I have found that to solve any problem one has to define it accurately. In the whole Middle East, it seems that neither side in this conflict really cares for the people it wants to rule.
We seem to care more than they do for their own people. A lot of this is a war for the peoples' minds. If we win them, we need to support them.
On one hand, President Obama is right that once you threaten something, to those people not to then do it will result in more deaths and destruction because those causing them don't take us seriously.
Yes, he should not have said what he said in public unless he plans to do it. Yes, we should have acted to protect and arm the "good guys" in this civil war. We cannot go into rewind.
On the other hand, depending on the strike and how it is done, just a strike anywhere will not faze someone who has already demonstrated that he couldn't care less if we cause suffering and misery or he does.
Weneed to change our focus to helping and supporting the Christians, "moderate Muslims, and others who are hurt by either side and are caught in the cross-fire.
There is another concern. If we go ahead, you can be sure someone will "pay us back" and then we have to respond. Another concern, unless we can defuse it, is that world attention will be taken off the atrocities of Assad and ontto what we are doing. Given the prejudice being taught about America and Americans, you know where that will go.