What About Syria?

The subject of Syria keeps coming up at The Bean. "What do I think?"

I shy away from the subject. The truth is, I know a lot about warfare (it's my profession), but I don't know much about Syria.

I also know a lot about diplomacy, international law and strategic planning. But what I know of these subjects leads me to be cautious. Especially when the action under review is to become involved in someone else's civil war. Danger!

I also don't think much of the idea that we can just bomb a country into submission without some form of "boots on the ground." Or at least the threat of "boots on the ground." * And be sceptical of "regime change" as a goal. We're still suffering the aftereffects of our ill-considered "successful" operation of sixty years ago, where we caused the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh, the democratically elected, progressive prime minister of Iran.

We saved Iranian oil for British Petroleum, but at what cost?

Worth thinking about.

 *The only case that comes to mind of a successful military campaign won almost entirely by bombing is that of Kosovo in 1999.