Syrian soldiers loyal to President Bashar Assad in the town of Qusair patrol in early June. SANA/AP
Will Syria Be Obama's Fourth War?
The country is being compared to Kosovo, Rwanda, Libya, Iraq — which lessons should apply?
Syria is being compared to a lot of things — Kosovo, Rwanda, Libya, Iraq — and the Obama administration is divided over which lessons should apply.
Here's what President Obama will do for Syrian rebels: give them small arms and ammunition. Here's what he's considering: a no-fly zone along the Jordanian border, and maybe anti-tank weapons. Here's what he won't do, for now: give them anti-aircraft weapons the rebel commanders have been asking for, or put American boots on the ground.
Former President Bill Clinton criticized Obama for not intervening in Syria's two-year-old conflict earlier this week, saying, "Sometimes it’s just best to get caught trying, as long as you don’t overcommit — like, as long as you don't make an improvident commitment," Clinton said, according to Politico's Maggie Haberman. Clinton cited his own experience with Bosnia and Kosovo. But Obama has other conflicts in mind, according to Politico — Iraq and Afghanistan. Avoiding overcommitment proved to be a problem in those wars.
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