Poll Position: If WMDs are used in Syria, should U.S. intervene?
Everyone waiting for an “October surprise” from the Middle East has tended to focus on Israel and Iran. But earlier this week, U.S. intervention in Syria’s civil war was put on the table — by President Obama.
Unlike in Libya, where potential mass killings of civilians by forces loyal to then-dictator Moammar Gadhafi prompted Europe and the U.S. to side with the rebels, Syria’s 1.5-year-old conflict has already claimed 20,000 lives, more than half of whom reportedly were civilians. Monday, in a rare Q&A session with the White House press corps, Obama warned both sides in the conflict against using weapons of mass destruction:
We have communicated in no uncertain terms with every player in the region, that that’s a red line for us, and that there would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front, or the use of chemical weapons. That would change my calculations significantly.
It was the strongest indication from Obama yet about what it would take to pull the U.S. into the conflict, in which Syrian strongman Bashar Assad has received support and/or diplomatic cover from Iran, China and Russia.
If WMDs are used in Syria, should the U.S. intervene?
- No (82 Votes)
- Yes (64 Votes)
- I don't know (13 Votes)
Total Voters: 159
Loading ...Now, an “October surprise” is normally thought to be something one of the presidential candidates does to help his own electoral chances, although it can refer to an event that happens beyond the candidates’ control. Naturally, any military action would happen because Obama ordered it, but not necessarily because he was making a political calculation. In this case, it’s not clear to me whether U.S. intervention in Syria would tend to boost or deflate Obama’s prospects of winning re-election. I tend to think it would hurt him, given that he needs his base to turn out in large numbers, and a new military conflict would be more likely to depress the anti-war left. (Well, at least they’re anti-war when a Republican is in the White House.)
But I don’t want to look at this question from a strictly, or even mostly, political standpoint. If either side in Syria were to use chemical or biological weapons against the other, would that justify U.S. intervention in their civil war?
Consider whatever factors you want, but that’s this week’s Poll Position question. Answer in the nearby poll, and explain your reasoning in the comments thread below.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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143 comments Add your comment
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
1:08 pm
Dusty
Was Sadam a good guy when the US backed him or did he turn bad right before the 1st Gulf War?
No Dusty, he was a tyrant from the get go. Always was one
southpaw
August 24th, 2012
1:08 pm
@@ 1:01
The 12:50 post did look a good bit off. I did a bit of a double take when I saw it. BOTH called it right @1:03.
They BOTH suck
August 24th, 2012
1:10 pm
@@
Jay has the same problem with one blogger. He has basically admitted to using an “ip spoofer” and also going to different places to log in so the ip address isn’t the same, so he can continue blogging even though he has been banned.
Why someone would stay after being told you are not wanted is beyond me, but I guess there are several on the AJC.
Heck, it might be the same person
Dusty
August 24th, 2012
1:11 pm
CAN’T EVER TELL,
Mobilizing aint shooting ‘em, honey. I suspect every country in the Middle East is mobilizing, Keep looking!.
southpaw
August 24th, 2012
1:17 pm
@@ & Slick Rick:
My guess is “it,” rather than “he” or “she.”
JKL2
August 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
obama likes to stick his nose in everyone else’s business. Why would this be any different?
Israel bombing another country= bad
obama bombing another country=good.
How many wars do you have to start before they take away your nobel peace prize?
Dusty
August 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
CAN’T EVER TELL
You are still at it I see., running down the USA. (Or is it just Bush you still hate)?.
Saddam was a tyrant. Maybe, at one time, he was less of a tyrant than some other but I don’t know. You don’t know either.
I do know the Middle East is better off with one less dictator in their midst. No doubt about that.
They BOTH suck
August 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
Dusty
You are living in a fantasy world, honey. You said no uprisings, you did not say shootings…….. You moved the goal post to meet your shallow minded weak attempt to bolster your argument.
I’m sure you are a nice dude, but your knowledge of geo political issues is as shallow as a 3rd graders.
