LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 12/12

Bible Quotation for today/The Person and Work of Christ
Colossians 01/10-29: "Then you will be able to live as the Lord wants and will always do what pleases him. Your lives will produce all kinds of good deeds, and you will grow in your knowledge of God.11-12May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him. Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place. He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things. For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven. At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought. But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence. You must, of course, continue faithful on a firm and sure foundation, and must not allow yourselves to be shaken from the hope you gained when you heard the gospel. It is of this gospel that I, Paul, became a servant—this gospel which has been preached to everybody in the world.
Paul's Work as a Servant of the Church
And now I am happy about my sufferings for you, for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ's sufferings on behalf of his body, the church.And I have been made a servant of the church by God, who gave me this task to perform for your good. It is the task of fully proclaiming his message,26 which is the secret he hid through all past ages from all human beings but has now revealed to his people. God's plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God. So we preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature individual in union with Christ. To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Why a Syrian Civil War Would Be a Disaster For U.S. National Security/By: Robert Satloff /Washington Insitute/ June 11/12
Has Lavrov bidden farewell to al-Assad?/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 10/12
The dynamics of al-Assad’s rule/By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat/June 11/12
Syria opposition: Regime lost control of Damascus, other cities/By: Omri Efraim/agencies/June 11/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 11/12
Rebels battle in Assad stronghold of Damascus
Rebels battle Syrian forces in Damascus
Arab-Israelis hold anti-Assad demonstration
Syria: UN monitors report 'smell of burnt flesh
Assad forces renew Homs assault
Iran warns Moscow nuclear talks could stall
Israeli minister accuses Syria of genocide
Islamist website says to reveal video of Qaeda figure
Israeli, Palestinian negotiators quietly meet
Berri warns sectarian strife could engulf Lebanon, urges dialogue
Israel reconnaissance plane conducts maneuvers over Beirut
Hezbollah says ready to discuss national defense strategy
Mansour optimistic on release of kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims
Three remain captive after revenge kidnapping in north Lebanon
Hezbollah says ready to discuss national defense strategy

Israel reconnaissance plane conducts maneuvers over Beirut
June 10, 2012 02:47 PM The Daily Star /BEIRUT: An Israeli reconnaissance plane violated Lebanon's airspace over the weekend, conducting aerial maneuvers over Beirut and its suburbs, the Lebanese Army said Sunday. In a statement, the army said that at 5:10 a.m., the reconnaissance plane entered Lebanon's airspace above the southern village of Kfar Kila and conducted aerial maneuvers over the south and Beirut as well as its suburbs. The plane flew over the village of Rmeish on its way back to Israel at 7 p.m. Israeli continues to violate Lebanon’s airspace on a regular basis in contravention of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

Israeli minister accuses Syria of genocide
June 10, 2012/By Dan Williams/Daily Star
JERUSALEM: A senior Israeli minister accused Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday of committing genocide during his crackdown on a 15-month uprising, in an unusually harsh censure of the Jewish state's Arab neighbour. Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz also criticised Russia for arming Damascus and repeated Israel's demand for international military intervention to topple Assad, akin to last year's campaign in Libya. Israel has until recently been slow to call for Assad's fall, wary of worsening the turmoil in Syria - the two countries are enemies but have been in a mostly stable stand-off for decades.
With hourly media reports in Israel of Syrian civilian deaths, public anger has been growing and Israeli officials have been stepping up their criticism.
"A crime against humanity, genocide, is being conducted in Syria today. And the silence of the world powers is contrary to all human logic," said Mofaz during an interview on Israel's Army Radio.
Foreign powers were "making do with flaccid condemnation" rather than intervening to overthrow Assad, he added.
"Worse than that is the Russian conduct, which weakly condemns the slaughter while continuing to arm Assad's murderous regime. Best-case, this is irresponsibility, and worst-case, it is a partnership in the slaughter," Mofaz said. A longtime Syrian ally, Russia opposes outside intervention against Damascus. Moscow has denied supporting any side in the conflict or providing arms that could be used in a Syrian civil war. Russia says it would be open to Assad's exit from power as long as it was a result of an inclusive political process among Syrians. Mofaz, a former top general and political centrist who joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition government last month, said Israel had limited options on Syria but had to lobby for international action.
