Covert Action to Depose Bashar Al-Assad Via His Direct Elimination - Essay Example

The case facts are that either a coup or the outright “elimination” of Bashar Al-Assad is possible through an asset that could organize such action, embedded within the Syrian establishment. There is merit in covert action in this case, given the hard-line stance of Al-Assad, the intractable nature of the war and of the positions of the two camps, the international opposition to the actions of the Syrian government, and the need to stop the escalation of the violence to prevent further massive bloodshed, and the atrocious nature of the way thousands have already perished in the hands of the government forces (Bennet, 2005; Chulov, 2012; International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, 2012; MacFarquahar, 2011; Mawad and Gladstone, 2012; Middle East Policy Council, 2012; The New York Times Company, 2012; Rosenbach, 2009; Best, 2011; Cumming,2010 ).

The literature tells us that covert actions convey many benefits to the US and to the international community, as a means to secure the interests of the international community in the US where diplomacy and the legal channels are slow, cumbersome, ineffective, or just plainly deadlocked for a variety of reasons. Covert action essentially short circuits and bypasses all those difficulties. Moreover, an essential element of covert action is that it can be denied, while at the same time providing the US with a means to depose the intractable regime of Bashar Al-Assad and save thousands of lives from the ongoing attack of the Syrian government on its own people.

On the other hand, the risks include that the covert action can backfire and strengthen the ranks and the resolve of the Al-Assad forces. The backlash can include more civilian deaths in retaliatory attacks on the public.