A group of 51 U.S. diplomats have signed a dissenting memo calling on the Obama administration to order airstrikes against Syrian government forces to stop its persistent violations of a fragile civil war ceasefire. Obama’s Syria policy has been predicated on the goal of avoiding deeper military entanglements in the chaotic Middle East, and has widely been criticized as hesitant and risk-averse. USA -backed attempts to train “moderate” rebels and craft a negotiated political transition that would see Assad step down have also failed.
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Another unnamed defense official confirmed to Reuters Friday that Russian warplanes have struck USA -backed rebels fighting the Islamic State near al-Tanf, a city in southeastern Syria.
“Anyone in the White House tempted to question the motives of these decent American officials should first pause and reflect on what these dissenters have done to restore and uphold American credibility and honor”, said Frederic Hof, the State Department’s former special adviser for transition in Syria.
“The cable reportedly calls for targeted military strikes against the Assad regime, something the Obama administration has been reluctant to do”, she reports.
The cable, signed by 51 State Department officers, calls for “targeted military strikes” against Assad’s government – something Obama has long avoided – to stop its persistent violations of a ceasefire with USA -backed anti-government rebels that is largely ignored by Syria and its Russian supporters.
The document was reportedly signed by 51 mid- and high-level State Department officers involved in formulating US policy in Syria.
And without leverage, the dissenters noted, Assad will never feel pressure to stop bombing and negotiate.
“I don’t think it’s very realistic”, said Stephen Biddle, a George Washington University professor who has advised US commanders in the Middle East. Messages go directly to the top of the chain of command – they are immediately distributed to the secretary of state and other leaders in the department.
The official said the cable was unlikely to alter that, or shift Obama’s focus on Islamic State.
The memo says Syrian government forces have consistently violated ceasefire agreements.
John Kerry, US Secretary of State, said that the memo was an “important statement” that he would discuss when he returned to Washington from Copenhagen. Such strikes could put the United States on a collision course with Russian Federation. More than 500,000 people have been killed in the fighting and six million Syrians were displaced. In the meantime, Assad’s position has strengthened.
Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the White House has put too much faith in a Syria diplomatic process that he called a “sideshow”.
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At the Saudi Embassy, Jubeir noted that from the very start of the crisis, Riyadh had pushed for “a more robust policy, including air strikes, safe zones, a no fly zone, a no drive zone”.
