To arm the rebels or not to arm the rebels? That is the question.
Whether it is nobler to fight against an unpopular Syrian government or stand by and watch as thousands die is a decision that the U.S. has been wrangling with for quite some time.
After U.S. intelligence officials determined that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons, specifically sarin gas, on his own citizens, the White House announced its decision to send small arms and ammo to Syrian rebels.
The White House’s decision to send military aid came as a result of a promise President Barack Obama made almost a year ago.
“We cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people,” Obama said in August. “We have been very clear to the Assad regime that a red line for us is [when] we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons … being utilized.”
Sure enough, Obama was true to his word and agreed to aid the rebels in their fight.
After much debate, we at the Daily 49er found that we could not wholly agree with arming the Syrian rebels.
Although U.S. intelligence officials claim they have evidence proving al-Assad used chemical weapons, we are concerned that many international bodies, like the U.N., have not come to the same consensus that the U.S. has. What if the U.S. is wrong?
The arming of Syrian rebels is a significant step for the U.S.
By choosing a side, the U.S. is risking its own interests in the Middle East.
Arming the rebels will directly pit the U.S. against the interests of Iran and Russia, both of which are militarily backing the Assad regime.
We are also concerned that the fighting in Syria could spread outside of the country’s borders, since soldiers from Lebanon have began fighting alongside government forces, according to USA Today.
Still, while we disagree with arming the rebels, we share in Obama’s desire to bring an end to the civil war — and to the war’s rising death toll — as quickly as possible.
But rather than focus on arming Syria’s occupants, countries like the U.S. and Russia should try and broker peace talks between Assad and the rebels.
Lasting peace should be the goal in Syria — not further bloodshed.