Banter colleague Taylor Marsh yesterday:
Meanwhile, Sec. Clinton said today that the U.S. would not intervene in Syria.
Clinton said the elements that led to intervention in Libya — international condemnation, an Arab League call for action, a United Nations Security Council resolution — are “not going to happen” with Syria, in part because members of the U.S. Congress from both parties say they believe Assad is “a reformer.”
Leaving aside for now the absurd notion that Pres. Assad is a “reformer,” I cannot find any through line from the Administration on why Libya and not Syria.
Perhaps I can offer a clue? Syria hasn’t seen a popular armed uprising with a well-formed geographic center begging the world to intervene. There’s no UN Security Council vote on Syria, and no Arab League vote, for that matter. That’s because Libya isn’t in Syria. The countries are separated by 1000 miles of Egypt, Israel, and ocean. They’re not the same country.
One size? Does not fit all. Marsh asks, “But what about human rights violations in China? In North Korea?” As soon as she can get the Chinese to withhold their Security Council veto, the Pentagon will be right on it — don’t worry. We might have a talk about the unfairness of the international system; but this is not that.
