“How can the international consensus opposing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be translated into effective action against him? An answer to this question has yet to be found, even after the “Friends of Syria” conference in Tunisia on Friday. Perhaps there is no answer yet, because in truth, the consensus is only theoretical, on paper. It is no wonder that Assad is still holding on.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday that he was ready to “look for every tool available to prevent the slaughter of innocents in Syria.” He also welcomed international unity with respect to the Syrian issue.

But Obama forgot to mention a few things. First, he himself recently said (on Feb. 6) that he did not see a need for military intervention in Syria to solve the crisis. This means there is no possibility for employing an effective deterrent power: the use of force. Second, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday once again attacked Russia and China for preventing U.N. Security Council action against the Syrian regime. And finally, The New York Times on Saturday highlighted the divisions among the Syrian opposition, which make it more difficult to topple Assad. Long live the consensus.”

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