This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the Iraq War.
Feaver says the invasion of Iraq reminds the country of the price that can be for military intervention, but the current conflict in Syria shows that the U.S. could suffer from inaction.
Peter FeaverProfessor of political science and public policy, Duke University Director, Triangle Institute for Security Studies pfeaver@duke.edu Website: http://tinyurl.com/ccq6dzg
Feaver specializes in military and veterans' roles in domestic politics and the role of the president as commander-in-chief. He served as special adviser for strategic planning and institutional reform on the National Security Council from 2005-2007. Feaver is director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies and director of the Program in American Grand Strategy.
Quote: "On the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we are reminded of the terrible price that can come when we intervene and topple a regime, but Syria reminds us that we may end up paying that price even when we don't intervene.
"Because we toppled Saddam Hussein we were morally and politically responsible for cleaning up the mess that remained, but in Syria we are facing a similar challenge -- a sectarian and civil war could will spill over its borders and destabilize the entire region.
"We didn't invade Syria but we may end up having to pay a comparable price in managing the security challenges that result."