Syria scare: The delicate balance is reason to tread carefully here.

Instability.

It is the most critical word when it comes to relations in the Middle East in general and the United States' concerns and interest in the region in particular.

That's why so many people are so worried about what is going on in Syria.

Of course, there is the human side of the equation -- the innocent men, women and children who are the victims of nerve gas that the government claims it is not using.

It is the hundreds who seem to be dying at the hands of a government that is fixated on quelling an uprising.

But there is a political concern, too.

No one wants another Afghanistan or Iraq.

But yet, this nation, which had been a key player in U.S. relations in the Middle East, is now a wild card. And in the Middle East, wild cards are not good neighbors.

Although it is thousands of miles away, by now, most people know that instability in this region can directly affect the United States -- in imported terrorism and threats against this nation's allies.

Diplomacy won't work here. We have proven that. It is time to stand strong, firm and to get the job done -- before it is too late.

Published in Editorials on August 27, 2013 10:41 AM