US planned military action against Syria runs grave risks

BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military action against Syria loomed larger as President Barack Obama on Tuesday secured the key backing of House leaders in his push for military action in Syria.

Though the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has, in a draft authorization for the use of military force in Syria, set a time limit and barred U.S. ground troops in the war-torn country, there seems to be every indication that the war, once breaking out, might well slip out of White House's control and put Washington again in hot water.

Destitute of support and concerted action from any allies, uncertainty, on the other hand, has been growing over Washington's capability to properly wind up the war as Britain's House of Commons has rejected a government attack plan. France has yet to make a decision and NATO has ruled out the possibility of any role in any possible military strikes.

The issue of chemical weapons could hardly be solved by military strikes against Syria, which will more likely present new threats. With the U.S. armed intervention, there will be chances that chemical weapons will fall into terrorists' hands and thus proliferate in the Middle East and even the whole world at large. And this is not in the U.S. interest.

To make things even worse, there is a strong presence of Islamic extremists and al-Qaida militants in Syria's opposition troops. A rise in extremist force is bound to lead Syria astray onto a more dangerous path and will, in turn, undermine the U.S. strategic interests.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that any military attack on Syria must have Security Council approval and and a U.S. attack could lead to further turmoil in the conflict-ravaged country.

Ban's remarks, which mirrored the common view of the international community, expressed disapproval of the U.S. endeavor to take unilateral action without the U.N. authorization.

Military intervention in Syria will have a major impact on the geopolitics of the region as well as exert a spillover effect on a number of countries in the Middle East and the rest of the world at large.

Given the painful lessons from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, whose repercussions are still being felt across the world, it is believed that a political solution will be a best and ultimate approach to end the Syrian crisis.