Why the US cant simply take out Assad
--:--
President Trump is still basking in the glow of his resolute decision to launch missiles at a Syrian air base in order to punish Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapon attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun.
Some analysts are saying it’s a direct contradiction to everything that he had said about Syria for years, including his repeated insistence that President Obama not attack the Assad regime — even after a significantly worse chemical attack in 2013.
But now, there are some pressing questions about this attack and its aftermath which are going to have to be answered.
David Alpher writes that targeting Assad would likely give birth to the same kind of catastrophe we saw in Libya after Muammar Gaddafi’s fall.
David is Adjunct Professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. He is the Washington Head of Office and Advocacy Manager for Saferworld. Dr. Alpher was the Research Professor of Peace and Stability Operations at the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute from 2015-2016, and publishes extensively on a range of issues related to peace-building and conflict resolution
Some analysts are saying it’s a direct contradiction to everything that he had said about Syria for years, including his repeated insistence that President Obama not attack the Assad regime — even after a significantly worse chemical attack in 2013.
But now, there are some pressing questions about this attack and its aftermath which are going to have to be answered.
David Alpher writes that targeting Assad would likely give birth to the same kind of catastrophe we saw in Libya after Muammar Gaddafi’s fall.
David is Adjunct Professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. He is the Washington Head of Office and Advocacy Manager for Saferworld. Dr. Alpher was the Research Professor of Peace and Stability Operations at the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute from 2015-2016, and publishes extensively on a range of issues related to peace-building and conflict resolution