Will Israel’s Attacks Drive US Into Syria?

Hawks Even Louder in Calls to Intervene After Israel's Strikes

The Obama Administration quickly and unsurprisingly endorsed Israeli attacks on Syria over the weekend, but has so far left open the question of exactly what will happen now, adding to speculation that they will be pulled headlong into a war with Syria.

That certainly seems to suit the regular hawkish Congressmen just fine, with Sen. John McCain (R – AZ) predicting that the Israeli attacks could “force” Obama to act decisively against Syria and for the rebels.

The drive toward US intervention in Syria has been getting into full gear for weeks now, with the administration transitioning toward a “belief” in chemical weapons use despite no apparent additional evidence, and spending last week sending out test balloons about arming the rebels and indeed about launching attacks of their own inside the country.

It is telling, then, that Thursday’s allegations of a “massacre” by the rebels, one of countless such claims that usually come and go without much comment, is suddenly gaining currency in the White House. Days after it happened, they are now officially “horrified” by the reports and vowing to hold people responsible. Polls have consistently showed overwhelming US opposition to attacking Syria, meaning that the administration has an uphill battle in selling the conflict.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.