SYRIA, in the throes of a destructive civil war since 2011, may be on the precipice of even greater peril. In the early hours of Friday, American Tomahawk missiles rained down on an air base in Homs province, killing at least six individuals. While the US has been targeting hard-line militants in Syria for some time — without the permission of the regime in Damascus — this is being touted as the first direct American military action taking aim at the Syrian state. Although the Obama administration had long supported the ‘moderate’ rebels battling Bashar al-Assad’s government, Donald Trump’s predecessor resisted targeting the regime in Damascus through direct military action. Now, under the constantly evolving Trump doctrine, the Assad administration appears to be fair game. The trigger for the American assault was the chemical attack earlier this week in Idlib, which Washington and its allies blamed on Damascus.

The reactions to the missile attack have been in line with current geopolitical divisions. America’s allies have hailed the military intervention. These include the European states, Turkey, many Arab countries as well as Israel. On the other hand, Russia, Mr Assad’s key military backer, has come down hard on the US for launching the strike. Iran, another major supporter of the Damascus government, has also condemned the US military action.

The Idlib chemical attack, in which over 50 people are believed to have perished, was an abominable crime, as indeed are all attacks which involve such ghastly weapons. It is also true that Mr Assad’s forces have employed brutal methods in crushing dissent, while the rebels — moderate or otherwise — have replied in similarly brutal fashion. However, it is necessary to note here, and without getting bogged down in conspiracy theories, that where the chemical attack is concerned there is need for caution. If Mr Assad’s forces were involved in the Idlib attack, they must face justice. However, in the past there have also been strong suspicions that extremist rebels have carried out chemical attacks; American journalist Seymour Hersh wrote that the 2013 Ghouta chemical attack may have been carried out by the Nusra Front. But regardless of who is responsible for such chemical attacks, it should be the UN’s responsibility to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators. The US cannot be allowed to unilaterally play the international policeman; its record shows that previous military interventions have only exacerbated the situation. The removal of Saddam Hussein, under the pretext of ‘weapons of mass destruction’, springs to mind. Syria is a mess, with hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced — and the US should not be igniting a wider conflagration through the use of its military muscle. The world community, under UN auspices, must act to prevent any future use of chemical weapons, as well as a further expansion of the Syrian conflict through unilateral actions.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2017