They BOTH suck
August 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
Dusty
sorry. Can’t ever tell took you to school
But I am out
Keep swinging, maybe you get a hit…………….. one day
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 24th, 2012
1:23 pm
Iraq is going to boil over again:
Here, as a start, is a little scorecard of what’s gone on in Iraq since Big Oil arrived two and a half years ago: corruption’s skyrocketed; two Western oil companies are being investigated for either giving or receiving bribes; the Iraqi government is paying oil companies a per-barrel fee according to wildly unrealistic production targets they’ve set, whether or not they deliver that number of barrels; contractors are heavily over-charging for drilling wells, which the companies don’t mind since the Iraqi government picks up the tab.
http://www.salon.com/2012/08/23/mission_accomplished_for_big_oil/
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 24th, 2012
1:26 pm
I do know the Middle East is better off with one less dictator in their midst.
Iraqis get an average of 5 hours of electricity a day 10 years after the inital invasion by US forces…………. in +100 degree temperature heat. Yeah, thanks W!
Auntie Christ
August 24th, 2012
1:26 pm
Stephenson Billings
August 24th, 2012
12:30 pm
Or not at all, especially if they’re not needed. Why should I, as a male, have to pay for pap smears? DLMK.
*********************************************************
What ignorance. Why should a female have to pay for your prostate exam, or Viagra?
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
1:26 pm
I speak the truth, you speak half truth.
You want a rosy picture, I call it like I see it. It is called reality. Try it sometime.
“A foreign country is trying to undermine national security by inciting strife in Qatif,” Saudi state television cited the interior ministry as saying on Tuesday.
The world’s top oil exporter moved swiftly to suppress protests in the area in February and March, arresting more than 100 people. The protests had petered out for several months but flared up again two days ago.
An emailed statement by a US-based Saudi dissident said Monday night’s protests were caused by the arrest of two elders.
“The protesters burnt police cars after police, supported with hundreds of riot police, opened fire from the encircled police station in the city,” said Ali Al Ahmed, a Shia Saudi activist in Washington. “The city is now under siege by security forces.”
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 24th, 2012
1:28 pm
Are these the same ones Iraq had ? Those cost us a bunch of blood and deficit.
And they were invisible too…..
Auntie Christ
August 24th, 2012
1:31 pm
Dusty
August 24th, 2012
12:30 pm
Aunti Christ 12:06
It is time to stop posting your hate of Bush, Cheney, Romney and anybody Rrepubilcan. When there is a war, everybody cannot join the military but they can support the war at home. That is all that many can do.
********************************************************
Spoken like you’re one of those rah rah USA USA chickenhawks, who love war when they aren’t the ones going to it. You’re probably one of those good repub chickenhawks that berated John Kerry’s war wounds while you cheered the deserter bush and the draft dodging cheney, chambliss, romney, and most of the repub congress.
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
1:37 pm
Dusty: Let me know when you would like to get to the crux of a certain issue. Our diastole today demonstrated that you were unable to get past slogans, generalities and below the surface.
I want truth to be your friend even when it goes against your incorrect narratives, but you have to want to accept these truths.
Protests in the Qatif region continued from January to May[86], with security forces using live fire against protestors,[87][54][88] killing four, and arresting medical personnel.[
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%932012_Saudi_Arabian_protests
I’m here to help.
iggy
August 24th, 2012
1:37 pm
“Iraqis get an average of 5 hours of electricity a day 10 years after the inital invasion by US forces…………. in +100 degree temperature heat.”
And…
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
1:41 pm
“Our dialogue……………”
Dusty
August 24th, 2012
1:43 pm
THEY BOTH SUCK & CAN’T EVER TELL
I bow to your magnificence in finding world news that indicts, ridicules, hates, and misrepresents the USA. You are outstanding in your ability to down grade the greatest country in the world. Indeed, according to you, most of the turmoil in the Middle East has been instigated by the USA.
So it goes with you of the liberal entity of our country. I thank you for realizing that I am not part of your group.
Now I am off to enjoy a lovely egg salad sandwich made from deviled eggs. That ol’ devil just made me do it. But good! Yum.
PS I aint no DUDE!
y
Auntie Christ
August 24th, 2012
1:45 pm
JKL2
August 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
How many wars do you have to start before they take away your nobel peace prize?
