Can Western World Do Anything To Prevent Tragedies Like Syrian Chemical Attack?

Wayne State Middle East expert Saeed Khan explains America’s role in Syrian civil war.

Jake Neher/WDET

This week horrific images emerged from a rebel stronghold in Syria that was bombed with toxic gas, killing civilians through an excruciating and slow process of asphyxiation. Pictures and videos surfaced of children gasping for air, foaming at the mouth, crying, and dying.

They’re disturbing images one would rather not see, and it’s easier to turn away. It feels inhuman to consider what leads to attacks like this. Unfathomable. And yet they did happen, and it’s highly suspected Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered the attack on his own people. Why? And what can the Western world do to prevent it from happening again, if anything?

Detroit Today Host Stephen Henderson speaks with Saeed Khan, an expert in Middle and Near East history and politics, and lecturer at Wayne State University

“Despite the fact that this is a humanitarian catastrophe of quite a large measure, those who are in Washington (D.C.), particularly, are still looking at this primarily — if not exclusively — through the lens of politics,” says Khan.

Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.

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