Bad Idea, Mr. President
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Interventionists tend to detach their actions from longer-term consequences. This myopia is often coupled with a prevalent misunderstanding of the political and cultural context of where they want to intervene. Both problems are present in the current American approach to Syria.
The Syrian revolution isnt democratic or secular; the more than 90,000 fatalities are the result of a civil war, not a genocide and human rights violations have been committed on both sides.
Moreover, the rebels dont have the support or trust of a clear majority of the population, and the political opposition is neither credible nor representative. Ethnic cleansing against minorities is more likely to occur under a rebel-led government than under Mr. Assad; likewise, the possibility of chemical weapons falling into the hands of terrorist groups only grows as the regime weakens.
And finally, a rebel victory is more likely to destabilize Iraq and Lebanon, and the inevitable disorder of a post-Assad Syria constitutes a greater threat to Israel than the status quo.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/opinion/sunday/bad-idea-mr-president.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0