****************************************
No one knows, Obama hasn’t started any wars. Do pay attention, it makes you a more interesting person.
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
1:45 pm
Dusty
You cry too much for a dude
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
1:47 pm
Dusty
Don’t put words in my mouth. Half of what you stated is an assertion and implication of what you wanted me to have said, ie your a liar.
independent thinker
August 24th, 2012
1:48 pm
Auntie Christie- you left out the best. The entire Romney family has never served – four or five generations. No public service of any kind. At least Obama has uncles and grandfather who served in WWII . Of course giving up a lucrative law career to do community organizing doesn’t count as public service on this blog.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 24th, 2012
1:52 pm
Thankfully the Cons don’t have any power or, sure enough, we would already be in Syria up to our knees. Cons love starting wars with countries that haven’t even attacked us (most of the 9/11 fliers were from Saudi Arabia) and then spending the next 10 years whining about the extent of government spending.
It’s the Democrats fault…It’s the democrats fault…….I can’t accept no responsibility…don’t look at me….unless you want to give out a tax break – then I’m the one waving my hands!
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 24th, 2012
1:53 pm
The Romney clan – the draft deferment queens!
sheepdawg
August 24th, 2012
1:54 pm
the us should bring all troop home and never deploy again unless our own soil is attacked. we can’t afford being the world’s police
Dusty
August 24th, 2012
1:55 pm
auntie Christ,
You are pitiful. No, I have supported our military in actions they have taken. I did it right here at home.. My father, husband and son showed their support by serving in the military. They don’t brag about it, just proud to serve their country.
You really don’t understand that, do you? Loyalty is a bad word to you.
———————————–
CAN’T EVER TELL
The subject today is Syria and Assad. If you want to indict Saudi Arabia as your choice in Middle East conflicts, tell Kyle.
Either that or arrange your own blog. I’m sticking with Kyle. He’s honest.
Sandwich time!!!!
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
1:58 pm
Dusty
And you are not honest, so what is your point.
Except for slogans and generalities you do not have the ability and aptitude to demonstrate that anything I said was not true.
Later dude
MarkV
August 24th, 2012
2:00 pm
The worst we can do about the Syria situation is to politicize it at this time. Whatever the president does, inevitably will be judged through a political lens afterward, but at this time none of those “arm-chair generals” commenting here have any credibility. While some Republicans criticize Obama for not having intervened already, others are sharpening their knives for attacking him if he intervenes. Both will join forces, naturally, whatever will happen.
ktbl
August 24th, 2012
2:01 pm
No! From previous lessons we should not be drawn into wars that other countries start with one and other. We are not ther brothers-keeper and nor should we be. A country such as the US is struggling to come out of this nasty depression and down economy we are in. We can’t afford to spend more now that we are begunning to do what we should with our on issues. WMDs has been one of the problems that got us into the first wars with Bush and Powell……….no more telling the US tax payers lies and if these people want to use them against one and other…so be it but don’t called the US about the problems that neither side want’s to prevent bloodshed! We all know if the US comes it going to be swift with our latest weapons; so it will not be just to help…..yet to solve the fighting and then leave with the US holding the ticket to pay for its destructions upon another country and its people. We just can’t have that in our conference room right now. I say both of the leaders of those countries do something to prevent such use of the WMDs.
Can't ever tell
August 24th, 2012
2:02 pm
Dusty
And please note, I shot your no uprising and even shootings ignorance down to the ground.
You were so easily baited because I knew you were just that naive
But have a great weekend
iggy
August 24th, 2012
2:04 pm
We already have too many mouths to feed, excessive carbon footprints, religious nuts, bad drivers, overflowing prisons, floods, hurricanes, employee pilferage, bad attitudes etc. While this “Syrian Culling” is and individual tragedy, on the whole collective it is good and necessary.
War Eagle
August 24th, 2012
2:05 pm
You cannot let the Muslim brotherhood take over. If we intervene it would be with stipulations such as Basharaf must recognize Israel’s right to exist and fight agaist hez/islamic Jihad and al qaeda. Bomb Iran off the planet. If necessary- put the paleterrorists there. otherwise. bomb them ff the planet too. Sharia law is for the zealots who want to live in the stone age.
