Russia, Syria and China are all gathered together and the US decided to back a different country. This may mean that the US is in for some troubled times. There is certainly trouble already with the peace talks.
Talks in Geneva on Saturday did not go well for the United Nations. There are differences between the Western countries, such as the US and Russia. Russia is currently being backed by China. Russia is also backing Syria with weapons. This is the reason for the meeting. The powers in the US and NATO do not want Russia to continue to supply Syria with weapons. There were also talks on Friday in Paris that did not go at all well for the US. There is definitely a great amount of pressure on the US due to the alliance it made. It also seems that the alliance made by the US was to the wrong side. Some new information that has come to light shows that the US has backed what seems more like al-Qaeda militants than actual peace supporters.
If things continue on as they are, it will mean more confrontations that will last more than a few months. The situation may even result in issues for years. This would mean that the rebels would continue to fight and Washington might have to rethink the new military moves. The US had to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, but if things do not get better it could mean entering Syria or helping Syria to pacify them. It is a hard issue to understand for many not in the government or in the military, since information comes second hand from news sources. One thing that is for certain is that these issues in the ‘east’ will probably continue to be unsettled, which may require US military moves as a means to protect the US. When there is unrest, often citizens who have nothing to do with the factions in charge or those who want to take charge suffer. It requires help from countries strong enough to provide it. NATO allies may have to offer their help if the talks continue on as they have.
The US State Department is concerned about the weapons pouring into Syria. The US definitely wants this to stop and is trying to get Russia to compromise on its stand. The problem with more weapons moving into the country comes when the weapons fall into the wrong hands or are used to kill innocent people. At the moment little is known about how the weapons are getting in, other than that they are probably coming through Lebanon. These weapons are going to be used against Bashar al-Assad, who is supposed to be the new president. He is also supposed to be the man who will bring peace and democracy to the country. More weapons are certainly going to mean more violence for the country. US officials have stated that they hope Syria’s opposition will go for the Geneva plan, but rather than agree they are asking for weapons too. Washington has so far not agreed to allow weapons to be in the hands of those they support and is rather waiting to move the military if assistance is needed.
Lance Grooms