"We need to enlist the West. We need our voice to be heard. This slaughter is being carried out not far from Israel's border," he said. "We cannot get involved, for understandable reasons. But I think that the West, led by the United States, has an interest in guarding the threshold (so) genocide does not take place." Such language is especially loaded in Israel, which was founded in part as a haven for survivors of the Holocaust. Speaking separately on Israel Radio, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said the Netanyahu government was prepared to help Syrians who take refuge in Jordan and other countries with ties to the Jewish state.

Hezbollah says ready to discuss national defense strategy
June 10, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Hezbollah's deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said Sunday that his party is ready to discuss different views of a national defense strategy in national dialogue sessions due to begin Monday. “We have a theory of how the defense strategy should be and we are ready to discuss it,” Qassem said during a ceremony in south Lebanon.
“Others should put forward their own vision for a strategy and when we convince each other, we can agree on an overall strategy that serves Lebanon’s interests,” he added.
The National Dialogue, stalled since November 2010, is slated to resume Monday between representatives of rival parties including Hezbollah, the Future Movement and Kataeb. The Lebanese Forces has announced that, barring unexpected positive developments, it will refrain from participating in the dialogue, which it fears will be a waste of time.
President Michel Sleiman, who will chair the session, has said that the dialogue will discuss a national defense strategy that would benefit from Hezbollah’s arsenal and resolve the question of arms currently outside the jurisdiction of the state. Qassem said that a national defense strategy should be based on social cohesion, Lebanon’s strength and the tripartite formula of the “the people, the army, and the resistance.” “This defense strategy would place arms in their proper place, which is defense of the country. Such a strategy would also ensure a strong Lebanon, not a weak one led by others,” said Qassem who voiced his party’s support for taking the country from a state of chaos to one of stability. The Hezbollah official also outlined the components he believes are necessary for the establishment of a strong state: a new electoral system based on proportional representation, preventing Lebanon from becoming a pawn in others’ hands, confronting Israeli threats and occupation, and serving the people via social and economic development projects.

Syria opposition: Regime lost control of Damascus, other cities
Omri Efraim, agencies Latest Update: 06.10.12/Ynetnews
PM says Iran, Hezbollah helping Assad regime 'massacre civilians'; new Syrian National Council head says government in Damascus 'on its last legs'
Iran and Hezbollah bear some responsibility for the recent atrocities in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.
"It's not just the Syrian government. It is being aided by Iran and Hezbollah," the PM the weekly cabinet meeting. "The world must recognize this focused axis of evil. People must understand what kind of environment we are living in."
Netanyahu said Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime is massacring civilians. "We see horrific photos of children and elderly people," he said.
Meanwhile, the new leader of the Syrian National Council, Abdel Basset Sayda, told AFP on Sunday that Assad's is on its "last legs" and has lost control of several cities.
"We are entering a sensitive phase. The regime is on its last legs," Sayda said a few hours after he was named as the new SNC president. "The multiplying massacres and shellings show that it is struggling. "According to reports, the regime has lost control of Damascus and other cities," he asserted. Fighting between regime troops and rebels has intensified recently in the capital, which remains the city most protected by regime forces. Asked about his ambitions as SNC leader, Sayda said the opposition bloc "would focus its efforts on the international community to take a decisive move against the regime, which continues to carry out massacres."
"The Annan plan still exists but it has not been implemented. We will work for this plan to be included under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, to force the regime to implement it and to leave all options open" he said. Chapter VII allows for sanctions and, in extreme cases, military action. Russia and China, infuriated by the NATO campaign in Libya last year, have vowed to oppose any military intervention.