JamVet
August 24th, 2012
2:11 pm
(Well, at least they’re anti-war when a Republican is in the White House.)
But I don’t want to look at this question from a strictly, or even mostly, political standpoint.
Kyle, my respect for you just dropped a bunch.
You toss out a pathetic piece of unsubstantiatable, partisan claptrap and then follow it up with the caveat that you don’t want to toss out a piece of unsubstantiatable, pathetic piece of claptrap.
Is this pending Romney loss causing you to lose your otherwise normal sense of lucidity?
Del
August 24th, 2012
2:20 pm
It’s a difficult call but Syria using WMD’s in this uprising would set a serious president in the region that couldn’t/shouldn’t be tolerated. It would place Israels national security along with our own in too much jeopardy not to intervene militarily.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 24th, 2012
2:23 pm
Can’t Ever Tell and Dusty,
Ya’ll need to get a room….
oldfart
August 24th, 2012
2:25 pm
No. We should not keep attempting to be the world’s policemen. We should not be keeping troops in 100+ countries. We should never have invaded Iraq. We should have never supported Sadam against Iran by giving him WMDs. We should never have deposed a democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with the Shah as that begat a radical Islamic regime. The list goes on.
We need to take care of our own business and beware the military-industrial complex.
DawgDad
August 24th, 2012
2:26 pm
By all means let’s intervene in this civil war. Whose side are we on? Is there any “side” over there that wouldn’t turn and shoot at us?
iggy
August 24th, 2012
2:26 pm
The illuminaughty and the Bildaboogers engineered this crisis.
DawgDad
August 24th, 2012
2:35 pm
“If we intervene it would be with stipulations ”
Ah, you might want to check the history books on how those tend to work out. They create photo ops for politicians and diplomats, and inevitably they foster more resentment and conflict.
MrLiberty
August 24th, 2012
2:46 pm
WMDs are only in Syria because the US sold them to Assad. The same was true of Iraq. The problem in the region is the US and nobody else. Sovereign nations need to work out their own issues. We are the ones who have destroyed the region (along with the British and the French).
Once we understood that Empire was a bad thing. Now we embrace the concept at our own peril. Don’t look to Obama or Romney to stop the senseless deaths of americans or innocent victims of our foreign policy.
jeffrey
August 24th, 2012
2:47 pm
Yes but it can’t be a one time gulf of tonkin thing. Like Libya if these folks are willing to lay down their lives we as Americans have to support them.
JDW
August 24th, 2012
2:55 pm
10 shot in NY …19 in Chicago
Maybe someone should intervene here.
Jack
August 24th, 2012
3:04 pm
The U.N. won’t do anything unless they know they’ll have our cash to back them up. I say stay out of it unless the crazies’ WMDs contain missiles that are capable of delivering nukes to our shores.
Then bomb them back into the 12th century. No troops.
Kyle Wingfield
August 24th, 2012
3:06 pm
SlickRick: I’m afraid your disdain for @@, which drove you to the point of stealing her handle and posting a distasteful comment earlier today, means you’ve run afoul of rule 5. You’re gone from the blog until further notice.
@@
August 24th, 2012
3:08 pm
Slick:
No nerve was struck.
You use “stuck up” to describe me.
Now THAT, I find interesting!!!! You’re feelings of inadequacy are NOT my problem.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
jon
August 24th, 2012
3:09 pm
This also includes biological weapons not just chemical. were talking smallpox and such that can then spread to the rest of the world. Even if we are not the target we can get the residual effect of it quite easily.
Auntie Christ
August 24th, 2012
3:13 pm
Jack
August 24th, 2012
3:04 pm
Then bomb them back into the 12th century. (syria)
I think that’s where most of the syrians are living.
Road Scholar
August 24th, 2012
3:14 pm
If they are used, send in Bush and Cheney…….and Rumsfeld! That’s all.
MrLiberty
August 24th, 2012
3:21 pm
All smallpox cultures have been destroyed except some in two countries. One is in the hands of the most dangerous country on earth at the moment – the United States.