[A. Pole]

But it won't happen, at least not unless the Iranians and Syrians provide a provocation sufficient to justify such a grave step. A pity, really - terrorist states should find that action fatal - but this is the real world and not a gameboard.

I have a question to all anti-Syrian zealots on FR. If Syria is a terrorist regime why the terrorist suspects were "rendered" to Syria for interrogation?

[Billthedrill]

I do not know. But I will state that Syria was, if you recall, on the coalition side during the first Gulf War.

Their government is walking a tightrope as well between a restive population that has rebelled once in recent history and Iranian pressure to continue to act as a staging area for a proxy war. If I could muster up sympathy for young Mr. Assad it would be on that basis.

But that government has also committed a deep offense in a detailed and deadly support for the "insurgents" in Iraq targeting Americans. On that basis I suppose you could class me an "anti-Syria zealot." Zealotry has, actually, little to do with it. A frank and objective assessment of Syria's actions with respect to foreign policy leads me to believe that the world would be better off with its current government replaced.

Shall we tot up the positives? That Gulf War I support. The withdrawal from Lebanon. And the negatives? The 20-year occupation of Lebanon preceding the withdrawal. The Hariri assassination that caused it. The support for the Ba'athist terrorists in Iraq. Acting as a conduit for Iranian weapons and personnel supporting Hezbollah.

That isn't a happy scorecard from the point of view of our support or even tolerance of the terrorist state that Syria absolutely is and has been for years. If I thought that might change without force I'd be all for it, but I don't honestly think that. And it has to change.