It is not just President Obama that is facing a dilemma about what actions to take in Syria.  Almost every leading congressman and senator has mixed feelings over what actions to take.

The reason is that a win by the Assad regime or the rebels result in equally troubling consequences.

As a benevolent dictator Assad has kept a lid on sectarian hatred that has enabled Syrian minorities to live in relative peace.  Assad has not been continuously at war with Israel but at the same time has provided the sanctuary to the leader of Hamas.  He has permitted the transfer of weapons across his country from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon.  In an Arab war or war with the United States, he would be allied with Iran.

The rebels are dominated by Muslim extremists (Muslim Brotherhood supported by Iran and al-Qaeda that are supported by contributions from around the world).  They appear to be in agreement that Israel must be obliterated and continuing attacks on Western Europe and America by any means.

Today’s Los Angeles Times has a front page article, More harm than good in strikes?, about the success of air attacks on nations that have defied American will or wishes.  The resulting consequences of those attacks have been mediocre at best.  The article’s words are “The type of campaign expected in Syria has a poor track record.”  Sited are the two major bomb and cruise missile episodes against Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi government and the 1986 bombing of Muammar Gaddafi’s Lybia.  While all the attack weapons hit their targets, those events had achieved little.  Even the invasion and removal of Saddam Hussein from Iraq is in dispute (there are almost daily reports of bombings in that country).

Barack Obama’s mistake was drawing a “red line.”  Americans are tired of war.  We do not have the man power or the persuasive skills to change the behavior of any society.  Just yesterday I read of Buddhists setting fire to the homes of Muslims in Myanmar (Burma).  Should America march into that country?  Of course our military-industrial complex will say, Yes.

As sad as the gassing of innocent people is to most of us, there is little we can do to stop the carnage unless we send troops into Syria.  Then a few years later we will withdraw and the carnage will resume.