I am often told that Syria is not Libya and that any intervention would lead to a disproportionate death of civilians, making such an intervention unacceptable and unjustifiable. I would argue that the morality justifying the need for intervention in Syria is indisputable. First and foremost, innocent life is in danger and in need of protection. The Syrian Government has initiated an operation of large scale and systematic violation of human rights, with the UN stating that what the Syrian Government is doing amounts to crimes against humanity.

If a state possesses sufficient “soft power,” it has acquired the ability to frame and shame events and actors in international relations...The French role in last year’s intervention in Libya was a perfect example.

It is clear that the GCC states have blended their soft power, wealth, media influence and undertaken bold initiatives to deal with the host of challenges and changes in a new Middle East, where the forces of realignment are at work. The GCC has its task cut out at this critical juncture in Arab history.

There is one thing in common between Congress-funded Arabic TV, Alhurra, and countries of the Arab Spring. Both have unaccountable leaders, who have been in place since forever, and who look like they are staying indefinitely.

The administration is proposing to trim assistance to Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia in order to bolster spending in areas given higher priority by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Middle East would gain, with the creation of a special $770 million fund to support political and economic reform in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

More than a thousand young activists were flown here earlier this week for a conference on “the Islamic Awakening,” Tehran’s effort to rebrand the popular Arab uprisings of the past year. But there was a catch. No one was invited from Syria...That inconvenient truth soon marred the whole script.