"We want to strengthen links with activists on the ground and the Free Syrian Army, who we will support with all our means", he said. Sayda's predecessor, Burhan Ghalioun, stepped down last month after being criticized for ignoring the Local Coordination Committees, which spearhead anti-government protests on the ground, and for giving the Muslim Brotherhood too large a role. Also on Sunday, a senior Israeli minister accused Assad of committing genocide during his crackdown on a 15-month uprising, in an unusually harsh censure of the Jewish state's Arab neighbor. Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz also criticized Russia for arming Damascus and repeated Israel's demand for international military intervention to topple Assad, akin to last year's campaign in Libya. Israel has until recently been slow to call for Assad's fall, wary of worsening the turmoil in Syria - the two countries are enemies but have been in a mostly stable stand-off for decades. With hourly media reports in Israel of Syrian civilian deaths, public anger has been growing and Israeli officials have been stepping up their criticism. "A crime against humanity, genocide, is being conducted in Syria today. And the silence of the world powers is contrary to all human logic," said Mofaz during an interview on Israel's Army Radio. Foreign powers were "making do with flaccid condemnation" rather than intervening to overthrow Assad, he added.
"Worse than that is the Russian conduct, which weakly condemns the slaughter while continuing to arm Assad's murderous regime. Best-case, this is irresponsibility, and worst-case, it is a partnership in the slaughter," Mofaz said.
A longtime Syrian ally, Russia opposes outside intervention against Damascus. Moscow has denied supporting any side in the conflict or providing arms that could be used in a Syrian civil war.
Russia says it would be open to Assad's exit from power as long as it was a result of an inclusive political process among Syrians. Mofaz, a former top general and political centrist who joined Netanyahu's conservative coalition government last month, said Israel had limited options on Syria but had to lobby for international action. "We need to enlist the West. We need our voice to be heard. This slaughter is being carried out not far from Israel's border," he said. "We cannot get involved, for understandable reasons. But I think that the West, led by the United States, has an interest in guarding the threshold (so) genocide does not take place." Such language is especially loaded in Israel, which was founded in part as a haven for survivors of the Holocaust. Speaking separately on Israel Radio, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said the Netanyahu government was prepared to help Syrians who take refuge in Jordan and other countries with ties to the Jewish state.

The dynamics of al-Assad’s rule
By Hussein Shobokshi
Asharq Alawsat
In the world of management and business schools, it is always advisable to admire and appreciate specific names or companies that have done well and outperformed others, as they can often provide important and distinctive examples. Among the most important management success stories are those of Jack Welch, the former head of “General Electric”, and the much revered and remarkable story of the late founder of “Apple”, Steve Jobs. However, governments and political movements also have their own distinctive management styles and approaches, which distinguish them from their counterparts.
Here the regime of Bashar al-Assad - and before him his father Hafez al-Assad - and its management of affairs in Syria, is worthy of further study in order to examine how a state of relentless panic was created, serving to consecrate the ruling family and sect at any cost, and for the longest possible time.
The al-Assad regime’s rule has been primarily based on occupying public opinion with beautiful and idealistic – but vague – slogans. The regime’s ideologues were busy for years and decades polluting the minds of generations with principles, objectives, rules and fundamentals that were disseminated in seminars, conferences and books, and likewise in official decisions and speeches, but were nothing more than a form of cheap nonsense. The people were preoccupied with socialism at times, and nationalism and unity at others, all of which are slogans of the Arab Socialist Baath Party.
The rulers of the al-Assad regime have also been characterized by a devastating, evil thought process. They sold and promoted the idea that they were patrons of a “first-hand” confrontation, resistance and opposition against the Zionist, imperialist enemy. They were skilled and proficient in removing anyone who opposed them, and pursued the nationalist, Arabist doctrine relentlessly. They adopted support for “resistance” factions, parties and movements, whilst Syria’s borders with Israel and the occupied Golan Heights remained safe and secure without even the slightest inconvenience. In reality, the regime’s rulers were closer to the resorts of Hawaii and the Caribbean Sea, rather than standing in the firing line and fighting for their occupied regions.
