STATE Official: 'In Syria it's a choice between Regional or Civil war...'

The Administration continues to highlight its emphasis on its new Asia-Pacific policy following the Shangri-La Dialogue. ....  However, for immediate purposes, the US finds little escape from traditional sources of concern. The worsening crisis in Syria is demanding more top-level time, but how to respond remains deeply controversial. The Administration is attracting criticism from defense hawks for moving too slowly to support the Syrian opposition. However, an equal and opposite reluctance to become involved on the ground is, for the time being, holding sway. A State Department official told us: “The closer we look at Syria, the more hideously complex it seems. A civil war may erupt if we do not intervene; if we do intervene, this might turn a civil war into a regional one.” In these circumstances, we expect US policy makers to proceed very cautiously. An equally strong focus of worry is the continuing economic crisis in Europe. President Obama’s political advisers are becoming increasingly worried that European economic weakness is denting the faltering US recovery and, with it, damaging Obama’s re-election prospects. In advance of the June 17^th parliamentary elections in Greece, US officials are stepping up their interactions with European leaders, like French president Hollande, to prompt decisive action in Europe. White House pollsters still believe that Obama enjoys a slight edge over Governor Romney, but acknowledge that the weak economy could still rob them of victory.