LISTEN UP, McCAIN, GRAHAM, ET. AL.: STAY THE HELL OUT OF SYRIA!

The ignorance and naivete of Washington policy makers never ceases to amaze.  Just 4 short years ago, our newly elected monolingual president was making speeches in which he confused the Middle East with Central Asia, stating confidently that the lingua franca of Afghanistan was Arabic. Furthermore, this untested chief executive was even awarded a Nobel Peace Prize before he had time to settle into the Oval Office. Thus was born an arrogance of ignorance as to the consequences of ill-considered moves on the international scene. Little wonder, then, that our foreign policy has been a complete disaster, with Egypt, perhaps, heading the list as one of the greatest diplomatic failures since World War II.

As for Afghanistan, after hundreds of billions expended over 12 years, American policy is no closer to fulfillment than it was at the end of 2001.  And, with the present administration telegraphing its intent to withdraw during 2014, Mullah Omar and the Taliban are simply biding their time.  In effect, those forging our policy for Afghanistan have time after time shot themselves in the proverbial foot.

Sadly, it appears that the same holds true for Iraq, where the U.S. backed al-Malaki government has insisted on favoring Shiites over Sunnites. In fact, because of al-Malaki, Iraq now stands on the precipice of civil war.

In 2003, there was a Christian minority of 1.1 million.  Now, there are barely 100,000 Christians left in Iraq, owing to the opening of the floodgates of persecution caused by the American invasion.  Say what you will about Sadam, as dictator he used his iron hand to enforce stability in Iraq; and, in so doing, kept radical Islam from pummeling the Christian minority.

Now, in Syria, once again we see the U.S. about to take sides in a country about which politicians and policy makers are likely mostly ignorant.  Could it be that John McCain and Lindsay Graham could distinguish for us the vagaries of Alawites, Sunnites and Shiites; and, of all things, also have some idea of how the 1.5 million Syrian Christians fit into the scheme of things?  Probably not. 

SYRIAN CHRISTIAN MOTHER AND CHILD AFTER REBEL ATTACK

Because of Bashar al-Assad, and because of his father before him, the Christian minority in Syria has enjoyed relative freedom.  However, in the civil war raging in Syria, the rebels have attacked Christians with impunity.  With the U.S. aiding Syrian rebels, the likelihood of wholesale attacks on Christians increases.  Accordingly, those of us in the U.S. who call ourselves Christians should be adamant in demanding that the fate of our Christian brothers and sisters should be kept in mind by those who would presume to make policy for this country.

For too long, the U.S. has presumed that it is capable of spreading democracy in a world that has, for the most part, not evolved to a point of being receptive for Western ideals.  For example, in the Muslim world, this is the 15th century.  Unlike the Western world, Islam has not progressed through a Renaissance, a Reformation or an Enlightenment.  This must be kept in mind as America's international interests are considered.  And, as far as Syria is concerned, it would be far, far better for this country to remain outside a fray of conflicts which its present leadership clearly does not understand.