Message to the CIA: When the Attack Dog is at Your Throat, Don’t Fiddle with his Cage Key

If one had to describe the Levant in terms most 5th graders can understand, just equate it to the sun in our galaxy: No one can escape its gravity.

It’s the center of three major religions, the center of terror, and the center of tyranny in the world. All combined under one roof serving humanity with goodness and ugliness.

Jerusalem has always been the Cause Célèbre of the Levant because of its religious importance. But with tyranny and terror taking center-stage today, Damascus is the new bully on the bloc and a lesson to all who believe they can escape the Levant or outsource its challenges.

We were told on Thursday, by the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, that al-Qaeda has become a proxy to Iran in Syria. This strategy on the part of Iran has high risk/reward ratio and the Mullahs know that extremist Sunnis with a DNA of anti-Americanism can help its cause to save Assad at the expense of the timidity of the west. The US containment strategy is a failure because it is giving Iran the time to weaponize its solutions based on the fears the west cannot hide.

But not so if we arm the Free Syrian Army.

The admission by Director Clapper is calling to our attention the necessity, if reigning sectarianism is the aim, to make some move against Iranian interference in the region. It seems that when Iran is using all the tools at its disposal to terrorize Syrians and to save Hezbollah, the west and the Arab League indecisiveness in sorting Syria out with resolve has become, indirectly, the largest facilitator for Iran’s devilish moves. This stubborn attitude is giving Iran the time to concoct plans and to pull its weight in the area just because we fear a wider war no one can stop anymore.

The Obama administration policy of outsourcing to the Arab League and Turkey the fate of Syria is a gargantuan mistake Director Clapper has just told us in no minced words. While the US concern pivoted around the release of five dangerous members of al-Qaeda, one of which was sent to Assad under a rendition program, our real short-term concern should be the effect of yielding to Iran the fate of Syria by stubbornly containing those who should be freeing Syria from Assad. Had the west supported the Free Syrian Army with materials, today’s theater of war will be under the west’s control, not Iran.

If the CIA and the Pentagon do not throw the Arab League under the bus and take charge of Syria by committing real resources and materials, we are looking at a long-term war the west cannot possibly win. Iran is playing Chess and the Arab League, out of fear, is timidly responding with Checkers moves.

Help the Free Syrian Army now or leave it to Iran and eventually al-Qaeda to decide the fate of the Levant.