Foreign Intervention in Syria? A Debate with Joshua Landis and Karam Nachar

[The Northerner]

democracynow.org - With estimates of well over 5,000 deaths, the uprising in Syria is all but assured to be the Arab Spring's bloodiest conflict to date. As the toll mounts, calls are growing for the international community to intervene by arming rebels fighting the Assad regime and even direct military intervention. Democracy Now! hosts a debate on the merits and pitfalls of foreign intervention in Syria with two guests. "I'm not opposed to helping the opposition -- the problem right now is that we are not sure who to arm," says Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma and editor of "Syria Comment," a daily online newsletter on Syrian politics. We're also joined by Karam Nachar, a cyber-activist and Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University working with Syrian protesters via social media platforms. "There's a humanitarian disaster unfolding on the ground," Nachar says. "[The world has] a moral responsibility to protect the Syrian people."

[riverwalker]

1. interesting discussion

Karam Nachar, was most interesting.
Landis, however, seemed dancing for too many musicians.

[Dumpster Macaine]

2. Give Me A Break

I have no doubt young Syrian's would like change. Many in America would like change too. But a number of things should be taken into account. Firstly Syria's authoritative regime is a product of it's historic geo-poitical environment, a very volatile and violent one. To change that the whole political climate of the region must change, especially vis-a-vie Israel and U.S. interventions. Secondly, if the Syrian "rebels" were covertly armed and supported politically from Israel and/or the U.S. from the start, then Assad has every right, like the U.S. would have, to quash an externally supported rebellion. What would the U.S. do if China armed agitators or those seeking change in our country? Again the U.S. holds a double standard. I feel sorry for the naive young Syrian's who will die, not for their "freedom", but for American Imperialism. The whole spectacle is sickening, Democracy Now's dilettantish coverage included. Is Mr. Landis', someone who isn't against arming the "rebels", the best D. N. could do for a counter point? Give me a break.