A US Military Strike on Syria to Open Pandora’s Box

For the first time since World War II, the United States of America finds itself very much alone, as its historical ally, Great Britain throws in the towel, its people unwilling to legitimize another military intervention in the Middle-East.
With only France to support its claims against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Washington is finding the prospect of war against one of the Middle-East’s mightiest militaries somewhat of a daunting task all of a sudden.

If Washington felt secure in the idea that it would share the burden of war with its Western allies — France and the United Kingdom — hoping to call on NATO should it require assistance; a unilateral move against the Syrian regime could prove too much for the waning American empire.

Following two wars in a decade — Afghanistan and Iraq — the US has seen its resolve in the region diminish, its people having grown hostile to seemingly senseless foreign wars.

Faced with ground realities, it is as if the United States of America is waking up to the new Middle East, one which outgrew its former colonial past and built nations which have resolve and strength and can now not only withstand any foreign aggression, but challenge the world mightiest armies.

While Washington basked in the belief that Syria would be just an easy victory as Iraq was back in 2003 when Saddam Hussein was swept away by a cataclysmic storm — political, diplomatic and military — President al-Assad’ Syria has powerful friends in the region, friends which have vowed to stand by him to the bitter end if need be.

Just as America’s friends are growing thinner, Syria’s allies are gathering around to form an impenetrable barrier. For the first time in a long time, America’s confidence in its own strength, its military ability and more importantly its political pull is wavering.

Whatever happens now, whether indeed the US decides to strike at Syria, President al-Assad has already won. Syrians and Muslims the world’s over, have seen the old dragon quiver in fear, they have seen the crack in the armor, and they know now that their strength inspires fear.

One has only to look at how Israelis reacted to Britain’s backtracking before Syria and France’s semi-cold feet to grasp the far reaching implications of such an event. Across the Jewish entity on Friday, people ran to stock up on essentials — water, food and gas masks — ahead of a potential strike on their territories. If state officials have yet to catch up, civilians have heard the message loud and clear, their Western shield has eroded.

True to his words the Lebanese Hezbollah has already put all its units – within and without Lebanon – on high alert, determined to preempt on any aggression.

A source within the organization warned that, “in the event of a qualitative Western military strike that aims to change the balance of power in Syria, Hezbollah will fight on various fronts,” he added, an event that “will plunge Lebanon virtually and immediately into the inferno of a war with Israel”.

The US and other western countries have adopted the rhetoric of war against Syria over allegations that the Syrian government was behind a recent chemical attack near Damascus.

The call for military strike intensified after the militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed on August 21 that hundreds had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar. The Syrian government has strongly denied the claim, accusing the militants of the attack.