World from Berlin: 'Humanitarian Wars Are Also Wars'

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-pundits-weigh-pros-and-cons-of-syria-intervention-a-918849.html



Preparations for a possible US strike on Syria are underway. According to a report in the Greek daily Kathimerini on Tuesday, Washington has made a formal request to Athens for permission to use two military bases in the country, one on the island of Crete and another on the Peloponnese Peninsula. Citing sources in the Greek Defense Ministry, the paper also reports that increased activity in the country's airspace has been registered. The US has four destroyers in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean according to separate media reports.

The news comes just one day after US Secretary of State John Kerry delivered an impassioned statement in Washington condemning the apparent use of chemical weapons in Syria last week, saying it was a "moral obscenity" and that it "is undeniable." White House spokesman Jay Carney said over the weekend that "there is very little doubt in our mind that the Syrian regime is culpable."

The rhetoric would seem to indicate that a military strike on Syrian forces is imminent. US President Barack Obama has spent days consulting with military leaders in Washington and allies overseas on just such a strike.

And many in Europe would seem to support such a move. British Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his vacation on Monday for consultations on how to move forward on Syria. His spokesman said that London reserves "the ability to take action swiftly if needed," and hinted on Tuesday that the British military was preparing for a response. France too is supportive of a rapid response, with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius saying "all options are open. The only option that I can't imagine would be to do nothing."