Syria Regime Survival Not in U.S. Interests Says Fmr. Defense Official

David Schenker, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former U.S. Defense Department official, argues that U.S. policy of maintaining stability in Damascus is not the country’s vested interest.  Schenker says the Bush administration routinely sidelined any policy aimed at regime change or destabilization fearing that the possible alternatives to Assad were worse despite the regime’s active anti-U.S. policies, particularly regarding Iraqi insurgents. While the Pentagon never advocated toppling Assad, he claims that the Defense Department did not see any interest in helping him maintain power for the sake of stability, a policy that he says has cost the lives of  hundreds of U.S. troops in Iraq.  Given Assad’s protection and help arming Hezbollah, political meddling and destabilization in Lebanon, harboring and support for Hamas,  subversion of the U.S. in Iraq, and strategic alliance with Iran, “it’s difficult to imagine that a successor or replacement regime could be worse.”  While policy planners in the U.S. should not dismiss concerns over a “perfect storm” scenario or directly advocate regime change, Schenker says it is time recognize that, “the regime is irredeemable,” and the U.S. has little interest in “throwing him[Assad] a lifeline.”