Hisham Melhem Al Arabiya American President Barack Obama's decision to provide the Syrian opposition with light arms and ammunition is not considered a significant shift. It is certainly not a strategic move either, but a limited tactical one that does not live up to the level of military escalation adopted by the regime forces supported by Hezbollah fighters and Iran - a military escalation that has led to successes in Qusair and Damascus. This stance reflects Obama's evaluation and style in dealing with the war on Syria. Ever since the unrest erupted and until the joint statement of the G8 Summit was issued in Northern Ireland, the American president has been, and still is, a hesitant and cautious player who has succeeded in resisting the recommendations of his prominent consultants to intervene in Syria. He reluctantly took the decision to arm the opposition after it became clear that Bashar Al-Assad had crossed the red line in the use of chemical weapons forcing Obama to alter his calculations. In addition to that, there has also been the fall of Qusair which shook Washington and its allies. But Obama's decision to arm the opposition did not completely please anyone. This includes the opposition which pushes and pressures and perhaps even begs for advanced weapons. The decision will also not please those who call for a more extremist stance against Assad, particularly those in the US State Department. It will also not please the Arab and European allies who call on America to play a leading political and military role. Obama had justified his delay in providing the opposition with weapons by saying that the latter were not organized or “mature” enough. Even the manner in which the decision to arm the opposition was announced was weak. It happened in a brief media announcement by the deputy national security adviser. If Russian President Vladimir Putin is committed to helping Assad win, then Obama is absolutely not acting as if he is committed to supporting the opposition to achieve victory on the battlefield. Obama is still insisting on holding the Geneva 2 conference although Putin's and Assad's behavior do not suggest that the conference will necessarily be a logical option in the near future. Obama still rejects imposing a no-fly zone on Syria and he still rejects shelling Syrian airports. These suggestions were recently made by John Kerry and the military command, which agrees with Obama in his hesitation to resort to power. Obama refused the suggestions. The worst part for the Syrian opposition is that Obama allowed Putin in the G8 Summit to impose a veto on the final statement - a veto against mentioning that it is necessary to get rid of Assad during the transitional phase. Obama's policy toward Syria is still hesitant and cautious. It is based on reactions and not on taking initiatives. Instead of contributing to weakening Assad and forcing him to negotiate, this policy has unintentionally led to strengthening him, even if only temporarily. – Hisham Melhem is the Washington bureau chief of Al Arabiya. Follow him on Twitter @Hisham_Melhem
