Who Wants War?

   The last few weeks were tense in the Levant - all of Syria’s neighbors have been waiting for the US Congress to approve, or reject, President Obama’s decision to strike Syria. A lot has been said about the war in Syria and the American decision to interfere in this stage in the conflict, following President Assad’s use of chemical weapons. Unfortunately, the conventional massacre of more than 110,000 people was not enough for the world to interfere in the escalating violence.

   Let’s play a little game and call it “Who Wants War.” It is common belief that no country wants to live in a state of war. War brings economic and social damages and often political damage to governments that want to be elected again. However, the Levant countries are special. Let’s consider the interests of the international and regional players in the Syrian crisis.

   The main international players are the US, Russia, UK, France, Germany, the Arab League and the UN. Who is gunning for a fight? Germany is last in line, just behind the UN and the Arab League, which made strong declarations against President Assad, yet took no action to stop the killing. All called for political solutions to the “situation in Syria,” but it is rather ridiculous to ask a President who is fighting for his life to find a “political solution.” France is trying to be more practical due to its past influence in the area and the large Syrian community in the country. However, it cannot act by itself, like it did in Mali, for example. Therefore, it leaves us with the US, Russia and UK. The British Parliament voted against joining the US on the attack, so no war for Britain. It’s a head-to-head war for the US and Russia, when Russia is, important to say, pro-Assad.

   President Obama doesn’t want this involvement in Syria more than President Putin wants it. Both are there just because they made stupid promises in the media. They believed in none of these declarations. They don’t want to start World War III, especially over such a country as Syria, which has nothing to offer to the world and to them. They need to attack each other in order to prove to the world that they are men of their word. Great game, isn’t it?

   Well, if the international players don’t really want to start a war with Syria, how do the regional players want to play? The main players are Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, Israel and Hezbollah.

   Syria (President Assad) doesn’t want a war with anyone but his own citizens, of course. Please do not interrupt him while killing everyone who is against his government. You can come back later if you want and bring some baklava for the hungry army spreading Sarin gas on the poor citizens.   

   Lebanon is terrified of war. It is already experiencing the spill-over of the Syrian civil war and the ramifications of the Hezbollah warriors fighting in Syria along with Assad’s soldiers. A regional war is the last thing they need.

   Iran is a big supporter of President Assad, but when the day comes, it will probably send Hezbollah and the Shiite groups in Iraq to attack American and Israeli targets rather than its own army.

   On the other side we have Turkey, Israel and Hezbollah that just can’t wait for the war to start– each for its own reasons. Turkey and Syria are old rivals and Prime Minister Arduan has been itching to pick a fight with Syria for more than a year. The Syrian civil war has spilled-over into Turkey as well, and refugees are filling the camps along the Turkish border. Nonetheless, Turkey will not start an attack alone and until now just fired a few warning rockets into Syria.

   Israel feels the spill-over much less than all other countries. Yet, it is anxious to fight in a “real war” – it already attacked the Syrian reactor and other tactical targets during the last two years, and President Assad did not respond in any way. Israel “needs” this war - the economic state in Israel is not good and a war is a good solution to distract people’s minds and to unite them against an external enemy, instead the government they hate right now. The army needs to check new weapons systems and get rid of the old ones, and a war with Syria and Hezbollah would be a great opportunity to do that. It is also a chance to close the “open check” with Hezbollah, who is happy to “jump” into the war for more or less the same reasons.

   Hezbollah, who is fighting right now in Syria, will not hesitate to attack Israel if the US attacks Syria. It will not miss the chance. Not even the fragile political situation in Lebanon can stop it right now.

   Unfortunately, real life is not a game. And it seems that no one cares for the Syrian people since the country has no minerals or oil to offer. Please open your eyes and watch the holocaust that President Assad is conducting in Syria. How can you see the pictures and say this is not your countries’ business? Let’s not stand aside and let another nation disappear. Why to repeat the mistake the world had done in 1930’s? Let’s not be silent. Never again.