Clinton's call reveals failings of West's tactics on Syria

"We've made it clear that the SNC can no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a visit to Croatia on Wednesday, demanding a reshuffle of Syria's opposition leadership. The proposed major shakeup, sidelining the Istanbul-based opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) that the U.S. has previously fully supported, shows the West's tactics on Syria are in disarray and it is now scrambling to find other proxies. The U.S., which didn't bother to seek truth on the ground and hastily bolstered the SNC, has just found the proxy disappointing and withdrawn its support. It's like slapping its own face. The U.S. currently is shifting its favor to other opposition forces. But the fresh attempt is likely to fail once again, as it hasn't addressed the root cause of the chronic crisis and suggested a political solution to the impasse. Since the conflict broke out 20 months ago, the West has doggedly demanded the departure of President Bashar al-Assad, ignoring the varying strength of Syria's different factions. Forces loyal to Assad have fought head-to-head with rebels and the peace process is nowhere in sight. It is estimated that more than 32,000 lives have vanished in the unrest. With the turmoil continuing, the four-day truce for Eid al-Adha initiated by Arab-U.N. peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, which was supposed to be a starting point for restoring peace, has also disappointingly unraveled. Past experience shows foreign intervention and the blunt call for Assad's ouster hasn't reined in the raging violence, but has precipitated the country into deeper chaos. Washington apparently still hasn't abandoned its old interventionist mindset, which will once again lead to a dead end. The West shouldn't support one side to wipe out the other side, because it will beget severe consequences. Even Clinton isn't sure about Syria's future, supposing the rebels can defeat the Assad camp. She said Wednesday it was no secret that many in Syria, especially minority groups, are fearful about the prospects of Assad's government being replaced by the Sunni-led opposition. "They have no love lost for the Assad regime but they worry, rightly so, about the future," she said. For the West, the only right approach is to genuinely support a political and diplomatic solution to the crisis. China, together with Russia and some other countries, has been unswervingly supportive of the political efforts by the international envoy Brahimi and has been urging other parties to also play a constructive role. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday elaborated on China's four-point proposal on the conflict, urging all parties in Syria to cease fire and violence and begin a political transition at an early date. The West needs to understand a political solution deserves patience and time.