The Syrian war refugee crisis continues to grow. ISIS is expanding its presence and refugees continue to try and escape the terror. Addressing the cause of the Syrian civil war or how to eliminate ISIS has been anything but easy. According to some, greater military involvement by the United States has not yet been justified on the grounds of national security. Moreover, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been unable to effectively reach a settlement within the country.
However, the Syrian refugee crisis is different than many crises currently seen by the United States. But according to some, given the specifics in this case, the United States and its European allies should plan to take in all refugees fleeing violence in Syria, with the help of other willing nations across the globe.
Certain lawmakers strongly propose that the United States send ground troops to Syria in order to confront ISIS and/or remove Assad from power. However, other analysts simply believe there is not enough of a national security interest for America in that regard. Moreover, these analysts believe that Russia’s growing military campaign in the region now makes greater United States intervention much more complex and hazardous. Lastly, some argue that an increased U.S. military intervention would not help at all. It may be able to wipe out a large number of ISIS militant fighters. But, it cannot destroy ISIS ideals or prevent the spread and mobilization of such extremism.
One popular quasi-military intervention option is to develop and establish a no-fly zone and specific corridors where the U.S. could protect Syrian civilians from Assad’s bombings and provide a safe harbor. Yet, some analysts believe even this is both impractical and dangerous because it raises the risk of a United States-Russia confrontation.
Many believe that such efforts are only partial solutions that could lock refugees into camps to their detriment. In such camps, refugees often suffer a number of horrors, including health risks, increased crime, unemployment and mental health issues. Moreover these types of camps often breed extremism and political violence.
Therefore, according to some, military intervention is simply not the answer. Instead, they believe the United States should focus on helping the refugees get out of the country safely. While host countries are generally helpful in supporting the refugees, the sheer numbers in this situation threatens to overwhelm Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey – which so far have taken in the huge outflow.
Therefore, these analysts believe that the U.S. could better expend its resources to open its doors to refugees rather than spend resources on a military campaign.
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