Violent Protests Rock Syria And Yemen - Will The UN Intervene Again?

Protests in Yemen

Now that the United Nations - with the United States in the lead - has commenced "kinetic military action" in Libya, who's next? We allegedly entered that civil war to protect civilians, so what happens when civilians are being murdered elsewhere in the Middle East?

Syrian troops are killing protestors in that county. The terrorist group Hezbollah may enter the fray, seeking to further cement their influence. In Yemen, more than forty civilians were killed by government snipers last week. Islamic fundamentalists in that country will try to take advantage of the unrest. Are these countries next on the list for United Nations intervention?

Yemen is more important to the United States than Libya. It is a hotbed for Al Qaeda and other fundamentalist groups in the region. The government has been a partner in anti-terrorist activity. Do we support the government or the protestors?

Syria, the country north of Israel, has already been influenced by Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist proxy. Iran has put up with the Syrian leadership for the time being, but they may be getting impatient. We have never supported the Syrian leader, President Bashar Assad, who is admired by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Should we encourage the United Nations to intervene in Syria to protect the citizens who are being murdered?

Of course not. We may have interests in the region, but we cannot afford to let our military become involved in multiple civil wars in the Middle East. We should never have entered the civil war in Libya, but now we have been sucked into the vortex of that war. It's endgame is unclear, and the struggle by the rebels could go on for years if the Libyan leader remains in power.

The questions about Syria, Yemen, and other countries simply show that the Obama administration does not have a logical reasoning process when it comes to military action. No clear mission, no endgame, afraid to call it war, and a president who doesn't really want to face reporters who just might ask some embarrassing questions.

Whether we intervene or not, the history of the Middle East will be written by the Arabs, not by the West. Therefore the best decision is to mind our own business. It's one thing to offer training and equipment to groups who have proven their loyalty and determination to fight for their own freedom. We must avoid, at all costs, the temptation to do it for them.

Charles M. Grist
http://www.mylastwar.com/