US President Barack Obama's decision to arm the Syrian opposition represents another episode in the tortuous process of pushing from behind, a process that began with the president’s August 2011 demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step aside.
This demand remains the boldest statement Obama has made on the issue, and it identified the president personally with the goal of Assad's ouster. At the time of his announcement, however, Obama was voicing an aspiration more than a policy. There have been no more bold statements since. Instead, Washington has been playing catch-up, on the battleground and in merry-go-round meetings across Europe and the Middle East. The announcement to expand military support for the rebels in an undefined manner continues this uninspiring pattern.
