Syria -- More Death and Destruction

Today brings news of a pitched battle between 12th Armored Brigade of the Syrian army and groups of soldiers who deserted their posts rather than attack their countrymen as ordered by the Assad regime. The attack in the area of the town of Busra al-Harir involved a frontal assault by the government forces with masses of tanks. No news is available yet as to the outcome or the number of casualties.

Syria is also in the grip of a general strike which Assad is trying to break with the use of force. Shop owners across the country are being told to open their stores or else the government forces will force them open an leave them to be looted. Nevertheless, parts of Damascus are reported to be shut down due to the strike.

Once again, president Obama remains silent about what has been happening in Syria. A regime like Assad's whose departure would be a stragic victory for the United States is allowed to continue killing its own people while America takes no meaningful steps. It would be easy for the United States to act in conert with Europe to effectively isolate the Syrians from all Western trade. Just imagine the impact if the USA and the EU banned trade with Syria as well as with any company trading with the Syrians. That move would not involve any American troops. It would not disrupt Western commerce in any meaningful way. It would, however, be a body blow to Syria. Indeed, if we could convince Russia and/or China to join in the boycott, it might have profound effects in Syria.

I want to put this into context. In the six months since the protests began in Syria, the Assad regime has killed more Syrians for being part of or near the protests than the number of American forces killed in both Iraq and Afghanistan since 9-11. Syria, however, has a population about 7% of the American population. In other words, imagine that the US federal government had killed about 60,000 Americans for peacefully protesting conditions in the country. That is where Syria is today.

It is a national disgrace that we have a president who spends all his time on his re-election campaign rather than focusing on things like this.