02-09-2012, 03:30 PM
cbelt3 wrote:
Encourage the rest of the Arab League to kick Assad's butt. Stay out unless there's a fully international response, and then fly airstrikes only.
Worked nicely in Libya... I'd say try to duplicate that.
Since the Russians and Chinese vetoed any meaningful United Nations actions, it seems you are right, it will be up to the Arab League to lead the way on this if anything is going to be done to stop the slaughter of Syrians by their own government. But I'm pessimistic about them getting together enough collective will to do so, though.
I keep getting a nagging feeling that there is a simmering hostility growing between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the area (Assad and most of his closest crew are Shia, but the majority of Syrians are Sunni). If there is and that hostility heats up to a boil, that could be really bad news. How would a nuclear-weaponed Iran - which is predominately Shia - fit into that kind of milieu?