Syria, in Light of a Free Libya

With dozens of pro-democracy protestors being being slaughtered by Assad's forces almost daily, in addition to calls for a no-fly zone over the country, the situation in Syria is unfolding almost identically to the start of the Libyan Civil War this year. And now an armed anti-government force has emerged.

The New York Times has reported that the Turkish military is providing shelter to an armed opposition group fighting against Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president. While Turkish officials describe the relationship as purely humanitarian, whereby their primary concern is the safety of the defectors, the group, which calls itself the Free Syrian Army (FSA), is said to have claimed responsibility for killing nine Syrian soldiers. Colonel Riad Asa'ad, the leader of the group, has asked the international community to provide them with weapons to use against the Syrian government. He has also said the FSA are ready for military operations.

While the defeat of the Gaddafi regime is certainly a cautionary tale for other violent despots such as Assad, it also makes it that much more difficult for NATO and the UN to look upon the bloodshed and do nothing. We've set a precedent. We acted in Libya; how can we justify not acting in Syria?