Erin Forsberg

B3 Global Studies
November 16, 2016
Red Line Threats Made by Obama Cause Mockery of the United States
Barack Obamas Red Line threats made toward Syria resulted in rivals of the United
States taking a step forward and our allies to take a step back, putting the country in a vulnerable
position. The empty claims made by Obama regarding Syrias use of chemical weapons that
were pulled back last minute caused a negative reaction and mockery of the United States across
the world.
In August of 2012, Obama made the statement addressing Syria and the use of chemical
weapons. He was answering a question about whether he could see the U.S. using military forces
in Syria. He claimed that the use of chemical weapons by Syria would be marking a red line
for the United States, meaning that he would fight back or attack Syria if the use of the weapons
was occurring (Forbes Magazine1). Both Obama and his staff had repeated the statement several
times. The real problem started when Syrias dictator, Bashar al-Assad, wanted to see if our
president would stick to his words. Approximately one year after Obamas threats were made,
Assad killed over 1,500 people with chemical weapons (Business Insider2). Everyone expected
Obama to act on his threats and attack Syria. When addressed, Obama claimed that he never
drew any line and that it was not his responsibility to act on it, completely changing what he had
stated previously (Forbes Magazine1). Obama had made the decision not to attack Syria even
after saying that he would under these circumstances. What caused the world to become a more
dangerous place after this event were the reactions from other countries around the world.

The retraction of president Barack Obamas statement about the red line against Syria
resulted in an immediate worldwide reaction. Egypt has veered away from the United States and
is said to be joining Russias Eurasian Union. This will be the the first time in almost fifty years
that Egypt has strayed away from the U.S. as an ally (Forbes Magazine1). During this, Russia has
taken over close to one third of Ukraine. Reactions from other countries include Iran displaying
intercontinental missiles for carrying atomic bombs. China has announced plans to put together a
large navy in the Pacific Ocean between Japan and Taiwan, two U.S. allies (Forbes Magazine1).
In addition to all of these acts, the opinions on Obama and the U.S. government have changed.
By leading the public to believe one thing, (that the U.S. would attack Syria if chemical weapons
were used) but stepping back when the time comes leads people to believe that Obama and the
government may not be trustworthy, or what they say should not be taken seriously. Other
countries around the world see this and wonder if we can be taken seriously. Whether it is an
enemy making an advance, an ally turning their head, or the reputation of the country changing,
it puts the United States in a more vulnerable spot than before.

With all of the negative reactions occurring because of the loose threats, one has to
think about what the outcome may have been if Obama had stuck to his statement and attacked
Syria. If Obama had attacked Syria for the use of chemical weapons, firstly, the acts that were
made by countries when Obama did not attack would not have occurred. The United States
would not have lost their allies, and the enemies would not have tried to make advances on our
country. The U.S. may have received help from its allies in war against Syria if it did break out.
Countries would take the U.S. seriously and know that when making a statement, there is truth

behind it, and it will not be pulled back at the last minute. On the other hand, attacking Syria may
even have caused a World War III. Allies of Syria could have gone after the U.S. for attacking
their ally. Keeping Syria in mind, the civilians and refugees are affected by this as well. If Syria
had been attacked, there is no way to guarantee the safety of innocent people living there. There
are so many different outcomes to attacking Syria that it is hard to say if it would have been
better or worse if Obama had stuck to the threats. However, we do know that the decision Obama
made put the country in a dangerous spot.

The reactions of other countries to Obamas Red Line threats did put the country in a
much more dangerous and vulnerable spot. Aside from this, there is almost no way that one can
say if it would be a better scenario to have attacked. The decision is now in the past and having
not attacked caused countries all around the world to gain confidence over the United States. We
are not taken seriously anymore due to these events.

Forbes. "How Obama's 'Red Lines' Made The World Much More Dangerous." Forbes. Forbes Magazine,
16 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.
2
Engel, Pamela. "Obama Reportedly Declined to Enforce Red Line in Syria after Iran Threatened to Back
out of Nuclear Deal." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 23 Aug. 2016. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.