it matters because a lot of other countries are watching. they are watching. they want to see whether the united states and our friends mean what we say. they're watching to see if syria can get away with it because then maybe they, too, can put the world at greater risk. make no mistake, in an increasingly complicated world of sectarian and violence what we choose to do or not do matters in real ways to our own security. some cite the risk of doing things. we need to ask what is the risk of doing nothing. it matters because if we choose to live in a world where a thug and a murder like assad can gas