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Risks of military intervention in Syria

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    Should U.S. take more action in response to massacre?

  • Duration 6:14
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The massacre of more than a hundred innocent Syrian people most of them women and children today -- the United States and several other countries to give Syrian diplomats the boot.

Witnesses say on Friday and troops and affiliated militias shelled stabbed and shot at point blank range dozens of innocent people.

In one of the worst displays of violence since the uprising began last march the Syrian regime claims terrorist carried out the attack.

But the US State Department spokeswoman says the United States hold the Syrian government responsible for the slaughter of course we cannot confirm.

Officials from the United States along with -- Great Britain.

Germany France Canada and others now telling Syrian diplomats they have hours to leave their respective countries.

In another attempt at getting Syria to stop killing its own people.

Of course the United Nations estimates that Syrian troops have killed more than 9000 people since last march.

-- -- with the news he's live for us in Jerusalem and -- what type of impact can expelling these diplomats have exactly.

We'll Trace this move to expel Syrian diplomats is really more symbolic.

Than anything else but in the past it is it does appear in the international community is ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on -- and on.

President aside but it's so far it hasn't had much of an impact but on Sunday the the UN Security Council did vote to condemned the shelling in the deaths in the attack on the Syrian town of -- which left more than a hundred.

People dead including women and children.

But those types of diplomatic maneuvers have so far -- done very little to stop any of the violence has been going on for more -- -- a year now Trace.

And Connor the special envoy to Syria -- and I met with the Syrian president today any progress at all on that front.

It doesn't appear there was a whole lot in the way of progress out Kofi and -- meet with president's side earlier today.

-- been there for two days in Syria meeting with Syrian officials.

I the only thing that Kofi Annan did.

Say that he and president side did agree to is the need for humanitarian.

Aid to continue flowing into Syria.

But of course that need for aid -- that agreement on the need freed.

Comes as Syrian forces are attacking civilians and that there is essentially a civil war going on there right now but CNN did call on both sides put down their weapons and he is trying to push -- cease fire agreement that is essentially been abandoned.

In the last few days and never really took hold.

But at the time that right now the violence is continuing and diplomatic efforts really don't seem to be doing a whole lot.

-- Conner Powell live in the country that borders Syria -- thank you.

Joining us now former State Department deputy special envoy during the president George W Bush Administration Christian -- and he is currently a principal for the consulting firm DC international advisory and Christian is that overstating the case to say that that rush up.

Andy rod are enabling this -- mean Russia's providing weapons we know that Iran many believe providing forces what are your thoughts.

Yeah I think so -- Syria really is the that junior partner of a broader relationship with the Iranian government.

In Iran has supplied that forces the codes for a switches you know runs essential paramilitary force.

Revolutionary force has been on the ground in Syria of providing technical assistance to the Syrians in cracking down harder.

And Russia of course is another key part Russia giving arms just recently being -- giving arms to Syria again.

But Russia -- the chief protector of Syria at the UN and of course the Obama administration.

For better or worse has chosen to pursue its diplomacy primarily of the UN and hitting a roadblock from Russia and China.

You hear the got to backroom talk now Christian about military intervention US military intervention NATO military intervention how tricky exactly would that be in your estimation.

It runs all their number of risks involved you know we're fresh off the experience of Libya where.

We started with a no fly zone but of course that's just another way of saying we're gonna go to war.

No doubt that the US military and its allies can can do that somewhat effectively but this could be another open ended military commitment at a time when the US military.

And American voters are somewhat fatigued with war after war after war so there's a lot to could be done in the middle that hasn't been done.

Yes and I'd say that would be a better approach.

Yet also at a time -- five months ahead of the election and if you're staying the next step might be for somebody to pick up the phone and call president -- and say -- How about we get this thing stopped.

Well unfortunately and then the president of course has a relationship with president couldn't but so did his his predecessor George W.

Bush.

-- one problem western diplomats in western leaders often make is over investing themselves in their relationships.

With shall we say less than perfect democratically elected leaders which I would describe.

-- so Russia really you know they're looking at this news they are comfortable though with the violence before.

What happened and who and they're probably not that -- comfortable with that now so there's not a lot of leverage and also Syria has plenty of munitions of its own some resources of its own so bringing Russian on board at the UN wouldn't necessarily improve this situation really what we need to do is is enabled the rebels two to -- take care of matters for themselves better.

It messenger saying the UN has been an effective and it's time to actually go to those are on the ground.

I think so if you look at -- -- -- process first of all Kofi Annan himself has very little credibility dictators.

Know him quite well -- are not afraid of from.

You know as UN Secretary General and as a lower level official before that dealing with situations like this in Bosnia and Rwanda elsewhere.

He did exceptionally poorly.

And so now you know I just people aren't really -- afraid of unconcerned with -- he's been on the ground in two days he also said that both sides should lay down their arms which implies some sort of moral equivalence between the two sides but you have the rebels lay down their arms are just gonna be slaughtered because we know for a fact that -- -- -- his forces are gonna do it.

So -- you know working with allies like Jordan and Turkey to a close allies in the region -- these guys would be better.

Former State Department official Christian white and -- good to see you thank you sir thank you --

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