Mrs. Clinton announced an additional $12 million in humanitarian assistance for international organizations aiding the Syrians, bringing the American total so far to $25 million, according to the State Department. She also confirmed for the first time that the United States was providing satellite communications equipment to help those inside Syria “organize, evade attacks by the regime,” and stay in contact with the outside world. And according to the Syrian National Council, the American assistance will include night-vision goggles.
The amount has changed but this is old news.
Yet I still can't believe that the administration holds back from arming the rebels because it doesn't want to "militarize" the war. That ship has sailed, no? The idea that we can be sort-of at war twists the lofty concept of nuance and makes it just sheer stupidity.
Assad deserves to go and it is in our interests to make sure that happens. He isn't going to be grateful that we only provided communications and night-vision gear rather than arms. Honestly, if I had to choose whether to equip a Navy SEAL with a rifle or night-vision goggles and a satellite phone, I'd pick the latter any time. That "non-lethal" aid can call in far more death and destruction than a mere rifle.
Of course, no planes will be patrolling above the Syrian rebels with that equipment. Maybe Assad worries that Turkish warplanes will answer those calls for fire support, I suppose. It is hard to know all that we are doing. But it isn't hard to suspect that it might be too late to defeat Assad at the pace we are going.
We are now waging war against Assad. Maybe we could try to win it. Send arms--before it is too late for the rebels to overthrow Assad.
