Kelly 1 Taylor Kelly Professor Gonsior WRT 1010, Section 30 12 September 2013 U.S.

Intervenes with Syria Recently there was an editorial in the Detroit Free Press written by Joel Brinkley called Its only a matter of time before U.S. intervenes in Syria. The article was written to inform the citizens of the United States of what could potentially happen within a matter of time. The article is not just solely focused on Syria, but rather the threat that al-Qaida could potentially have. The columnist strongly suggests that the United States help Syria because he feels they are unable to fend for themselves. Within the text, it is made extremely clear that the author is outraged by the events taking place and would like the U.S. government to take charge. The author of the column, Brinkley, persuades readers by stating recent events as well as facts that have occurred. An example of this is when Brinkley makes a remark about the current situation in Afghanistan and how it poses as a more serious threat. (Paragraph 3) He captures the attention of the audience by a simple statement that he made. Brinkley noted that the Syrians have committed and international crime and have crossed President Obamas red line once again. (Paragraph 2) By using a strong approach on the situation the columnist shows that he is passionate about the situation and would like something to be done about it immediately. Joel Brinkley informs the public on how idiotic it would be if the U.S. does not take action and what some of the consequences could be. The format and word choice that the writer used was powerful and persuasive. By asking the readers rhetorical questions, it makes them think about the situation more and makes them see the writers view point. For instance, the

Kelly 2 columnist makes the issue stand out when he says, Can the West allow al-Qaida to establish a major new base of operations, particularly in such a strategic spot bordering Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Israel, and only a stones throw from Iran? Certainly not. (Paragraph 3) The writer is extremely persistent on how he feels about the issue that is being brought about us. Not only does Brinkley use recent events that have occurred to help his argument, but he also uses statistics. In the article he states, In fact, some reports estimate that al-Qaida groups now control up to 40% of Syrian territory, particularly in the northern and eastern providences. (Paragraph 3) When a statistic is used correctly, it is a great way to show the legitimacy of your agreement and can be very convincing and a great way to back up your point. Within the article the readers are able to compare the events that are happening in Syria with the incident that recently happened in Afghanistan. As I stated previously, the columnist Joel Brinkley has a strong opinion on the situation at hand. He wrote the article to let the United States citizen be aware of what could happen if the al-Qaida groups take the West and gain access to Syrias chemical weapons. The columnist was very strategic and used a few different methods including statistics as well as recent events to convince the readers not only to support his idea but also to agree with his viewpoint. Overall, the article was written well and was simple and an easy article to understand.

Kelly 3 Citations Brinkley, Joel. It's only a matter of time before U.S. intervenes with Syria. Detroit: Detroit Free Press, 2013. Print.