'A Strike Against Syria Forecloses the Possibility of a Political Solution': Bassam Haddad on MSNBC's Chris Hayes Show

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Sep 4, 2013 Syria
[Screenshot from Chris Hayes MSNBC show \"All In.\"] [Screenshot from Chris Hayes MSNBC show \"All In.\"]

"A Strike Against Syria Forecloses the Possibility of a Political Solution": Bassam Haddad on MSNBC's Chris Hayes Show

By : Jadaliyya Reports

ALL IN with Chris Hayes on MSNBC

Syria: The Case for War

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing Tuesday on a U.S. military strike against Syria, in which Secretary of State John Kerry offered dire warnings about the consequences of inaction. Chris Hayes is joined by Senator Jim Rish, R-Idaho, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Bassam Haddad, Director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Mason University, to discuss the hearing and the resolution parameters that Congress will vote on in coming weeks.

[Transcript and Video Below]

Chris Hayes (CH): Joining me, director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Mason University. He`s a scholar who specializes in Syria. He opposes US military intervention there. And professor, my first question to you is, the argument being made largely by John Kerry and the administration is on the grounds of a humanitarian case. Essentially enforcing this international norm against the use of weapons that are as ghastly as the ones we see deployed here. Why do you not think it`s a good idea for the United States to engage in military action to enforce that norm?

Bassam Haddad (BH): Well, first of all, to push for this argument on a humanitarian level is actually quite ridiculous, considering what has taken place in the region--under our nose and our spore and continues to take place in the region--with the support of the United States of various dictatorships and support of the settler colonial state of Israel and various other forms. What needs to be discussed right now is something a lot more serious than the debate suggests.

CH: Let me interrupt. We have very similar views on American foreign policy. It also seems to be like a little bit of hiding the ball to talk in those circumstances. Whatever the sins of the American government and its participation in the region--which I`m sure you could spend a lot of time listing, many of which I would agree with you on--that does not necessarily, right, in an operational, moral, or legal sense, take away from the possibility that it would be actually beneficial to the international world order or to Syrians for the US to get involved?

BH: Okay. I mean, this is what I`m trying to get to: the devil`s advocate argument. The debate right now centers around the idea that taking action is less risky than not taking action. This way of framing the debate is actually extremely problematic and off. First of all, this kind of framing of a binary eliminates the possibility that there is another option. It actually absolves the US from taking another course of action or another choice because the debate is being framed as action versus inaction. No, there is another course of action, and that is as we have been listening to many people saying, and I`ve been saying several times on various media, that there is a solution to the conflict. As much as we think it is difficult, the United States and Russia can come together and compel all parties to the conflict--that the United States and Russia will actually potentially come to a table and create the opportunity or the circumstances for the transition.

Because let me just say this, what we are not paying attention to is that a limited strike, first of all, will not be effective. Second of all, it will make the conflict more volatile. And third of all, it forecloses any possibility of a political solution down the road. It`s basically eliminating that possibility for the sake of very limited gains that can spin out of control and bring the entire region into this conflict.

CH: Bassam Haddad, from George Mason University. Thank you so much for your time tonight I really appreciate it.

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Sep 1, 2013 Lebanon
Jadaliyya Reports By :
Jadaliyya Reports

US Strike on Syria An "Uncalculated Adventure": Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad on MSNBC

MSNBC Headine "Haddad: Mulling Syria strike is an `uncalculated adventure`"

Former State Department Spokesperson P.J. Crowley, Mouaz Moustafa from the Syrian Emergency Task Force, Bassam Haddad from George Mason University, Reuter`s David Rohde and MSNBC military analyst and former army Colonel Jack Jacobs join MSNBC`s Craig Melvin to discuss the possible outcomes to the President`s decision on seeking congressional approval before taking action on Syria.


. . . Video #1. . . [at 3.20]

Craig Melvin (CM): How will the president`s announcement today, and first of all, the president`s announcement today, and unilateral action, how do both of those things be seen by other arab nations?

Bassam Haddad (BH): Well, to begin with, I think it`s a horrible idea. What we have right now is a very uncalculated adventure that might have grave consequences for the United States and for peoplel in the region, notably the Syrian public that we are trying supposedly to protect. 

What we are doing in effect is launching a war, basically declaring a war on a sovereign nation on evidence that has not surfaced yet, and I do not think that we should be concerned with the reactions to the president`s words from Iran or Hezbollah. I think we should be concerned about what is happening here in the United States, and look at some of the serious dissenting voices, and perhaps acknowledge that because of the international and regional opposition to this problematic move or impending move--I think the president is stuck. 

And one of the reasons he is going to congress, which apparently historically he did not have to do that, is basically to just make sure that he can say that he is keeping his word regarding the red lines. But I think it is an uncalculated adventure and it is not going to bode well for the United States or the Syrian people and for all concerned.

. . . Video #2. . . [at 3.45]

CM: What kind of support does the US have in Syria right now?

BH: There might be support for a strike, and a lot of what is happening in Syria in terms of external intervention and external movements is mostly a result of desperation. 

It is not the right metrics we should be paying attention to right now. I just want to say a couple of things regarding the danger the other speaker alluded to regarding Syria using chemical weapons vis-a-vis Israel. In the past six years Israel attacked Syria with airplanes, with jet fighters, and Syria did not respond at all. Of course, we all know it is because Israel has a stockpile of nuclear weapons and nuclear warheads more than anyone can count. 

And I agree with you Craig that there needs to be a debate. The problem with the discussion, not only on this show but on all shows, is that there is no serious engagement, a serious public debate in the US on these issues generally, regarding the US Middle East policy. What we have is commentary on a very limited set of options that are already predetermined by policy. And this policy is based on unrealistic presumptions and assumptions regarding how the United States is a benevolent actor in the world in terms of its foreign policy. 

In the MIddle East, this is not the case. The record is actually--it stinks, really. And, for us to continue to talk as if all of these [issue regarding the US role] are givens is the actual problem. The only solution to this [crisis] is a political solution that the United States, as the most powerful country in history, not just on earth, can actually start by a serious discussion with the Russians and other players. However, the problem is that we are not ready to actually have these discussions because it will take compromises; compromises that the United States is not willing to make in terms of its support of very problematic dictatorial or racist regimes, like the state of Israel and like dictatorships like Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

This is the problem. We are not willing to budge on other issues, so our bargaining power with Russia or other states is very limited. These are the issues that I think we need to discuss in light of what is happening in the region and in light of us getting it wrong almost every time since we fraudulently attached and invaded a country in 2003, the country of Iraq, on false premises.

 

 

First Segment (Haddad commentary at 3:20)

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Second Segment (Haddad commentary)

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