Posner Speaks on Syria at Lantos Committee Hearing

This was originally written on July 13th. It has been edited and is not my work alone.  

Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner spoke before the House of Representatives Tom Lantos Committee on Human Rights yesterday. His remarks served as an update to evolving US policy in Syria, and a welcomed one at that. As a recap, in the past few days, the U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, visited Hama, “pro-regime” mobs retaliated with an attack on the American and French embassies, and Secretary of State Clinton stated that Assad’s regime has “lost legitimacy” and is not “indispensible” to US interests. While his condemnation of “gross human rights abuses” is well received, the impact of the current U.S. policy will be limited if no next step is presented. 

Clearly, American policy options on Syria are limited. The U.S. and Syria had strained diplomatic relationship before the start of the crackdown. Sanctions were also already in place and naturally the US holds almost no leadership role in the country, which is also one of the fiercest enemies to Israel, a US ally. The military option used in Libya is also not possible in Syria, because of poor strategic opportunity, diminished credibility for following Libya-like mandates, and lack of political will in the region. All this being said, the US can go further than Posner’s remarks, which stop at condemning the Assad regime without presenting any plan of action. The US should be publically pursuing a multilateral diplomatic campaign to see the peaceful transition of the Assad regime from power. 

While Posner mentioned the US and EU sanctions and UN Human Rights Council action, only passing reference was given to a resolution in the UN Security Council condemning the Assad regime. As HRF’s Neil Hick’s stated last week, the US must take public lead on the UNSC resolution and hold the Assad regime accountable. Security Council action, if successful, would isolate the Assad regime further and provide fertile ground for transition. 

Regional leaders, especially Turkey, must be engaged to secure their action to ensure a stop to the brutality and Assad’s peaceful transition from power. Turkey has already expressed outrage at the extent of the “savagery” and can logically be expected to increase pressure as it continues.  Public outreach to countries like Russia must take place, communicating that an end to the killing and a transition are not just items on a US agenda, but the responsibility of the international community towards human rights. Recent Russian mediation efforts in Libya, negotiating Qadhafi’s exit, is encouraging and the same type of action should pursued in Syria. Other Arab states must also be engaged. Taking a clear stance against Assad’s actions and for a change in government, completely in the hands of the Syrian people, would create distinct separation between Assad’s Syria and the reforms pursued elsewhere in the region. 

The State Department is right about the situation in Syria, but without a plan, the situation will get worse. 

Posner correctly referred to the hundreds of deaths since President Obama’s May 19^th speech as “needless”. That speech, like Posner’s remarks, was an opportunity to take an active role in stopping the abuses in Syria. Unless action is taken soon, there is no telling on how many more “needless” victims we’ll see.