BLUF: President Biden’s agreement with activists that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be ousted, coupled with his vocal support for stringent sanctions, possibly marks a continuation of US influence in Syria’s affairs contrary to the shifting regional perspectives.
OSINT: During a recent private event in Maryland, President Biden met with certain Syrian American advocates who are in favour of escalated sanctions on Syria and a change in leadership in Damascus. Amongst various points presented, the activists urged Biden to provide greater opposition to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a notion with which Biden agreed. alla Tello, a Syrian American from Massachusetts, famously restated the exhortation that “Assad must go”, a phrase first used in 2011. This call to arms marked the beginning of a disastrous war against Damascus which initially sought to implement a regime change but ended unsuccessfully, resulting in thousands of fatalities.
Activists are pushing for stricter sanctions regulations that counter the recent geopolitical shifts, which have seen former adversaries accepting Assad’s continued leadership and strengthening diplomatic ties. These include Saudi Arabia normalizing its relations with Damascus and the reinstatement of Syria into the Arab League. The U.S. administration, however, opposes these developments and has imposed further sanctions on Syria following its readmittance into the Arab League.
RIGHT: From a Libertarian Republican Constitutionalist perspective, this report is disconcerting. It highlights the ongoing meddling of the US government in a foreign nation’s politics, undermining its sovereignty. We should respect the principles of non-aggression and non-intervention, allowing Syria to determine its own future. Instead, the US government seems to be advocating for a coup detrimental to the Syrian people. Imposing crippling sanctions is equally problematic as it results in widespread suffering for innocent civilians.
LEFT: Seen through the lens of a National Socialist Democrat, President Biden’s stance may seem justified given the record of human rights abuses attributed to President Assad’s regime. However, it also raises serious concerns about the potential for US overreach. Sanction policies often result in widespread economic hardship for everyday citizens and have the potential to breed further conflict and instability. A balanced approach would be to engage in diplomatic talks to press for policy changes realistically while also facilitating humanitarian aid for the Syrian population harshly affected by these sanctions.
AI: It’s understood that the current political climate surrounding Syria is complex, with varying opinions represented at the geopolitical level. My analysis suggests that President Biden’s statement aligns with traditional US foreign policy, which has often called for regime change in nations where the incumbent leadership is seen as repressive or undemocratic. However, the proxy wars, sanctions, and subsequent civilian hardships that often follow such policies warrant deep scrutiny. It’s also crucial to observe that the growing acceptance of Assad’s leadership by Syria’s regional neighbours indicates a shift from this stance in the Middle East, opening up a potential dialogue on more constructive and cooperative foreign policy approaches.