Syria War Moving Outward, Obama Looks Inward

The civil war in Syria is already expanding beyond the borders, with regional and potentially global consequences.

by Phyllis Bennis

"Even as the U.S. and Russia continue collaborating on plans for a Syrian peace conference to be held some time in late June, arms shipments on all sides continue to threaten even greater escalation. Arms flows to Syrian rebel forces from Qatar and Saudi Arabia via Turkey and Jordan continue, Britain and France forced the European Union to end its prohibition on sending arms to the opposition, the United States cheered the EU decision, Russia announced in response it intends to send Damascus advanced anti-aircraft missiles, and Israel made clear it would bomb those missiles if they arrive in Syria. And the Obama administration has reportedly requested the Pentagon to prepare plans for imposing a “no-fly” zone in Syria in support of rebel fighters and even for direct multilateral military engagement inside Syria.

Senator John McCain’s highly-publicized visit to rebel-held territory inside Syria, accompanied by top leaders of the fractious rebel alliance, also appears timed directly to scuttle any potential for Washington’s and Moscow’s efforts to establish the new peace conference for Syria.  I talked about McCain’s visit, the necessity for a diplomatic rather than military solution, and the futility of trying for a military victory on The Real News a couple of days ago [Posted on PP].

Syria – and the region in which it sits – are in serious trouble. Pressures on the Obama administration to engage even more directly in Syria, establishing a “no-fly” zone, creating “safe corridors” for the rebel forces, sending heavy weapons to the U.S.-identified “good guys” among the rebels, training even more than the 200 CIA agents in Jordan are training now… all are on the wish list of the We-Want-To-Attack-Syria-And-We-Want-You-To-Do-It-Now caucus......."