US President Barack Obama may be sending 50 special operations troops to Syria only reluctantly, as made out by his administration. There is, however, no doubt he is being sucked into the Syrian quagmire at a time when he should have been planning to vacate the White House as the President who promised to pursue peace rather than war. Having pledged to wrap up intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring his troops home, the US President is only seen to be widening military involvement in the Middle East. His 2013 promise, “I will not put American boots on the ground in Syria”, sounds so empty now. The Americans run the grave risk of stirring a hornets’ nest further in the fight against the barbaric Islamic State.
It is clear that the US, the global policeman, has learnt nothing from dabbling in other people’s business. For instance, a $500-million US effort to train Arab opposition forces in Syria has failed miserably, according to a general’s testimony before the Senate. The US backing of Kurdish rebels, like the YGP, is also proving controversial, especially considering how arming rebels in the past meant the weapons could end up in the wrong hands, as they did to the ISIS’ benefit. What the US is saying now is that the dethroning of Bashar al-Assad in an ideal political transition in Syria is part of a US diplomatic effort rather than a military objective. But, in expanding American military presence, Mr Obama is not going to leave a more peaceful legacy. Much of American adventurism has proved to be misadventure. It is unlikely Syria will be any different.
