THE U.S. AND NATO DO NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF UNARMED SYRIAN CIVILIANS

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had his troops and tanks storm the anti-government stronghold of Hama and other cities before dawn on Sunday, killing at least 75 people and injuring hundreds of others. That brings the death toll of unarmed civilians to 1,600 during four months of anti-government protests.

When Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi sent his troops to attack armed rebels in their stronghold of Benghazi, the mere threat of civilians being killed resulted in a strong military response by the United States and the European military forces of NATO. Gadhafi’s troops were attacked by fighter-bombers and long range missiles. Gadhafi’s compounds and other targets in Tripoli were heavily bombarded.

Far fewer civilians have been killed by Gadhafi’s military than the number of unarmed protesters that have been killed by Assad’s troops. There has been no military response by the U.S. and NATO against Assad’s bloody regime. Public condemnations of Assad are the only responses that President Obama and the European leaders have been able to muster.

For instance, President Obama really 'hammered' Assad when he called the attacks on Hama “horrifying” and declared that Assad is “completely incapable and unwilling” to respond to the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people. Now that ought to make Assad shake in his boots. Yeah, right.

Why has there been no military response to the slaughter of unarmed Syrian civilians? The main reason the U.S. and NATO will not attack Syria is because that nation is much stronger militarily than Libya. Assad’s regime has been armed to the teeth by the Russians. While we would certainly be able to defeat the Syrian forces, unlike in Libya, we would suffer some serious losses. And then there is always the possibility that Syria’s ally Iran would be drawn into the conflict.

So what it all boils down to is that the U.S. and NATO have gone to war with a very weak Libyan military, but they do not have the stomach to go to a war against the stronger armed forces of Syria as Assad continues to slaughter hundreds of civilians every week.