U.S. Trigger Fingers Getting Itchy Over Syria

Apparently, President Obama has now been pressured enough by our perpetual Congressional warmongers that he has become determined to intervene in Syria.   The press is suggesting that we are poised to launch cruise missiles into Syria from offshore.    The problem is that thousands of Syrians have been killed or seriously injured during two years of civil strife.   President Assad has been determined to hang onto power even if he has to kill large numbers of his own people to do so.   It is widely believed that government forces used Sarin or other nerve gasses to kill as many as 1,300 Syrian civilians, including women and children.   So to prevent further death and destruction, the United States is poised to shoot a bunch of missiles into Syria in the hopes of killing some bad guys.   No doubt many innocent Syrian bystanders will be killed and maimed in the process. That's all right though, that would be merely regrettable "collateral damage," an acceptable result by our current standards.

74% of the Syrian population is Sunni Muslim.   They have been ruled for decades by the Assad family, Alawite Shia.   Approximately 15% of the Syrian population is Shia.   As we know, the Sunnis and Shi'ites have been engaged for some time in a perpetual, worldwide attempt to kill each other off.   I have attempted to find out what is causing all the problems between these two main sects of Islam but the source of all the hostility seems obscure at this point.   They just simply hate each other.   It's always been that way.   We just have to accept it.   Nobody seems to have a rational reason as to why.   Iran is largely Shia.   Most other Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, are predominantly Sunni.   So Iran backs the Shia Assad regime.   So, as in Iraq, we have a country where the vast majority of people are being ruled by a class of people that they hate.   No surprise that there is a brutal civil war.

Why oh why do we have to try to get between the warring Sunnis and Shi'ites?   How can this possibly be in our best national interests?   Let's stay out of the way and mind our own business for once.   When are we ever going to learn not to try to intervene in the Middle East where our efforts are not wanted and not appreciated.   If the U.N.and other credible international organizations want to take some humanitarian action in Syria, I say let's participate and do our fair share of the work.   But going it alone is not the way to go.   President Obama has been wise and correct to stay on the sidelines as the Sunnis and Shi'ites attempt to eradicate each other.   He should stay the course.