NATO Options for Syria

There is theoretically a cease-fire in Syria; nevertheless, we have had no signs that, on the ground, the fighting has actually stopped. The Bashar al-Assad regime has allowed international observers to monitor Syria but he has clearly demanded that these observers should not come from countries that have attended the “Friends of the Syrian People” meetings. This was a way for him to express once again his distrust of Western countries. Meanwhile, he continues to present the unrest in his country as terrorism and his own actions as self-defense. However, it is obvious that he is using disproportionate power and innocent people keep dying. Some Syrians, fearing brutal repression, have fled their countries; the risk of the crisis escalating is real and thus Syria is a threat to the stability of all its neighbors.