Syria is in shambles. Refugees are fleeing the country by the millions with no end in sight. When the dust settles, will there be anything left to fight for?
According to the the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over 4.1 million people have been displaced by Syria’s civil war to surrounding Middle Eastern countries. There are roughly 2 million refugees trapped in Turkey at this moment with no clear path for a resolution. Turkish law prevents Syrians from obtaining the work visa’s they need in order to raise money to get to the European countries that are providing asylum.
Donations from the United States have constituted the largest percentage of contributions from around the world. However, the aid that we are providing is not nearly enough. Germany has committed to taking in 750,000 to 1 million refugees by the end of next year, and the U.S. needs to do the same, if not more.
The U.S. is leading the charge in military operations against ISIS and Assad’s pro government forces, however, solving complicated foreign policy issues with military force needs to end.
Diplomatic relations with the various factions fighting for power in this region of the world are complicated, as Russia is supplying and arming Assad’s government for reasons that are immediately unclear. In Syria alone, there are more than five different factions fighting each other. Syrian forces loyal to President Assad, ISIS, the anti-government rebels (comprised of many different factions, but primarily known as the Free Syrian Army), Al Qaeda, and the Kurds are all fighting each other.
Every faction has a different goal, and every faction has a different backer. The U.S. is directly bombing ISIS while providing support to rebel factions who are fighting Assad’s forces and ISIS. Russia is backing Assad’s forces to quash the rebel insurrection while claiming that they are bombing ISIS, but those reports have come into doubt as many of the Russian airstrikes have allegedly destroyed rebel forward operating bases rather than ISIS strongholds.
The problem here is that American lives are being endangered every time they conduct any sort of military operation in the area. Saudi Arabia needs to step up. Israel needs to step up. The Iraqi government needs to get it together and turn the tide against ISIS in their country. The U.S. shouldn’t be risking the lives of our young men to clean up the conflicts of another country. We should be the country that’s extending the olive branch and negotiating peace deals. We should be taking on refugees because our country, quite honestly, is huge and we’re preposterously wealthy as a nation.
We shouldn’t be putting American lives at risk as much as we should be seeking to alleviate the suffering of the disenfranchised and war-torn Syrians who no longer have a home. What is the point of striving for peace with acts of war?
Israel often imposes its will upon neighbors when they feel it’s necessary. Left unabated, ISIS can pose a real threat to Israel, so why haven’t they taken a leadership position in the fight? Saudi Arabia has backed an anti-Assad rebel group, but the royal family is worth billions of dollars and is directly threatened by ISIS as they are seeking to establish a caliphate throughout the Middle East. They also need to take up a leadership position.
There is no need for more Americans to come home in caskets. Our service members have done enough for us already.