Washington Arms Bahrain, Denounces Russia For Arming Syria

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2012/06/18/

It wasn’t that long ago when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Syrian President Bashar Assad was a force for reform.  Now she is outraged that Russia is allegedly backing Assad with weapons.  At the same time, the U.S. is arming the government of Bahrain, which oppresses its Shia majority.Duplicity and hypocrisy may be inevitable in diplomacy.  However, ostentatious duplicity and hypocrisy are not.  Sanctimoniously denouncing Moscow for behaving like Washington tarnishes America’s image abroad.

Syria is a horrid tragedy, an incipient civil war as the majority of people attempts to oust a family 

dictatorship.  Unlike Libya, however, a substantial segment of the population either supports 

Assad or opposes a revolution which could result in a vengeful, violent spree against ethnic and 

religious minorities.  No outcome looks good and there is little Washington can do to prevent more

 violence.