U.S., British Defense Chiefs Justify Inaction In Syria

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his British counterpart, Defense Minister Liam Fox, both defended the decision to intervene militarily in Libya amid threats to the country’s population, but not Syria, where a state-sponsored crackdown continues.

“There are limitations to what we can do in a world which has … a historic amount of instability,” Fox told reporters following a meeting between the two officials. “We will do what we can to reinforce the values our countries share, but we can’t do everything.”

Added Fox, “there are practical limitations.”

Gates, acknowledging that he agreed with Fox, noted that the U.S. tailors it’s response to each situation, and cited the large international push for action in Libya as the contributing factor for intervention.

“The diplomatic process started with a resolution by the Arab league, which was unprecedented in my experience,” Gates said.

Although military intervention appears to unlikely, the White House hinted Monday that the U.S. could apply sanctions against the Syrian government.