Diplomacy is the answer in Syria

What terrible deaths by chemical weapons in Syria. Yet some 100,000 others have been killed “conventionally” in that conflict. Sending missiles that inevitably kill additional folks is a sick way to protest or punish for killing folks. And granting shipments of arms is like tossing guns to drunks fighting in a pub.

Fortunately a diplomatic channel was found to inspect, guard, and identify chemical weapons. U.S. and Russian combined teams will build facilities in Syria to destroy chemical weapons. They know how to do this because both U.S. and Russia have chemical weapons, and have been working together successfully destroying these chemicals for many years. Now Syria must sign the Chemical Weapons Convention, open to U.S. and Russia building and running chemical disposal plants at the storage sites.

Halting the rush to bomb Syria saved us from military involvement, costs and many more deaths, and was made possible by massive pressure from grassroots public (that’s us as well as British parliament and others, even the Pope) on Congress. We all should email or call to thank our congressmen and congresswomen for pledging to vote against authorizing use of military force. And we must sustain pressure on Congress to use the leverage of Russia, Iran, and Turkey to persevere with diplomacy and push a cease-fire in Syria that will enable chemical weapons disposal in greater safety.

Send comments to White House at (202) 456-1111; to Sen. James Risch at (208) 667-6130; to Rep. Raul Labrador at (202) 225-6611; and Sen. Mike Crapo at (202) 224-6142 or (208) 664-5490.

STEVE WILLEY

Sandpoint