Obama's 'pass the buck' policy on Syria

The president has sacrificed coherent strategy against Assad for political expediency. Leading from behind never looked weaker

Michael Boyle

theguardian.com, Thursday 5 September 2013

(Cartoon by Mike Luckovich)

 

"The decision of Senate foreign relations committee to endorse a strike against Syria will be interpreted as a victory for the White House, but in practice, it represents the triumph of politics over strategy. President Obama has centered his case to strike Syria on the need for moral clarity in the face of the chemical weapons attack, but his policies have been directed more towards appeasing a restive Congress, and inoculating himself against the toxic political fallout of a strike, than influencing the calculations of Bashar al-Assad......

 

Because the administration has prioritized domestic politics over the strategic logic of the strike, they have almost guaranteed that it will be ineffective. It is possible that if Obama had sought congressional authorization for a strike immediately following the attack, and struck before Assad had a chance to prepare himself, that an American air operation might have been successful in deterring future chemical attacks.

But by handing off the decision to the Congress and producing such a substantial delay, and by telegraphing his reluctance to the American electorate so obviously, Obama has all but guaranteed that this attempt to "lead from behind" will be unsuccessful."