FPI and Additional Resources on Syria

The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate in the wake of the failure of the Arab League monitoring mission.  The United Nations has confirmed the deaths of 5,400 Syrians over the past year of protests against Bashar al-Assad's regime.  As diplomats in the UN Security Council debates another resolution against Damascus, it is worth noting that Assad will use any opportunity provided to retain his control by putting down this popular uprising.  The slaughter in Syria must stop.  The United States and international community must use all available means, including consideration of military intervention, to halt this humanitarian catastrophe and end the Assad regime.

We believe that the following editorials, op-eds, and analyses will be helpful for policymakers as they respond to the ongoing crisis.

FPI Resources

• Foreign Policy Experts Urge President Obama to Take Action Against Assad – Open Letter – Foreign Policy Initiative and Foundation for Defense of Democracies – December 19, 2011

• Towards a Post-Assad Syria: Options for the United States and Like-Minded Nations to Further Assist the Anti-Regime Syrian Opposition – Foreign Policy Initiative and Foundation for Defense of Democracies – November 8, 2011

• The Assad Regime’s Continuing Mass Murder of Syrians: Policy Options for U.S. Response – Foreign Policy Initiative and Foundation for Defense of Democracies – October 25, 2011

Additional Resources

• Syria: It’s not Just About Freedom – Charles Krauthammer – Washington Post – February 2, 2012

• Syria’s Outcome has High Stakes for the Entire Mideast – Jackson Diehl – Washington Post – February 2, 2012

• Brothers in Arms – Michael Weiss and Julia Pettengill – Foreign Policy – February 2, 2012

• Finish Him – Daniel Byman – Foreign Policy – February 2, 2012

• The Last Battle of the Cold War – Fouad Ajami – Wall Street Journal (subscription required) – January 31, 2012

• Saving Syria Requires Russia’s Cooperation – Editorial – Washington Post – January 30, 2012

• The Free Syrian Army Bleeds the Assad Regime – Jeffrey White – Washington Institute for Near East Policy – January 27, 2012

• Why We Have a Responsibility to Protect Syria – Shadi Hamid – The Atlantic – January 26, 2012

• The Arab League's Political Horizons for Syria – Salman Shaikh – Brookings Institution’s Upfront Blog – January 26, 2012

• Bashar’s Russian Pals – Editorial – Wall Street Journal (subscription required) – January 25, 2012

• How the World Could—and Maybe Should—Intervene in Syria – Anne-Marie Slaughter – The Atlantic – January 23, 2012

• Lead from the Front – Lee Smith – The Weekly Standard – January 21, 2012

• How U.S. can Help Stop Bloodshed in Syria – Ammar Abdulhamid and Ken Ballen – CNN.com – January 18, 2012

• Syria’s Carnage Puts Arab Leaders on Horns of Dilemma – Editorial – Washington Post – January 17, 2012

• It's Time to Think Seriously About Intervening in Syria – Steven Cook – The Atlantic – January 17, 2012

• America and the Solitude of the Syrians – Editorial – Wall Street Journal (subscription required) – January 6, 2012

• What it Will Take to Intervene in Syria – Michael Weiss – Foreign Affairs’ Snapshots – January 6, 2012

• It’s Time to Tip the Scales in Syria– James Kirchick – New York Daily News – January 2, 2012

• The West Has a Duty to Intervene in Syria – Nick Cohen – The Guardian – December 31, 2011

• Intervention in Syria? An Assessment of Legality, Logistics and Hazards – Michael Weiss – Henry Jackson Society – December 20, 2011

• Intervention in Syria: Assessing the Options – Lt. Col. Steven Beasley (USAF), Michael Eisenstadt, and Jeffrey White – Washington Institute for Near East Policy – December 13, 2011

• FPI Directors Sign Open Letter Regarding the Next Steps for the Obama Administration to Take on Syria– Open Letter – August 19, 2011