by Zack Beauchamp
Shadi Hamid encourages Obama to "think creatively:"
There are some, including in the administration, who say the U.S. has little to no leverage with Syria. Saying that the U.S. has no leverage and acting like it is a pretty good way to make other people think that you, in fact, have no leverage. In any case, it's simply not true. There are a few things that the U.S. can do (now). A good place to start is this article by David Schenker and Andrew Tabler, which lays out a number of policy options, including instituting more sweeping sanctions and targeting Syria's oil industry. The goal here is not to change Assad's mind but rather to encourage the country's Sunnis, particularly the business elite, to distance themselves, and possibly defect, from the regime.
Peter Harling, by contrast, thinks there's not all that many options to think creatively about.
The Dish 