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A Way Forward for Syria
 Hearing all of the hand-wringing over Syria, about there being no good options, I think I disagree but it would take a lot of work and it would require some time that I am not completely convinced that we have. It would be challenging, but I think it is possible. We can't choose from existing options, though, but have to enable the Syrians themselves to build a different one from those available now.What it requires first is a group of respected Syrians who have defected to act as a leadership council and choose an overall leader from among them. This position would be an interim leader and would probably be a military officer. There are many well-respected military officers who have defected from the Assad regime who might be able to play a role in such an organization. The idea would be to build a resistance movement from former regular Syrian army acting as a cadre for a larger force that gets built over time. The overall philosophy of the organization should be a patriotic one and not sectarian. Its goal should be the creation of a stable, secure Syria where all Syrians can live together and prosper. The longer range goal should be the establishment of a representative government with a legislative organ having real power and an executive with limited powers along with the establishment of a fair judicial system. Goals should be elimination of corruption, institution of fairness, and creation of conditions for economic prosperity. It should further recognize that Syria is populated with people of many different faiths and that it is not the role of the government to act as a medium for any one of those to dominate the others. Once a leadership council has been formed and a command structure created, the business of working toward realization of the vision can begin. This might even get the support of the Russians but the Iranians and the Islamist Sunni groups probably aren't going to go for it and this group might find itself fighting both the Assad regime and the Islamist militias but it might actually have a chance of gaining the support of the people to a greater extent than either of the others. The people of all sects should be able to support such an effort without fear about what happens should they be victorious. The effort should be on both military and economic fronts. They should be equipped with weapons they are familiar with, possibly those obtained from Libya or captured from current Syrian forces or brought by other defectors. They should focus on keeping order in areas that they control. Work first in the distant countryside, force the militias out, establish courts, police, maintain order, allow commerce to operate, collect taxes, and establish free market economic stability in zones of control. They should gradually work toward more populated areas and attempt to establish a reputation of fairness yet firmness in maintaining order. This would require a dose of Syrian nationalism and require finding Syria's "George Washington" to pull it off but it is the only way I can see of making something work. The only choices we have now ARE bad so we have to make one that isn't or suffer yet another steaming pile where a country used to be. Posted by: crosspatch 2013-05-07 |
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