Steven Cook prods the Obama administration to undermine the Assad regime:
Washington may be missing an important strategic opportunity. After all, with Bashar and the Alawi power structure gone, it is unlikely that the Damascus-Tehran axis would survive. This would be a major blow to Iranian ambitions. The end of the Assad regime would effectively shut down the channel through which Tehran plays in the broader arena of Middle Eastern politics, supporting Hizballah, Hamas, and placing traditional U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia and Jordan on the defensive.
His suggestions for doing so:
It would not hurt for Washington to sharpen its public position; instead of calling on Assad “to change course,” it would be more effective if President Obama stated that the Syrian leader “must go now” and that the United States stands with the Syrian people in their effort to throw off a brutal dictatorship. The administration could also seek broader sanctions beyond what they implemented on April 29th. Why not go to the UN and send emissaries from the Department of Treasury to reluctant countries to pressure them to cut the Syrians off?
The latest rhetoric from Foggy Bottom:
The US and Italy warned Syria on Thursday that it will face penalties and increasing isolation if it does not halt its violent crackdown demonstrators. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said Syria had to know that there would be "consequences for this brutal crackdown." Speaking at press conference with Franco Frattini, the Italian foreign minister, Clinton said the US is looking at boosting sanctions it has already imposed on Syrian leaders.
The Dish 