By Daniel Gallington

United States should do everything short of a direct military intervention to support Syrian democracy movement

The democracy movement in Syria is a grassroots, largely social-media driven effort that we should aggressively support, short of direct military intervention. The current Assad regime is doing what Assad's father did in 1982, when he killed over 25,000 of his own people. This Assad has robbed his country blind, and has gotten help from Iran to murder his own people to stay in power with his mafia-like, totally corrupt organization. In addition, Assad has for years supported various terrorist factions in the region. However, as the situation worsens for them, Assad and his cronies are making escape plans.

How to speed up his departure? There are a range of options that can be undertaken separately or in combination:

-- Arm the various opposition groups and provide intelligence and logistic support for them.

-- "Lead from behind" -- as we did in Libya -- with other concerned nations taking active roles in the actual military operations against Assad.

-- Work diplomatically with the Arab league, insofar as they agree that Assad must go.

-- Work the Assad departure with a flood of proactive "information operations", using social media and other available media.

-- Encourage other concerned nations to support financially the democracy movements in Syria, and to fund reconstruction there after Assad leaves.

The popular revolution in Syria is a continuation of last year's "Arab Spring", and can only work to the benefit of democracy movements everywhere -- we should do everything short of direct military intervention to support it.

 

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U.S. Has Many Non-Military Options in Syria | Global Viewpoint