Doyle McManus of the LA Times wrote on op-ed on Syria back in May. In it, he criticizes the president for not doing more to end the civil war and bring peace to Syria. He says that the president should arm the Syrian rebels and set up safe zones to protect refugees. Pretty standard stuff.
What I liked about President Carter’s op-ed was that he offered an insightful analysis of the conflict. He wrote about the underlying regional tensions and described each of the major player’s role. He also didn’t offer the same old solutions that you’ll see in the news everyday (safe zone, no fly zone, arm the rebels). He pleads with the warring parties and U.S. diplomats to just end the war.
On the other hand, McManus oversimplifies the war and does not offer any refreshing insights or provide us with any brilliant solution to end the conflict.
Unlike McManus’, President Carter’s piece was original and moved the conversation forward.