The Syrian dilemma

The civil conflict in Syria, which at the time of writing has seen the loss of almost 8000 lives, has stirred international outrage with little official sign of outside military action against the Assad regime. Advocates of Intervention argue that it should be done on a humanitarian basis. Opponents argue that the lessons of NATO's Libyan involvement show how the pre-text of 'protection' rapidly alters during the conflict into one of regime change. The debates surrounding the Syrian conflict suggest that humanitarian intervention remains a confused concept that is still rooted in the interests of power politics.