April 16, 2018
Trump Was Right to Hit Syria. But He Should Stop There.
Thank goodness: President Donald Trump’s decision to launch limited missile strikes against chemical weapons facilities in Syria was an appropriate use of force—and a relief after a week when it appeared the White House was considering a much bigger attack.
As a former Pentagon and State Department official, and as someone who has long advocated for greater American military involvement in Syria, I believe a significant intervention now would be a huge mistake that would only harm the United States and the Syrian people. Trump should continue to show restraint.
I served in the Obama administration and supported most of his policies, but I always disagreed with his approach to Syria and believed that if the United States had aggressively armed a moderate opposition early on in the conflict, while it still existed, and combined it with missile strikes, a no-fly zone or the establishment of safe zones, we could have overthrown Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and ended the war sooner.
Read the full article at Politico
More from CNAS
-
Podcast
Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
Will Iran block the Strait of Hormuz?The world has held a close eye on the Strait of Hormuz lately with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran. Nearly a quarter of the world's seaborne oil passes through the narrow wat...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Middle East Security
What Happened to the U.S. ‘Asia First’ Doctrine?U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific should observe that the Trump administration’s strategic approach to foreign policy is a moving target....
By Adham Sahloul
-
Video
Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
U.S. Enters War In Middle East: Will Iran Block The Strait Of Hormuz?With the U.S. warning Iran against any attack on American assets, Tehran is evaluating blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Will this further escalate the conflict? Will this isolat...
By Daniel Silverberg
-
Commentary
Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
Trump May Go to War in Iran Without Congress — and That’s Just the New NormalThe Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war but leaves much else unsaid, and potential ambiguity results from the tension between this and the president’s authori...
By Daniel Silverberg
