The Obama administration expelled Syria's top diplomat from the U.S. on Tuesday, joining an international effort to isolate the country's government following last week's massacre of more than 100 villagers in the Houla region. United Nations envoy Kofi Annan, who brokered a widely ignored ceasefire between the Syrian regime and rebels, called the killings the "tipping point," urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to take "bold steps" to end the violence, and then left the country on Wednesday. Will the increased diplomatic pressure help to finally push Assad out of power and stop the Syrian military's attacks against civilians?
Kicking out diplomats accomplished nothing: This diplomatic slap on the wrist won't do any good, says David Atkins at Hullabaloo. "The Assads of the world couldn't care less what anyone thinks of them as long as they don't feel personally threatened." It's time for President Obama and other foreign leaders to "stop the pretenses at outrage" and actually do something to force Syria to stop the murders. Otherwise they might as well just quit pretending they care.
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