Turn of Phrase - Clinton's Tough Talk On Syrian Massacre Is Only a Good Start

Mass grave in Houla, Syria
Photo: Reuters

"Those who perpetrated this atrocity must be identified and held to account. The United States will work with the international community to intensify our pressure on Assad and his cronies, whose rule by murder and fear must come to an end."

- From Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after learning details of the government-sanctioned massacre of more than 100 civilians in the Syrian city of Houla.

In light of United Nations reports that at least 49 children and 34 women were included among the dead, and recognizing that random artillery shelling, as well as point-blank shootings, were the methods used to murder the Syrian civilians, Secretary Clinton's tough talk is a good start, but it must be followed up by timely and decisive action.

Diplomatic officials are expected to exercise caution with their words, but there's no need to tread lightly when addressing the dictatorial regime of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, who in Houla has sanctioned the execution-style murder of entire families in their own homes.

The United States has joined several European governments in expelling the top Syrian diplomat remaining in Washington, and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, has indicated that American forces are ready to act, if asked to do so.

As with Clinton's words, these actions are steps in the right direction. Now the Obama administration must move with urgency to take an authoritative leadership role in influencing Russian policy towards Syria, which is currently favorable to Assad. With Russia on board, the United States, together with its U.N. allies, can then employ the tactics needed to arm opposition forces and empower the people of Syria to bring an end to Assad's reign of terror.

When President Obama made the decision to actively involve the U.S. in the toppling of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, he was reportedly motivated, in part, by the story of former President Bill Clinton's biggest regret. On more than one occasion, Clinton has apologized for the most significant policy mistake of his presidency - failure to intervene in the Rwandan genocide of the mid-90s, an event that resulted in the killing of more than 800,000 people.

As President Obama and Secretary Clinton develop and guide American foreign policy regarding the looming civil war in Syria, they should be reminded, once again, of the story of Rwanda in 1994. Caution and prudence may be diplomatic virtues, but when thousands of civilians are being ruthlessly murdered by their own government, an abundance of patience can be deadly.


Click here to see more opinions and video of the attack on Houla. Be forewarned, the video is gruesome and includes images of some of the children killed in the attack. I couldn't watch it for more than 30 seconds, and I felt it was too horrific to post directly on my blog. Nonetheless, it's part of the truth of what is happening in Syria and should be shared.