A Congressional rejection of involvement in Syria would signal that the US, too, is reverting to a more traditional and restricted view of what actions by a foreign power would justify the deployment of American military might. In theory, therefore, refusing to act over Syria need not involve a complete US retirement from the role of global policeman. The trouble is that – as well as encouraging further atrocities by the Assad regime – America’s decision would inevitably be interpreted as sending a much wider message. That is because the belief that America’s “red lines” mean something underpins much of the world’s security architecture – from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf to the Russian-Polish relationship.
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