William Hague's Neoconservative "Policy" on Syria.

William Hague is incompetent in his approach to the Syrian crisis.  Yet even if he is acting idiotically he is not an idiot who does not truly know what he is doing. The policy towards Syria is concerned with Iran as Syria is a Shia regime that promotes Iranian influence in the Middle East.

The policy as regards Iran is based essentially of the continuity of oil supplies to EU states ( including Britain ) and the US which is expected to carry the military burden for the EU while the EU makes token opposition to Hague's idea of being able to arm the insurgents.

Syria is not merely a proxy war war between Saudi Arabia and Qatar and their Shia enemy Iran. It is that, especially for Saudi Arabia as a way of diverting discontent towards an enemy when it and its regional allies are faced with discontented Shi'ite agitation.

Iran responded by stepping up support for Hizbollah and that then drew in Israel further who threatened aggression against Russian cargo ships bringing in anti-aircraft weapons to support the Assad regime against the insurgents who want him out without negotiation.

Britain under Hague is following a neoconservative policy. But neoconservatism itself is an ideology not an idiocy. That apparently sane people can follow such messianic policies as Hague and McCain is that they convince themselves of a certain view of reality.

Neoconservatism is a certain view of the world that is shaped by the nature of the world as it is and overlain by a messianic idea that intractable dilemmas can be surmounted by unity of purpose and will power over longer term objectives.

That means that anything that can be done to curtail and destroy Iranian influence in the Middle East will be tried, no matter what, and the greater objective of gaining hegemony and control over oil and gas there and in Central Asia is the New Great Game plan.

If that involves invading Iraq, dragging out the war in Afghanistan so as to complete a pipeline that will block off Iran's rival 'pipeline of peace', supporting Sunni insurgents in the sure knowledge that arms may fall into the hands of Al Qaida, then the answer is-so be it.