Strikes against Syria unwarranted

Since the outbreak of the "Arab Spring" seven years ago, much has changed in the political and security landscape in the Middle East. What has not changed is the fact that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains persona non grata for the United States and its allies.

On April 14, the US, Britain and France launched dozens of missiles on Syrian targets to "punish" Assad for the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma, the last rebel-held town. There should be zero-tolerance for the use of chemical weapons. However, such unilateral moves, without any evidence of wrongdoing, will neither help the US and its allies achieve their aim of ousting Assad from power or increase the US' influence in the region. Instead, they will only increase the sufferings of the Syrian people and prevent the building of a just and equitable international order.

Syria is an independent country, and its sovereignty should be respected. Given the absence of solid evidence showing chemical weapons were actually used by Assad's force, the US-led military action, which was conducted without a mandate from the United Nations Security Council, was pernicious to the norms governing international relations and against the spirit of the UN Charter.