At the heart of the regime’s method of dealing with those who oppose it is the “Shabiha”, a name which has become widely known with the recent events of the Syrian revolution, but in fact this approach has been in place since the regime’s outset. The al-Assad regime recruited trumpets within the Arab media, or MPs in other Arab parliaments, for the purpose of “slander and propaganda”, defaming the political opponents of the regime. If this did not have the desired effect, the next option would be to resort to physical harm, starting with threats or instances of pain and mutilation, and often ending with horrific deaths.
The regime excelled in using the Shabiha in all sectors and areas, employing politicians, businessmen, traders, artists and athletes, each with their particular weight, and each imposing their distinctive influence in their respective fields. Over time, al-Assad’s maneuvers were no longer confined to the limits of Syria alone, but moved to neighboring countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt and some Gulf states. Each of these states has suffered in different ways and tasted the bitter result of Syria’s cross-border convulsions. This explains the reluctance and fear of some of these countries when it comes to frankly and openly declaring their support for the Syrian revolution. For example, the al-Assad regime has continuously maintained a spillover threat towards Jordan, where suspicious demonstrations have recently taken place, seemingly protesting against the Jordanian intelligence services and orchestrated by bodies affiliated to the Syrian regime. The same goes for Lebanon which has been completely invaded by Syrian cross-border convulsions, penetrating both the government and the parliament. In Turkey, there is clear concern and fear of Syria infiltrating the upper classes, using them to spark unrest in favor of al-Assad, and as a means to alleviate Turkish pressure on the Syrian regime.
There is also a clear mobilization of some Kurdish movements inside Turkey through acts of terrorism, thus undermining the Turkish citizens’ confidence in Erdogan’s ability to protect the country’s stability after a relatively positive period of managing the Kurdish issue.
The spillover threat is one of the al-Assad regime’s most heinous tactics, and righteous voices around the world are in agreement about the need to prevent it, not only in the interests of the Syrian people, but also because it is a scourge upon all humanity.

Has Lavrov bidden farewell to al-Assad?
By Tariq Alhomayed
Asharq Al-Awsat
The best thing that can be said about the latest press conference held by Russian Foreign Minister [Sergey Lavrov] is that this included an invitation to negotiate over al-Assad’s future. This is the most important thing, despite all the controversies that were raised during this press conference, particularly as these controversies are easy to answer and refute, such as Lavrov’s talk about foreign interference in Syria, for the question that must be put to Mr. Lavrov here is: what are Russian “experts” doing there? In all certainty, they are not there to support the unarmed Syrian people!
However this is not important, what is most important in Mr. Lavrov’s statement is that this makes it clear that Moscow is aware that Annan’s initiative, or shall we say “ruse”, has failed, and this is due to al-Assad himself, of course. Lavrov’s statement also indicates that the situation on the ground in Syria is beginning to move in a direction contrary to Moscow’s hopes, for al-Assad is not capable of destroying the revolution, whilst he is no longer in control of much of Syria and the fire of the revolution is blazing in all of Syria’s cities, including Damascus and Aleppo. Therefore we find that the al-Assad regime has reached the point of despair, and that is why it is carrying out one massacre after another, which led to the recent noticeable movement on the international scene. All of this has, no doubt, been the subject of concern for the Russians, and the reason why they have taken action today, whether this is in the hope of finding a new opportunity for al-Assad – although this is impossible – or in order to launch the negotiations. This is what is clear from the statements of Mr. Lavrov, which shows that Moscow has initiated the negotiations, and whoever wants to take part in this must come forward, whilst we must also note the manner in which Lavrov spoke about the Saudi role, and its leadership position in the region.
One might say: what about Iran involving itself in the situation in Syria? It is clear that this is nothing more than an attempt to promote the conditions for the negotiations, in other words: if you don’t want Iranian involvement, then this is the price! Therefore regardless of what Mr. Lavrov said about Iran, the Iranians have nothing to do with the Syrian situation, for Syria is not Iraq or Lebanon, and it must not become so! Iran’s role is based on supporting the tyrant of Damascus, and the Syrians have not revolted in order to negotiate with Tehran. The Syrian people have launched their revolution in order to rid themselves of a tyrant, not replace him with another agent of Iran! So when Lavrov warms of a Sunni – Shiite war [in Syria], it is Iran that is most responsible for inciting this! Since the Khomeinist revolution, Iran’s most effective weapon has been that of sectarianism, and this is a weapon that has been used across the entire Arab world, particularly in Syria, and this is something that cannot be denied.
