Nothing in recent years epitomises foreign policy's "damned if you do, damned if you don't" dilemma more bloodily than Syria. All options for the West-and especially Ba-rack Obama-are fraught. Do nothing, and the civil war could become twice as murderous, spill into fragile neighbouring states, and even result in victory for the loathsome regime of Bashar Assad. Do everything, from arming the rebels to attacking Mr Assad's forces directly, at least from the air, and America could be dragged into a quagmire reminiscent of Afghanistan. or Iraq. Yet doing something hesitantly in-between, by helping the rebels a bit, but not enough to bring down Mr Assad, may be the worst of all worlds. It risks emboldening potential wa-verers around Mr Assad to cling on at the same time as prolonging the catastrophe while extremists come to dominate both sides on the battlefield. This middle course is the one that Mr Obama has chosen.
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