tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post1560770467695164330..comments2024-02-21T05:16:22.788-05:00Comments on Two Weeks Notice: A Latin American Politics Blog: Cuban Missile Crisis and CredibilityGreg Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15765114859595124082noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post-3155971513357636182013-09-03T11:22:06.807-04:002013-09-03T11:22:06.807-04:00Oops, I meant there are some seeming credible repo...Oops, I meant there are some seeming credible reports suggesting that Assad's forces are not responsible for the chemical attacks...Justin Delacourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01343303383195336825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post-65961120879775118232013-09-03T11:18:31.616-04:002013-09-03T11:18:31.616-04:00My understanding of the Syrian conflict is very li...My understanding of the Syrian conflict is very limited, but what I'm hearing is that the powerful groups within the Syrian rebel forces have ties to Al Quaeda. Thus, what I'm wondering is how assisting these forces --even if inadvertently-- would serve any humanitarian objectives, recognizing, of course, that Assad's forces are also very brutal. I'm also of the understanding that rebel forces are responsible for a considerable amount of the carnage in Syria. In addition, there are some seemingly credible reports suggesting that Assad's forces are responsible for the chemical attacks, although the investigations are obviously ongoing. Thus, it seems to me that there are an awful lot of question marks about what the purpose of this bombing would be.Justin Delacourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01343303383195336825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post-33964456047188023612013-09-03T08:28:32.416-04:002013-09-03T08:28:32.416-04:00"If we do not attack now when we said we will..."If we do not attack now when we said we will, then no one will believe us in the future. There is, however, simply no evidence or even logic behind this. The world knows that the United States, like the Soviet Union in the example above, will not hesitate to bomb just about any adversary for just about any reason, real or imaginary. We have plenty of examples just in recent years. Not following through with this one particular especially ill-made threat will not change that." <br /><br />I appreciate your promoting the idea that a policy built on credibility arguments has risks and can be very dangerous. Certainly many of these same risks exist when making a policy decision based on power and interest as well. I will look forward to reading the article but would caution about the straw man argument. Just because the US credibility on its willingness to bomb is beyond doubt, it should not be held up as the only issue here. <br /><br />The international system is blocked by a potential Russian (and Chinese) veto from acting militarily on humanitarian grounds and the use of chemical weapons. The Security Council can't claim exclusivity in its decision- making and offer nothing in the way of a solution. The Putin govt. in calling this so much "foolishness," in arming the Syrian govt., in acting as sponsor and protector, is hiding behind the fig leaf of international law. The Syrian people are dying, and while the Western powers have been reluctant to intervene, they at least struggle with the obligation to act. What means can be used to promote international solutions--legally, morally, and strategically to address these kinds of problems? It is not enough to criticize the Obama administration while it tries to justify the use of force, always a greater challenge in a democratic system, without offering alternatives that would be more likely to succeed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com