Put Up Or Shut Up

Words have consequences …especially when they are uttered by the President of the United States.

There is mounting evidence that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its citizens. 

Numerous reports and videos coming out of Syria indicate that the Syrian government launched 30 missiles tipped with deadly sarin gas against a neighborhood near Damascus.  Hundreds perhaps as many as one thousand civilians died in yesterday’s bombing.  The deaths include several children.  Experts viewing the videos say the symptoms exhibited by the victims are consistent with the affects of exposure to sarin gas.

The president has stated clearly that any evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government would be crossing a “red line” that would force the United States to act.  He said that the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government would be a “game changer” and that the United States “would not tolerate the use of chemical weapons.”

If the reports out of Syria are true, and the videos are certainly compelling, then the Syrian regime has crossed that red line and effectively thumbed its nose at the United States and its allies.

The question then becomes…what does the president due about it.

Earlier this year there were reports that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons against the rebel forces killing 150.  The Obama administration responded by saying that the US would supply small arms and ammunition to t he rebels.  According to rebel leaders those promises have not been kept.

Let us be clear…we do not support placing US military forces in Syria.  History has clearly shown that our military involvement in the Middle East is little more than a fool’s errand.  But as the world’s lone super power it seems that we have a moral obligation to marshal our allies into a coalition focused on bringing an end to the bloodshed.  

As one Syrian rebel said to NBC’s foreign correspondent Richard Engle: “We understand the US does not want to fight our wars for us.  This is our battle and we will fight it.  But if our house is on fire and the US has a bucket of water or a bucket of sand, are they not morally obligated to use it?”

The turbulent conditions in Syria provide a veritable petri dish for the development of Islamic extremists hell bent on destroying America and its interests.  That’s not inflammatory rhetoric…that’s a fact.

We have commented that this president tends to make bold statements about international affairs but does little to follow through.  Once again he finds himself in the position of backing up his rhetoric.

Mr. President, the “red line” has been crossed.

What are you going to do about it?