During recent months, as Arab dictatorships have been shaken and sometimes removed, Syria’s President Assad has been sitting calmly in his capital, Damascus, seemingly impervious to the upheavals elsewhere. But that’s over; since 18 Mar Deraa, a city some 100km to the south, has been ablaze. At least 12 civilians were shot dead, 6 outside the Omari mosque on 23 March; another 3 were said to have been gunned down later that day. Protests have taken place in several other Syrian towns, including Homs, Banias, Deir ez-Zor and even, in a small way, Damascus itself. It’s expected that the regime, after several days of hesitation, will crack down hard. There is trouble in the air.

Mr. President, do we go to war in Syria too? President Assad’s daddy murdered 20,000 people in 1982. If so, where does this end.? If not, why not? Maybe inconstancy in foreign policy is not a sign of disorientation and weakness, but a crafty way of keeping our enemies off guard. Hopefully, our friends (if we have any left) know what we’re up to.