Responding to the Challenge of Russia in Syria

Also in Foreign Affairs.

No one should have been surprised that Russia committed their military to the task of saving their ally in Syria from defeat. And no one should now be surprised if Saudi Arabia steps up its support for the Syrian opposition; or if the opposition attacks Russian forces in Syria.

From the very beginning, the tragedy of Syria has been a multi-layered drama. There was the internal conflict with its undercurrents of class and sect tensions. There was also a regional aspect with proxies for Iran and the Arab Gulf States squared off against each other. And then there was the Russia/NATO dimension with Moscow determined not to lose another strategic partner at the hands of the West.

All of this should have been evident from the very start of the conflict, and yet the combatants and their supporters have consistently failed to factor this complexity into their calculations thereby insuring that the war in Syria would grow into the horror it has become.

To recap: drought and failed economic policies by a corrupt state system wreaked havoc on millions of Syrians driving them from their land in search of the means of survival. Their demands for economic justice and greater rights were brutally put down by the government. Repression, mass imprisonment, torture, and the wanton killing of civilians didn't silence the demonstrators; instead it led many to adopt violent means, as well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/responding-to-the-challen_b_8271650.html