Therefore, the statements made by Mr. Lavrov, and his signaling the possibility of al-Assad resigning if this is what the Syrians want, is nothing more than a signal to others, including Saudi Arabia in particular, that Moscow has opened negotiations on the future of al-Assad, for it would be impossible for the forthcoming Russian summit to discuss, for example, reconciliation with al-Assad. It is natural that many have felt frustrated by Mr. Lavrov’s statements, for some thought that he would openly announce that Moscow has taken the decision to stand with the Syrian people, rather than procrastinating and continuing to defend a tyrant, however unfortunately that is politics, and to be more precise, this is Russia’s policy in our region. For Russian will not accept the departure of al-Assad without negotiations guaranteeing a “price” for this, and from here the question that must be asked is: who will negotiate with the Russians? And what is the price?

Why a Syrian Civil War Would Be a Disaster For U.S. National Security
Robert Satloff /Washington Insitute/New Republic
June 8, 2012 /Speaking Thursday before the U.N. General Assembly, just one day after the latest massacre of civilians by government-affiliated forces, Kofi Annan warned that the crisis in Syria was on a disastrous course. “If things do not change, the future is likely to be one of brutal repression, massacres, sectarian violence and even all-out civil war,” he said. “All Syrians will lose.”
Annan, of course, is not the first to evoke the term “civil war” in reference to the crisis in Syria, which has already resulted in more than 10,000 dead and 50,000 missing. The term has become a favorite of opponents of intervention in Syria, who use it to conjure up the image of a human swamp of chaos, destruction and mayhem that is bloodier than what Syria has suffered over the past sixteen months, less tractable to resolution, and violently inhospitable to outsiders. The unspoken assumption is that while such a scenario may be horrible for Syrian civilians, it would not rise to the level of an international crisis -- at least not one that would have much impact on the United States.
But if commentators have mostly been justified in raising the specter of civil war, they have mostly been wrong in assessing its consequences. If Syria descends into the chaos of all-out civil war, it's not only Syrians who will lose out, as Annan suggests. Very clear American interests are also at stake.Consider the many plausible scenarios that could yet transpire. They include:
Syrian army units responsible for the control of the regime's substantial chemical and biological weapons stocks leave their posts, either through defection, mutiny, attack from insurgents or orders from superiors to fight elsewhere, and these weapons of mass destruction go rogue.
Syria lashes out at Turkey's hosting of anti-Assad rebels by offering aid and comfort to a rejuvenated PKK insurgency against Ankara, reigniting a hellish Kurdish terrorist campaign that has claimed more than 30,000 Turkish lives over the past 30 years.
Syria pushes hundreds of thousands of hapless Palestinians still living in government-controlled refugee camps over the Jordanian, Lebanese and even Israeli borders as a way to regionalize the conflict and undermine the stability of neighboring states.
Syrian soldiers, Alawi thugs and their Hizbollah allies take their anti-Sunni crusade to the Sunnis of Lebanon, reigniting a fifteen-year conflict that sucked regional proxies -- and U.S. Marines -- into its vortex.
Thousands of jihadists descend on Syria to fight the apostate Alawite regime, transforming this large Eastern Mediterranean country into the global nexus of violent Islamist terrorists.
None of this is fantasy. The threat of loose chemical and biological weapons tops the agenda of American and Israeli military planners. In late May, the PKK took responsibility for a suicide bombing attack by a cell that crossed the Syrian border and killed a Turkish policeman and wounded 18 others. A senior Jordanian intelligence official alerted me recently to his abiding fear of Assad using Palestinian refugees as political pawns. Already two Lebanese have been killed and many wounded by Syrian troops shooting across the border or hunting down escaping refugees on Lebanese territory. And although only a few hundred al-Qaeda-type militants have joined the Syrian opposition movement so far, the jihadization of the Syrian uprising has been on everyone's mind for more than a year.
