My first reaction upon hearing the news that the Syrian government had been overthrown earlier this month was how much we needed to have anything to do with it. To what extent was the CIA involved? And how much does it cost?
We know that Assad, like Saddam and Gaddafi before him, was no liberal hero. But I don't think it's a good idea to send troops dedicated to establishing an Islamic state into a once-secular Syria.
Similar to President George W. Bush's “mission accomplished” moment after the overthrow of Saddam, removing Assad will prove to be the easy part. Rebuilding Syrian society after the country's destruction will cost billions of dollars and is likely to be as successful as the “liberation” of Libya, a failed state still ruled by terrorists more than a decade later.
In 2017, the Los Angeles Times published an article that sadly eloquently illustrated the insanity of our country's interventionist foreign policy. The headline read, “In Syria, the Pentagon is fighting armed insurgents and the CIA is fighting armed insurgents.'' What does it mean for the Pentagon to be fighting a proxy war with the CIA on Syrian soil? Worse, the American people will be made to pay the price for this Pentagon vs. CIA war, and then… Having to pay again to rebuild the country after all the destruction.
Syrians will feel the cost in more than just dollars.
To what extent is the US government involved in overthrowing the Syrian government? For the past decade, the US has controlled Syria's oil and wheat producing areas, stealing resources to which it has no legal rights. A combination of resource theft and extreme sanctions have hollowed out Syrian society over the past decade, so there was little resistance when terrorists burst out of Idlib a few weeks ago.
The relatively benign but authoritarian rule of President Assad is now being replaced by the direct heirs of those who attacked us on 9/11. I am shocked that the mainstream media and many if not most politicians support this. Ironically, some of the biggest cheerleaders for al-Qaeda's takeover of Syria are the same members of Congress who ended their daily speeches in the House chamber with “We will never forget 9/11.” Have you finally forgotten?
The implosion of Syria, like the U.S.-orchestrated implosion of Libya and Iraq, has not led to the protection of democracy, peace, and civil liberties. In each case, it produced exactly the opposite result. Millions have died, millions more are living in misery, and many are seeking revenge against those who destroyed their families, their way of life, and their country. Is it safer to create millions of new enemies?
President-elect Donald Trump issued a statement on Syria last week saying this is not our fight and we should have nothing to do with it. His sentiments are valid, but unfortunately we have had too much to do with them so far. As president, let's hope that Donald Trump follows through on this sentiment and removes America's overt and covert presence not only in Syria but from the entire Middle East. This is not our fight and everything we have done there over the last 75 years or so has only made things worse. It’s time for an America First foreign policy!
Ron Paul is a former U.S. Congressman from Texas. This article originally appeared on the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and is reprinted here with permission.
