Filling a foreign policy void with clinical, no-boots-on-the-ground, air strikes is difficult to resist. Executive wisdom posits that a missile launch offers the requisite international spanking despots reportedly need without results.
Drawing lines in the sand, being reactive, strategy–less, and filling the void in foreign policy with missiles appears to best a deliberative, long range, strategy in the Middle East. The imperative to simply act outweighs reason and responsibility. Cruise missiles thwart diplomacy, international consensus building and would be an accelerant to the Middle East tinderbox.
Given the clamor, it might be unpopular to stay the hand, turn away from tried and failed policies and resist the call to let the missiles fly. But that’s exact what Obama should do.
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