1、F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 2 P o l i c y b r i e FPressure Not WarA Pragmatic and Principled Policy Towards Syriaby Marc lynchThe united States must respond urgently to address the growing bloodbath in Syria,where the asad regime has killed more than 6,000 of its own citizens and risks unleashing a secta
2、rian war that would kill thousands and destabilize a critical region.However,the united States should not intervene with military force,which is unlikely to improve conditions in Syria and instead threatens to make them worse.Though advocates of military intervention claim it is the moral choice,it
3、is not.Military intervention will allow americans to feel they are doing something.but unleashing even more violence without a realistic prospect of changing the regimes behavior or improving security is neither just nor wise.Instead,the United States and its international partners should engage in
4、a sustained,intense and targeted campaign of pressure against the Asad regime.This campaign should have several ele-ments.First,the international community should present Asad with an ultimatum:Since Asad can no longer participate in a legitimate Syrian govern-ment,he,his vice president and a limite
