Hold Damascus Responsible

Submitted by chris (United States), Aug 1, 2006 at 11:00

There's no doubt in my mind that Israel should destroy the powers behind the terrorist presence in southern Lebanon and Gaza. However, I think the most convincing strategy would depend upon the destruction of the power centers in Syria. Specifically, Bashar Assad himself and his lieutenants.

In this age of extremely accurate weapons, it disappoints me that Israel and the US too often aim them at guerrilla strongholds and staging areas when there are far better targets nearby. Moreover, since the terrorist strategy of placing guerrilla sites within civilian populations is approved by the leaders in Damascus and Tehran, it's clear those leaders see the sacrifice of relatively innocent muslims as a useful price to pay as they attempt to advance their agenda of creating a Jew-free middle east and ultimately a global caliphate. Muslim leaders might develop new strategies for co-existence if they themselves becamest the targets

In my view, nothing would stop muslim terrorism faster than killing those muslims most responsible for it. While the most ardent islamofascists entering combat zones in the middle east may die willingly for their religion, their deaths do not bring us closer to the end of islamic fanaticism. It is the handful of leaders in Syria and Tehran, as well as other centers, who fund and arm the fighters, as well as funding the teaching that inspires the fighters, who must die if muslim terrorism is to end.

It seems to me that a missile barrage would end the Assad regime and put Syria on a different road. That's not to say sectarian violence wouldn't result from a traumatic regime change. But the sudden demise of the leadership would suggest that its replacement would survive only if it practiced principles of non-violence, plurality and decency -- as defined by Israel and the U.S.

Furthermore, would it surprise anyone if among the bodies dug from the rubble covering the Assad regime the corpse of Osama bin Laden was found?

Chris

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