Donald Trump has promised Syria’s bloody regime that it will pay a ‘big price’ for the chemical weapons attack in eastern Ghouta, which left dozens dead. And many agree Bashar al-Assad should face the consequences of his appalling actions. But the United States – and the West – would do well to stop and ask themselves a question before they rush in: what are they actually hoping to achieve?
After all, the United States’ approach to Syria and its pattern of failed strategies does not inspire much confidence. The US has pursued three distinct policies in the country over the last five years: its diplomatic process was designed to lead to a post-Assad era of democracy. That failed. Its clandestine support for the Syrian rebel groups was supposed to help moderates among them gain power. That failed, too. Since 2015, the US has had more luck, pouring resources into fighting Isis alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces, a mostly Kurdish group of fighters in eastern Syria.
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