# Syria: Is there any way this can end well? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 6, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919 "2012-02-06T01:51:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Syme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Syme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syme)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/41 "2012-06-12T12:36:51Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Robert Dreyfuss](http://www.thenation.com/blog/168185/what-do-about-syria) writes in _The Nation:_ > > **Any** way this can end well?! Only if oil is found. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/42 "2012-06-12T12:48:02Z")
Syria has oil. They have been an exporter since the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Syme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Syme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syme)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/43 "2012-06-13T04:42:33Z")
Excellent, although oil production has been in decline, But all the ‘good’ guys have to do is offer the Western oil companies, French and British for instance a good deal a la Lybia and Bingo! NATO’s aerial cavalry will gallop (fly) to the rescue. of course those troublesome Russians and their presence in Syria could hinder this plan ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/44 "2012-06-13T05:31:15Z")
> [@Syme](#): > > Excellent, although oil production has been in decline, But all the ‘good’ guys have to do is offer the Western oil companies, French and British for instance a good deal a la Lybia and Bingo! NATO’s aerial cavalry will gallop (fly) to the rescue. of course those troublesome Russians and their presence in Syria could hinder this plan Well, the Russians already **have** plenty of oil . . . ---
**Author:** ![Einsatzgroping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Einsatzgroping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einsatzgroping)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/45 "2012-06-13T07:17:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Syria: Is there any way this can end well? Not while the Ruskis have military interests in the place. From latest reports, now even attack helos are in-coming courtesy of The Democratic Putin’s Republic of Russia. Let the wholesale massacres BEGIN! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/46 "2012-06-17T00:00:30Z")
> [@Einsatzgroping](#): > > Not while the Ruskis have military interests in the place. > > From latest reports, now even attack helos are in-coming courtesy of The Democratic Putin’s Republic of Russia. Let the wholesale massacres BEGIN! Latest news: [Russia sends troops to Syria.](http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/15/12238938-us-official-russia-sends-troops-to-syria-as-peace-hopes-fade?lite) > [@](#): > > Moscow has sent a ship carrying a small contingent of combat forces to guard Russia’s deep-water port and military base at the Syrian city of Tartus, the US officials said. > > The U.S. officials also said Russia has not sent additional attack helicopters to the Syrian government, but replacement parts for the Russian helicopters the Syrians are already flying. [Interesting reactions on Free Republic](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2895745/posts) – everyone agrees Obama is handling this wrong, but there is no agreement on which side they want to win in Syria – some insist the Alawite regime should be kept in power because they “protect the Christians,” others insist it should fall because that would be strategically bad for Iran. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/47 "2012-06-22T23:13:34Z")
Great. [Now the Syrian military has shot down a Turkish fighter jet “over its territorial waters”.](http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/06/20126221721460173.html) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/48 "2012-06-23T05:56:42Z")
We could do a “Libya light” and insert the CIA to remove the Syrian assets used against civilians. Not quite the full Monty but enough for the Syrian heads of state to do the math. ---
**Author:** ![benbo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@benbo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benbo1)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/49 "2012-06-23T10:37:52Z")
Like the Iran-Iraq war, it;s already ending well: today, Syria shot down a Turkish plane. Turkey too, has turned anti-Western in recent years. Noting could be better than the dictatorial Arabic world to fight amongst themselves. One can only hope they escalate, causing fighting amongst themselves, and fomenting revolution thruout Arabia. Excepting the oil situation, having millions of them going at each other will keep them out of our hair and prevent them from exporting their brand of brotherly love for years to come. My example on the Iran-Iraq war is meant to project the tragedy that that war had to end. If only they’d kept going at it, much less trouble in the Western world. What we should be doing is arming Turkey and Syria, altering the balance toward the underdog when the tide seems to be turning. Is there any way the Syria problem can end well? Yes, if they keep fighting and pick fights with other Arabian dictatorships and leave Western countries alone! Of course, we should make some provision or protecting the oilfields - no reason to have their problems and petty feuds affect us - their influence has been way out of proportion to their station in life for too long already; but, we need oil. So, keep them fighting but away from the oilfields, & all will be fine. Let em release some of that aggression that would otherwise be directed toward shooting rockets into Israel or blowing up planes and skyscrapers. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/50 "2012-06-23T14:30:31Z")
Mr. Cheney? Is that you? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/51 "2012-06-23T14:36:22Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > We could do a “Libya light” and insert the CIA to remove the Syrian assets used against civilians. Not quite the full Monty but enough for the Syrian heads of state to do the math. The “assets used against civilians” are the Syrian Army. How do you propose to remove them? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/52 "2012-07-06T14:17:03Z")
[Manaf Tlas, a Syrian general close to Assad, just defected.](http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/07/201276533461952.html) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/53 "2012-07-06T23:16:46Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The “assets used against civilians” are the Syrian Army. How do you propose to remove them? Insert CIA with weapons. Step 1 - point weapons at hard assets Step 2 - pull trigger When you take away tanks, helicopters and other hard assets then what you’re left with are soldiers with guns. That makes it a numbers game. Which is what happened in Libya. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/54 "2012-07-18T12:58:20Z")
[Matters seem to be approaching some sort of an endgame.](http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/18/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/55 "2012-07-18T13:31:25Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > [Matters seem to be approaching some sort of an endgame.](http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/18/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) Are any refugees trying to get into Israel? What’s Israel’s policy about that? Are you being affected at all by this? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/56 "2012-07-18T13:57:01Z")
The border between Israel and Syria is a wartime border, and is one of the most strongly-defended and closely watched frontiers in the world; no-one is getting through unless Israel lets them, and Israel isn’t letting them. It’s not that anyone really wants to, anyway, and besides, the entire area between Damascus and the Golan is essentially a military zone, where the Syrian Army traditionally keeps the bulk of its armored forces. It’s the worst possible direction a refugee could run. As for how it’s affecting us - it isn’t for now, but I hope the people upstairs are keeping a very close watch on Syria’s long-range missiles and on its chemical and biological arsenal. The situation can go from “normal” to “oh crap” in 120 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/57 "2012-07-18T14:06:36Z")
Thanks. Nice to get the inside scoop. Stay safe. I guess you guys have lots of practice at that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/58 "2012-07-18T14:28:15Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Insert CIA with weapons. > > Step 1 - point weapons at hard assets > Step 2 - pull trigger > > When you take away tanks, helicopters and other hard assets then what you’re left with are soldiers with guns. That makes it a numbers game. Which is what happened in Libya. This is a whoosh, right? Because I really don’t think the CIA is equipped or has agents trained for a tank-destroying op. You’d need some kind of military special-forces team for that. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/59 "2012-07-18T14:44:10Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > This is a whoosh, right? Because I really don’t think the CIA is equipped or has agents trained for a tank-destroying op. They have missile armed drones. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919/60 "2012-07-18T14:57:00Z")
And Syria has air defenses that can take them out easily. Drones are useful against terrorists, not armies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-is-there-any-way-this-can-end-well/611919.md?page=4)