Bentivolio, a veteran, understands the stakes, and openly asks what our interests truly are:

"What has been happening in Syria is truly a human tragedy. The nation has been torn apart by civil war. Tens of thousands have either lost their lives or been driven from their homes. It is without a doubt that Assad is not a friend of ours.

However, it has also been made clear that those who oppose him have direct ties to al-Qaeda. Whoever wins this war will not be affectionate toward the United States.

What, then, is "our interest guided by justice" as it relates to involving ourselves in the Syrian fight? In other words, what is the objective of any American mission?

...

I think the Secretary of State is confusing national honor with the president's ego. A few months ago, The New York Times reported that President Barack Obama drew a "red line" in the case of a chemical attack in Syria in an "off-the-cuff" statement that "defined his policy in a way some advisers wish they could take back." This was recently buoyed by the fact that a member of the president's military counsel leaked that the White House only wants the attack to be "just muscular enough to not be mocked." Embarrassment, not justice, seems to be the motivating factor for an attack.