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In Syria, U.S. Credibility Is at Stake

(Washington Post) David Ignatius - Using military power to maintain a nation's credibility may sound like an antiquated idea, but it has become obvious in recent weeks that President Obama needs to demonstrate that there are consequences for crossing a U.S. "red line." Syrian President Assad overrode a clear American warning against the use of chemical weapons. The main rationale for military action by the U.S. should be restoring deterrence against the use of chemical weapons. The Iranians surely have read Obama's caution (correctly) as a sign that he wants to avoid another war in the Middle East. Unfortunately, history tells us that an ambitious, revolutionary nation such as Iran makes compromises only under duress. U.S. action against Assad may not deter the Iranians, but it will at least make them think twice about crossing Obama's "red line" against their acquiring nuclear weapons.
2013-08-29 00:00:00
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