Look Out, Assad. You're Next!

The death of former dictator Muammar Qaddafi certainly is good news. It's also been a long time coming. Qaddafi had killed hundreds of Americans and Britons, and plotted terrorist plots on different continents. His demise was one that he would have been ashamed of, and his corpse being dragged by the former oppressed is a fitting tribute.

But the job's not done. In Libya, there are serious doubts whether or not the major factions that overthrew the Colonel can build a pluralistic democracy. It's up in the air right now and may not be settled for a decade.

And then there's Syria. Bashar al-Assad, Ba'athist coutnerpart to Saddam Hussein, is still clinging to power. Assad is responsible for mass killings of civilians on a much higher number than Qaddafi's response to the Libyan revolution. Qaddafi killed hundreds and threatened to kills thousands. Assad killed thousands and will likely kill tens of thousands if not checked.

Assad is a monster. He has killed American troops and Israeli civilians. He has played host to Hezbollah and aided Hamas and other groups. He is the key ally of Iran and even built its own plutonium reactor (for peaceful purposes, I'm sure). His intelligence services prolonged the Iraq War and aided terror groups in the murder of not only American and international troops, but thousands of Iraqi civilians.

Now is Assad's time to go. He won't go willingly, although it may be better in a way if he did. But it's time to throw down the gauntlet. Assad and his family must leave Syria or face NATO's firepower. The Sunnis and Kurds of Syria are calling for his head. Protests are giving way to armed struggle.

We rightfully punished Qaddafi for his crimes against humanity. It's time to finish the job, this time in Damascus.

Please bookmark!