Introduction to International Politics

Foreign Event Analysis

Locale[]
Syria
Title
US Raid in Syria
Summary
A suspected Al-Queda terrorist had been smuggling weapons across the Syrian border into Iraq. Therefore, four American Special Forces helicopters crossed into Syria from Iraq. Eight Syrians were killed after U.S. troops left the helicopter and attacked the location of the suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist. Syria has reported that the U.S. violated international law and that the eight Syrians killed were civilians. Syria is thus asking for a formal apology from the U.S. The U.S. has not yet issued an apology or a statement of whether the mission was a success or not.
Analysis
The U.S. has a mission to secure Iraq from danger and it has been at war in order to do so. Syria is geopolitically harmful to the U.S. goal in Iraq because it is neighbors with Iraq. The U.S. has suffered from the suspected terrorist’s acts which have been coming from Syria thus it rationally sent U.S. Special Forces to attack the suspect in order to prevent future attacks on the U.S.
The U.S. is the most powerful force in the region. Such power has enabled it to cross into the Syrian borders without the fear of receiving international sanctions from the United Nations or being overwhelmed by an attack from the Syrian government.
The people of Syria are very angry at the U.S. and have held public demonstrations to channel their anger. The Syrian state and nation knows that it has been bullied and that it cannot successfully appeal to an actor above the state, because from a realist perspective, there is no actor above the state. Syria could attack the U.S. but the U.S. leads the regions hegemonic stability. A power transition may emerge if Syria can form an alliance with neighboring countries against the U.S.
Perspectiver
Realist
In-Region URL
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/10/20081030101832817729.html
Out-of-Region URL
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7698820.stm
Submitted
October 31, 2008 at 11:47 am