With the passage of time, each of these scenarios -- and others -- have become more likely, and the occurrence of any makes more likely the occurrence of others. To make matters worse, the current U.S. strategy -- incremental tightening of sanctions, provision of non-lethal goods to the unarmed opposition, ad hoc supply of weaponry by cut-outs to certain armed rebel units, no direct involvement by outside armed forces either in protecting Syrian civilians or degrading Syrian regime assets -- stands a good chance of triggering precisely the worst possible outcomes. This "half pregnant" strategy projects the oozy aura of American commitment without the force to make it real; at the same time, it signals to regime loyalists that they need to take extraordinary measures to counter the possibility of greater intervention. The likely result will be that the Syrian regime begins to expand the conflict to ward off an intervention that they may fear is coming while increasing numbers of jihadists who flock to wage the fight that other outsiders refuse to wage.
For Washington, the potential fallout of these scenarios is truly frightening. Chemical or biological weapons in the hands of Alawite vigilantes, Islamist terrorists or criminal gangs. Full-scale fighting along Syria's borders. The release of pent-up ethnic and religious hatreds in Lebanon or Jordan. A renewal, after forty quiet years, of shooting between Syria and Israel. Military victory for what might eventually become the jihadist-dominated rebels leading to the establishment of Taliban-style rule in Damascus and the possible creation of a breakaway Alawite canton in the mountains of Latakia. Throw in weakness and division among Western allies, a possible face-off with muscle-flexing Russia, and the wild card of how Iran may exploit the Syria crisis to press ahead with its own regional ambitions -- and its nuclear program -- and this is a witch's brew for U.S. interests that would consume the energies of the president and could put any strategic pivot to Asia on hold for a decade.
Preventing these calamitous outcomes should be a high priority. But it is reasonable to ask whether prevention -- in the form of outside intervention -- will itself trigger some of these scenarios. Might it be better to let the current fighting take its course and not stir up the hornet's nest even more?
The answer is no. Left to its own, the Syrian rebellion may eventually succeed in bringing down the Assad regime, but the key to preventing these negative outcomes is speeding up the pace of change. A slow, grinding conflict in which the regime continues its merciless but ultimately futile whack-a-mole strategy is the most likely backdrop for these nightmare scenarios. In contrast, swift and decisive action to hasten Assad's departure is the best way to immunize against this set of terrifying outcomes. While Assad may unleash some of his fury in the face of assertive international action, chances are more likely that a clear display of resolve in support of the opposition is the key ingredient to fracturing his surprisingly resilient governing coalition and bringing the regime tumbling down.
Such resolve could include a mix of cyberwarfare, to interfere with Syrian government communications efforts; unmanned drones, to target key installations and weapons depots; air power, to establish and defend safe zones; and a manned element based in neighboring states, to execute a train and equip mission to support rebel forces. At the same time, it is essential that the United States, teamed with Arab, Turkish and other allies, inject urgency and energy into the task of upgrading the cohesion and message of the Syrian political opposition, so that there is a clear answer to the important question of what comes in the wake of Assad's demise.
Even with all-out effort, a dose of realism is warranted. Syria is going to be a mess for years to come; a peaceful, inclusive, representative Syria anytime soon -- one hesitates even to use the word "democratic" -- is a fantasy. In a post-Assad world, inter-ethnic reconciliation will be an uphill battle, and the inclusion of some Islamists in a successor government is -- regrettably, in my view -- a necessary fact of Syrian life. Still, policymaking is often accepting bad outcomes when the alternatives are worse, especially when the worse outcomes have the potential to wreak havoc on American interests.
Beyond the humanitarian disaster that Syria has become, the strategic damage that could result from the nightmare scenarios that could transpire in Syria should concentrate the minds of U.S. strategists. If it takes American-led intervention to prevent them, then that is where discussion of U.S. policy should begin. Time is not an ally.
*Robert Satloff is executive director of The Washington Institute.