Israel opines on Syria in Russian journal

Bill San Antonio

In the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s editorial in the New York Times Thursday supporting an alternative solution to the United States’ proposal for a military strike in Syria, Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills) has offered his response for publication in a Russian newspaper.

The piece, which Israel titled “An Open Letter to the People of Russia,” was submitted to Kommersant, a daily newspaper in Russia. 

In it, the congressman explains the decision he and other members of Congress must make in authorizing a military strike on Syria, which Putin argued should only happen with the support of the UN Security Council.

“The news of your president’s call for Syria to relinquish its chemical weapons is a positive development and, as I’ve said repeatedly, diplomacy should always be the first preference,” Israel wrote. “However, if diplomacy proves to not be an option, I believe the U.S. must degrade and deter the further use of chemical weapons, without boots on the ground and in a limited, focused and swift way.”

Israel wrote that there are three major reasons for the United States’ interest in intervening in Syria’s civil war.

The first, he wrote, is Bassar al-Assad’s repeated use of chemical weapons during the conflict, “and with each new attack that went unanswered by the international community, more innocent men, women and children were murdered.”

“I encourage you to watch the videos of the aftermath of the Aug. 21 use of chemical weapons in Syria if your government allows you access,” Israel wrote. “Without a firm response and in the absence of an international agreement, Assad will feel emboldened to continue gassing people and murder even more innocents.”

The second, Israel wrote, is that the United States would not want Syria’s chemical weapons to “fall into the wrong hands,” which includes rebel forces fighting against Assad.

The third, Israel wrote, would send a message to Hezbollah, Iran and North Korea that potential attempts to ignore international law and acquire chemical weapons will come with consequences.

Putin wrote Thursday that a strike from the United States would result in the deaths of more innocent people and escalate other conflicts outside of Syria, “increas[ing] violence and unleash[ing] a new wave of terrorism.” 

“It could throw the entire system of international law and order out of balance,” Putin wrote.

Putin wrote that there is no doubt chemical weapons were used in Syria, but there is little reason to believe they were used solely by the Syrian army.

He continued that United States’ military intervention has become alarming for the international community, as American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last decade have “proved ineffective and pointless,” and argues the international community “steer the discussion back toward negotiation.”

“We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilized diplomatic and political settlement,” Putin wrote.

Putin also rejected President Barack Obama’s recent assertion of American exceptionalism in response to international conflict, writing that “it is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.” 

Israel disagreed with Putin, writing that the United States and Russia have made many exceptional achievements together – such as the defeat of the Nazis and the exploration of space – and urged the two nations work together to make the destabilization of Syria’s chemical weapons another on that list.

“If your leaders are serious about truly creating a regimen to control and contain chemical weapons in Syria under international supervision in a transparent, verifiable and effective way, then we will be able to add this to the latest example of exceptional achievements partnered by our two nations,” Israel wrote.

“Your president has told the United States that he is interested in doing this,” Israel concluded. “Now we await his words turning into deeds.”

Reach reporter Bill San Antonio by e-mail at bsanantonio@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516.307.1045 x215 or on Twitter @b_sanantonio. Also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.

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