WASHINGTON–At the same time protestors were being shot in Syrian streets, NATO announced it was stepping up attacks to protect Libyan rebels from the forces of Col. Moammar Gadhafi.
Syrian protests against the government continue, where estimates place the number of protestors killed between 350 and 450. NATO, meanwhile, said that several European countries are sending military advisors to Libya and the U.S. is stepping up its use of unmanned drones to carry out aerial attacks.
Protests in two different nations have prompted two very different responses. As Gadhafi moved military forces towards the rebel city of Benghazi, many feared a bloodbath. The U.S. and its allies, under the domain of NATO, took very quick action in establishing a no-fly zone and eventually beginning bombing attacks on Gadhafi’s forces in an effort to prevent him from killing civilians.
The response to Syria has been very different. Several weeks into the protest, the international community has been largely inactive other than verbally condemning the attacks against civilians. Lack of outside pressure has allowed the Syrian government to surround one of the main cities of protest, Dara’a, and cut off water, electricity, and deliveries of food and medical supplies.
The relative inaction from the U.S. about Syria is especially unusual given its relations with Iran and organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, said Hanin Ghadar, a journalist in Lebanon who spoke Thursday at a conference held by the Hudson Institute, a conservative think-tank.
“Syria is key to every organization that is similar in the region,” she said.
But Syria’s ties to Iran may be what is staying the Obama administration’s hand, according to Lee Smith, an analyst at the Institute. He said the White House has been slow to act because it has invested too much time and resources in trying to woo Syria’s government away from Iran.
Since Syria has often had close relations with Iran, Smith said, the U.S. has been attempting to show Syria the advantages to “jump sides.” The Obama administration has been holding up the prosperity and regional influence of Egypt as an example of what good can come from cooperating with the U.S., he said.
Furthermore, the administration has been adamant about achieving a peaceful solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Smith said, and, fearing increased support for Hezbollah, the White House is cautious about taking actions that might anger the Syrian government.
Smith said he found it “remarkable” that Obama told the peaceful protestors in Syria not to resort to violence, while at the same time equipping and supporting a protest group that has been extensively using violence – the Libyan rebels.
The Syrian government will not reform, and the Obama administration needs to get over its illusions, Smith said.
“Regimes whose snipers are picking off children are not apt to making peace,” he said.
Libya and Syria cannot be compared, said Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council. Each nation is different, each situation is different, and the administration responds based on the needs and conditions on the ground, she said.
“What we’re calling for in Syria has nothing to do with Iran,” Hayden said. “It’s really about the Syrian people and their needs.”
She said the administration has announced a new round of sanctions, and said the international community is continuing to push for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Ghadar said perceived American inaction is having a negative effect amongst the Syrian population. The U.S. is not popular with civilians, she said, and there is a rumor that the U.S. is protecting Syria’s government because Israel wishes it.
“The U.S. will look very hypocritical,” if it does not intervene in Syria the same way it did in Libya, she said.
Ammar Abdulhamid, a Syrian activist who also spoke at the conference, said the protestors in Syria aren’t going away.
“Despite the violence, they are still willing to risk their lives to fight for freedom,” he said. “If the army wants to come, we’ll meet them with our bare chests.
