September has historically not been good for the United States. This September, we commemorate the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which resulted in the war on terror. Few people are aware that this September also marks the 30th anniversary of when the Soviet Union shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport during the Cold War, killing 269 civilians. And now, “war on Syria” (along with my divorce from the Obama administration) might be added to the month’s list of tragic events.
On Sept. 1, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke in a series of interviews about the Aug. 21 attack in the Damascus suburbs. “Samples of hair and blood have been tested and they have reported positive for signatures of sarin,” Kerry said. Sarin, a toxic in a liquid or gas form, is outlawed according to international rules of warfare. It can be delivered in missiles, bombs, rockets or artillery shells, and affects the nervous system, according to Bradley Klapper’s report for the Associated Press. According to U.S. government figures, the sarin attack in Damascus killed more than 1,400 people.
Soon after the attack, Obama requested Congress’ approval to use military force against the Assad regime.
I was not old enough to vote for Obama this past November. I did, however, heavily campaign for him via my weekly columns. I strongly supported Obama’s campaign platform, which called for higher taxes on wealthier Americans and comprehensive immigration reform, while also backing same-sex marriage.
I’ve disagreed with Obama before, but it wasn’t until he requested to get involved in Syria’s civil war that I publicly disagreed with him.
As someone who usually advocates for giving help to anyone who needs it, it is difficult for me to say that we should not try to help Syria. More than 100,000 people have been killed and 6.2 million have been displaced since the civil war started more than two years ago. But that’s exactly it—the war started more than two years ago, and the U.S. is now getting involved. This makes me skeptical. If the intention is really to help the citizens, why didn’t we help them a long time ago?
Not only are we late to the party, but the war is also none of our business. As Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., questioned, “Does a U.S. attack make the situation better for the Syrian people or worse?” It is a civil war between the Syrian Army and the rebels.
And many of the rebels are also members of Al Qaeda. Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad claims, “Any attack against Syria is support for Al Qaeda and its affiliates.”
In addition, it appears the pro-Assad Syrian Electronic Army hacked the Marine Corps recruiting website to urge marines not to attack Syria. “…Obama is a traitor who wants to put your lives in danger to rescue Al Qaeda insurgents,” the message stated.
Furthermore, most other countries do not support the U.S. attacking Syria. “Only France is firmly on board among the major military powers. Britain’s Parliament rejected the use of force in a vote last week,” Klapper said.
In the words of Edwin Starr, “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”