President Obama told Americans he was staying out of the civil war in Syria, but the Syrian war is not staying out of America. The White House announced Thursday that Mr. Obama now wants the U.S. to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year.
That’s a sixfold increase from the number already in the U.S., and don’t expect that to be the last arrivals. The conflict may get worse, especially as Russia ignores U.S. objections and moves in to prop up Bashar Assad’s rule. Mr. Obama will be under growing pressure from a besieged Europe to accept tens of thousands given America’s larger space and economy.
Americans are generous, and there’s little doubt the U.S. can absorb these people who might otherwise be killed. But rest assured that Islamic State and al Qaeda will attempt to place some of their agents among those who will seek asylum. The burden will be on the Obama Administration to vet them.