9/11/13 The Reason Syria is vital to U.S. national security
Statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
An American Muslim of Syrian descent makes the case that President Obama failed to do
PHOENIX (August 20, 2013) – Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, author of “A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith” released the following statement on behalf of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) regarding why the United States needs to engage in Syria.
“The use of American military power should never be taken lightly. It is the highest duty that any Commander-in-chief can undertake. It deserves thoughtful and full deliberation that delivers a strategy that is in the best interest of America’s national security.
The conflict in Syria has at long last sparked debate about Syria’s import to the security of the United States. Unfortunately that debate has taken place after over 110,000 Syrians were killed by their genocidal leader and his military. It has also been mired in a false narrative that the choice in Syria is a binary decision between the secular fascist Bashar Assad and the theocratic fascists of Al Qaeda. That narrative ignores the fact that there are more than 22 million Syrians who simply long for freedom.
What is the case for action? This isn’t about 1,400 people being killed by a chemical attack. This isn’t even about the 110,000 killed over 30 months – though those both should be enough. The stakes in Syria are about the direct threat to the United States from a rogue puppet nation of the Iranians that is directly tied to terrorism from Hizballah. It is about the United States standing on principle and for the right of all people across the world to declare freedom from tyranny. It is about the fact that Syria sits at the crossroads of the Middle East. The defense of liberty in Syria is for the hope of a secular, democratic Syria that recognizes that its power is derived from the consent of its people which could rewrite the destiny of the Middle East as much as the converse- a Syria that is allowed to be folded completely under the wing of an emboldened Iran that has chemical and nuclear capability.
While we may be war weary in the United States, we are not ready to write-off the next generation as being post-American.
There is no doubt that for 30 months President Obama and his Administration have mostly ignored if not mishandled Syria. There is no doubt that they still have yet to create a national strategy for regime change despite explicitly calling for it in August 2011. Instead, now the narrative has changed from regime change to punishment for chemical weapons to now the hope of a diplomatic and political solution brokered by Assad’s pal Putin. Congress should now turn around and direct our President to take back the lead and call the Russians on their lies over the past 30 months in Syria while telling rather than asking the psychopathic dictator of Syria how he is going to end his regime.
The world cannot stand by and allow chemical weapons to be used. We cannot stand by while another 100,000 are killed and millions more are driven from their homes. The U.S. cannot stand by and let Iran develop hegemony over the region and spread their anti-Americanism for generations to come. We cannot stand by and leave a void against Iran, Hizballah, and Assad that is filled by Jihadists supported by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Assad like his father is a tyrant and a pathological liar who will do anything to maintain power. His continued presence as the President of Syria will mean that tens of thousands more will die. We have already seen that inaction by this White House has bred the radicalization of the Syrian people and turned Syria into the world’s biggest factory of jihadists. It has created a vacuum that Al Qaeda and the Islamists in Turkey, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are more than happy to fill.
The President has finally woken up from his slumber over Syria. The speech he should have given in August 2011, he gave on September 10, 2013. Now can Congress keep its attention on Syria long enough to demand that our Commander-in-chief formulate and then lead with a coherent strategy rather than a reflexive short-sighted muddle?
We may be witnessing the end of America’s influence in the world as a superpower. That also means the end of any potent advocate or protectors of those who seek freedom in the world. Syria is not only about freedom for Syrian citizens, it is about regional security from Iran, Hizballah, Al Qaeda, and Jihadists and the protection of our ally, Israel.”
About the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. AIFD’s mission advocates for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution, liberty and freedom, through the separation of mosque and state. For more information on AIFD, please visit our website at http://www.aifdemocracy.org/.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Gregg Edgar, Gordon C. James Public Relations, gedgar@gcjpr.com, 602-690-7977