Two Views on the Civil War in Syria

View One

Syria has been engaged in a long and bloody civil war. With many dead and evidence of what could be a gas attack; people are calling for U.S military intervention in Syria. The possibility that it could happen brings the question; could Syria attack back if the U.S gets involved?

IHS senior analyst, Edward Hunt, predicts the U.S would use the tomahawk missile to reduce the risk of being in Syria’s range.

The tomahawks would most likely be fired from the Mediterranean Sea have a range of 100 miles and a very good degree of precision, suggests IHS Jane.

Syria on the other hand, has the P-800 Yakhont missile, with a range of 62 to 186 miles; it could be helpful if anyone gets close to the coast. They also possess other missiles like the Scuds, with a range of 186 miles to 435 miles, along with the SS-21 and the FROG-7 ballistic missiles.

While there is a low chance of Syria striking back on the U.S, there is a possibility of Syria’s missiles could reach U.S allies around the region, such as Israel.

“I believe that if Syria used chemical weapons, then the U.S should get involved however. I think that even more lives will be jeopardized [if they don’t]” said Junior Jose Gamino.

View Two

The Syrian government has been accused of using chemical weapons in an August 21 attack that killed 1,429 people, according to declassified documents released by the U.S. government.

The Syrian government has denied responsibility for the attacks, which took place in the rebel-controlled Damascus suburb of Ghouta, claiming that they were perpetuated by Syrian rebels. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad further declared that foreign intervention in the Syrian civil war could “set off a powder keg”, igniting a “regional war” in the Middle East.

Plans by the U.N. Security Council to intervene in Syria have been blocked by Syrian allies China and Russia. While French support for the measures remains strong, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s initial support has been overruled by a Parliament vote against military intervention, and President Barack Obama has delegated the decision to Congress, which is scheduled to convene on September 9.

International opposition to the intervention has generally been based on the fact that it will, barring a change of heart on the behalf of both China and Russia, be undertaken without Security Council approval. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to offer the Syrian government support in the event of military action against it, and both UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi have condemned the possibility of military intervention, claiming the problem is not one with a “military solution”.

A U.N. investigation into the attacks is currently underway.

Student attitudes towards the potential intervention have been generally negative. “I don’t think we should go in,” said Junior Devon Kruse-Wu. “It’s too much trouble.”