Syria And The US Role In The Middle East

Syria And The US Role In The Middle East

The Obama administration is stepping up support for rebels in Syria’s civil war. A panel joins Diane to discuss U.S. leverage in Syria and America's role in the Middle East.

The Obama administration is stepping up support for rebels in Syria’s civil war. A panel joins Diane to discuss U.S. leverage in Syria and America's role in the Middle East.

Guests

Dennis Ross

counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, former Middle East special coordinator, former special assistant to the president and National Security Council senior director for the central region.

Robin Wright

journalist, joint fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson International Center, and author of "Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World."

Kim Ghattas

State Department correspondent for the BBC and author of "The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton From Beirut to the Heart of American Power"

Comments

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The opposition has used car/bus bombs.
Normally we call such techniques: terrorism.

OK, OK, I get it. The Syrian "rebels" use terrorist tactics, but they are supported by the US.
Therefore. they are not terrorists.

Reminds me of Orwell . . .

March 6, 2013 - 7:22 am

The US role in Syria: Arms dealers are ecstatic. It's an NRA paradise. (Could be the WRA-World Rifle Association- from now on) I'm sure both sides are joining and paying their dues.
They all want a window decal and bear arms (muscular, hairy and short).

March 6, 2013 - 9:54 am

Oh, but we're simply doling the benevolence of U.S. graciousness....supplying food & such, so it's all good...
dint ya read the pnac reports..wink,nod..

March 6, 2013 - 12:09 pm

Who are the rebels? Why is it that on MSM outlets like the Diane Rehm show

Robin " we are all caught in the core issues of morality" That was an absurd comment. You can turn on MSM outlets and here it reported over and over again how many people have been killed in Syria, how many refugees there are. But when it came to the MSM reporting how many Iraqi people were killed as a direct consequence of the US invasion and how many refugees the US invasion created barely peep. This myth being perpetrated by Robin and others that now the US cares about the Syrians is a bunch of hooey a total hypocrisy and the whole world sees it.

Former Bush administration officials Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett along with middle east Professor Juan Cole and former head of the CIA's Bin Laden unit Micheal Scheuer have reported that 50% of the Syrian people support Assad and that this US support of the Syrian rebels are more than likely supporting Al Qeada affiliates and part of the reason why so many Syrian are being killed because of US support

March 6, 2013 - 12:24 pm

One of the lessons of history is that empires don't last. The British could tell you a few things about that. The US has rattled sabres over Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.

All we have to show for it is thousands of deaths and an economic mess. We really ought to stop. In fact, there's some doubt about our ability to afford sabres anymore

We go into Syria, and we end up in another quagmire.

We just can't learn, it seems.

March 6, 2013 - 12:39 pm

......and cue the liars reporting on babies being taken off of life support. sheesh...

March 6, 2013 - 12:49 pm

Former Bush administration officials Flynt and Hillary Leverett, Professor Juan Cole and former head of the CIA's Bin Laden unit Micheal Sheuer have all written that 50% of the Syrian people support Assad.

Hillary Clinton and Kerry voted for the invasion of Iraq hundreds of thousands died, millions of Iraqi people became refugees. Dennis Ross supported the invasion of Iraq. And now we are supposed to believe that these people care about the people of Syria. Please this is absurd

And now the Diane Rehm Screener only allows people through to make comments supporting the war in Syria. Your new screener seems to have been sent from the American Enterprise Institute or Aipac. Come on allow some challenging questions through.

March 6, 2013 - 12:52 pm

Listening to this conversation I find it interesting that like allmost everything else in the middle east that the Saudis escape any scurtiny form the the 4th estate. The stituation in Syria has been and continues to be fueled by Saudi money. Certainly, Assad's lack of popularity gave them an opening but make no mistake this is another Saudi adventure. The question we need to ask ourselves is what is our relationship with the Saudis?

March 6, 2013 - 12:55 pm

While I am aware that the majority of the Syrians are Moderates and indeed all over the Arab world the problem is exactly that moderates are moderates. We only have to look at what is happening in Tunisia today--a sophisticated and moderate country to understand that the enemies of moderation are fanatics and will stop at nothing...bombing and raping their own people, throwing acid in the faces of Moslem women, killing children. Herein lies their power and moderates can never match this. How can we strengthen the moderates all over the Arab world so they can effectively resist the power of fanaticism and ignorance in the long run.

March 6, 2013 - 12:57 pm

Absolutely no diversity of opinion on this Syrian panel. Zero. Diane your shows has moved even further in promoting a narrow view. Sad

March 6, 2013 - 12:58 pm

Can we get a consensus of our allies in the region? I don't believe we have the resources to correctly assess the situation and not find ourselves installing al Caeda.

March 6, 2013 - 1:00 pm

Next time you plan to discuss the Middle East, or U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East, please consult with MERIP -- the Middle East Research & Information Project -- to find appropriate experts to participate in your discussions.

Through MERIP, you'll find independent-minded scholars who know how to write and talk for a general audience.

And, through MERIP, you'll find experts who do NOT reflexively use the first person plural when speaking of the U.S. government, or U.S. government interests, or U.S. business interests.

Through MERIP, you'll also find experts who do NOT advocate for the interests of any particular government in the Middle East -- not for Israel, not for Saudi Arabia, not for Qatar, etc.

MERIP is also the publisher of the superb quarterly magazine, 'Middle East Report', and the MERIP website is host to many free, informative, and up-to-date blog posts.

NOTE: I am a long-time subscriber to Middle East Report, dating back to the first Gulf War. Other than that, I have no ties to MERIP or to anyone associated with MERIP.

March 7, 2013 - 6:43 am

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