This week I took an overview of the international proliferation issues being discussed throughout the blogosphere. I found two blogs which were debating the most recent actions of Israel in its alleged raid and bombing of a site within the sovereign state of Syria. The first post entitled “Syria, in the news,” is written by professor Engram at a “research university.” I commented on this blog because it has a sound argument in regards to Syria and also the important ramifications this issue encompasses regarding Iran, Israel, the United States, and Iraq. The second blog I chose is called “Captains Quarters Blog”; it discussed the upcoming peace talks, which Syria is still invited to attend. I commented on this blog because it had a different take on the issues surrounding the bombing of Syria and the upcoming peace negotiations. In both cases I have chosen to comment on different aspects of the current Syrian situation in the Middle East because I believe that although there has not been a great deal of publicity relevant to this incident, the outcome of it will have a tremendous effect on the stability of the region and the security of the world as a whole. (A visual statement of Israeli-American friendship in the image on the left)It would seem that Syria has acted on a perception of the international community which was in no way a realistic view. It is possible that in its current situation, Syria believed that the only way to remain a sovereign power in the region was to continue its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and thus has been acting in a similar fashion to Iran. In Syria’s perception, building a nuclear weapons program may appear to be the most readily available way of preserving their existence and security. “Given that Syria is suicidally pursuing WMDs” this would seem like folly, but it has been observed in the recent past that rogue states which attempt to develop nuclear weapons ultimately profit, either through economic incentives, or from operating under the cover of fear in the international community that they may use such a device if antagonized, or the possibility of them passing such materials or devices on to non-state actors such as Al-Qaeda.
With the new developments linking Iran, North Korea, and Syria in efforts to establish programs to create nuclear weapons, it seems even less likely that the peace conference of the Middle East States will make any headway, assuming that with current tensions within the region such a conference can still take place. “It seems odd to include Syria in this conference, given current circumstances. The US just green-lighted an attack on a rogue nuclear facility in Syria.” However, it is interesting that the advantage of intelligence information and preemptive action has tilted further back towards Israel and the United States. But, there is another possibility which must not be overlooked. With the Western powers united against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, the increased pressure on the Middle East as a whole may force the parties to come to better terms. It is unlikely that this will come to pass in the near future because support from Western powers will be based on proof provided by Israel and/or the United States that Syria and North Korea were cooperating to create a nuclear Syria. (A more sinister relationship in the image on the right)
