Topic #4: Syria and Iran

Please consider the following potential leading questions

#1: What role, if any, should the United States and the rest of the international community play in the current conflict in Syria?

#2: In what way, if any, should the United States respond to the potential for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon and the threat of Israel to attack facilities in Iran believed to be contributing to such development?

#3: How serious would be a nuclear-armed Iran? Is containment, as was practiced for many years in the case of the Soviet Union, a viable policy option?

#4: To what extent should the United States rely on military action, “negotiation” and/or sanctions in resolving the Syrian and Iranian situations? Should the “all the options on the table” include the possibility of military action by the United States or other governments in the international community? Or should the United States leave the resolution to conflicts in Syria and Iran to these countries?

#5: How should a Christian’s understanding of “biblical prophecy” about the “end times” influence, or not, his/her perspective on current conflicts in the Middle East?