city, they would face the military consequences.
From: Enough is enough — U.S. abdication on Syria must come to an end – The Washington Post
Who in the “how the world ends” pool picked civil war in Syria? Because last I checked Russia was still very much a nuclear power and might take a very dim view to having its fighters — lawfully in the country at the invitation of Syrian president — shot down by the US.Report
You’re forgetting what the US can accomplish with its unsullied moral authority.Report
Obama hasn’t abdicated, his choice was D) Take in all of those poor poor Syrian refuges and ignore everything else.Report
It certainly is in the NATO charter to establish no fly zones and risk war in Syria. Yeah that makes sense. Risk war with Russia, yeah that seems like a good idea. I’m sure the rest of NATO would be just fine that. Geez people think No Fly zone is some sort of magic balm that solves everything. There no sporking easy or good answers for Syria/ISIS/ Iraq. There are a collection of bitter ugly answers that nobody likes or wants to see.Report
A no-fly zone would cripple ISIS’s ability to project power via their air force, If they had one.Report
It will keep their navy bottled up and if we show enough Will we can blunt their space program.Report
I am so glad Canadans made the Liberal Party ditch this guy. Friends don’t let friends elect neocons.Report
Agreed entirely, the vacuity of the neocon project is so galling that it baffled me that anyone listens to them on anything.Report
Hmmm. This is strange. THe article begins by saying “The conventional wisdom is that nothing can be done in Syria” and then, as if to show that view’s silliness they make a very serious proposal of something that can be done: create a no-fly zone and tell the Russians to sit their ass down.
The unlikelihood of that proposal working out as intended is exactly what people mean when they say “Nothing can be done”. Not that the US, like, literally!, can’t do a damn thing. (We could engage in “targeted carpet bombing”!!)* It’s that the costs are so massive and obvious that only an unconventionally unwise person would take them seriously.
* I think that’s the phrase Teddy Cruzer came up with the other night when it became apparent he didn’t know what the term “carpet bomb” means.Report
Also, I think there may be two CWs out there, and according to conservative CW the reason for chaos in Syria and ISIS’s rise to existential threat status is because Obama has failed to do a every single one of all the many things that could be done.Report
I’m rarely in agreement with many folks on this website, but am on this issue. The above comments just illustrate how much of an idiot this guy is. Jeebus what a tool.
@north @katherinemw
Y’all called it before I could think it. NEOCON.Report