When we were in school, most of us probably knew several kids who always "talked tough."  They were bullies and threatened "consequences" if their demands were not met.  However, when they were confronted, or when someone stood up to them, they backed off, ran away, and hid until it was safe to come back.  On the other hand, when those who were bullied continued to give in to their demands, their losses became more significant over time.  While not all bullies are the same, one thing is clear: you can't defeat a bully by running away or by appeasement.

The policy of "running away" or appeasing others was implemented by some of our previous presidents.  Red lines were laid out yet quickly "forgotten," although they were clearly and blatantly violated.  For example, in or about 2012, President Obama made the following statement:

We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus.  That would change my equation.

Notwithstanding President Obama's designated "red line," Bashar Assad, the president of Syria, subsequently ordered a devastating chemical attack against his own people.  With his credibility on the line, and with the whole world watching, President Obama took no decisive action.

When bullies see that there are no consequences for their actions, they are emboldened.  They have no fear, no reservations, and nothing deterring them from continuing or intensifying their attacks.  President Trump expressed his thoughts about how this was handled:

I think the Obama administration had a great opportunity to solve this crisis a long time ago when he said the red line in the sand," Trump said.  "And when he didn't cross that line after making the threat, I think that set us back a long ways not only in Syria, but in many other parts of the world, because it was a blank threat.

Blank threats hurt our credibility as a nation and serve to empower our enemies.  Fortunately, the policy of the world's remaining superpower is changing.  The United States no longer leads from behind or forgets about red lines. Approximately one year ago, President Assad launched another chemical attack in Syria. In response to that attack, President Trump stated:

When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, babies, little babies, with a chemical gas that is so lethal, people were shocked to hear what gas it was," Trump said, "that crosses many, many lines. Beyond a red line."   

Shortly thereafter, President Trump responded to the chemical attack in Syria by ordering several pinpoint strikes meant to send a clear message to President Assad that the times of appeasement were over. 

To bolster this point, President Trump recently appointed John Bolton as the new national security adviser.  Mr. Bolton is an experienced, no-nonsense, hawkish individual who is well versed in foreign policy.  The appointment of Mr. Bolton further evidences the country's shift in policy from one of appeasement to one of strength and leadership.  Mr. Bolton's first day in office came at a difficult time, considering the recent chemical attack in Syria that resulted in the deaths of many innocent children and adults.  

The world's remaining superpower cannot turn a blind eye.  It cannot run away any longer.  The stakes associated with inaction are significant, as the bully is not a child demanding lunch money from another child, but a leader of a country using dangerous weaponry on innocent children and adults.

If the United States and its allies do not deal with this now, the threat will only worsen and potentially impact more people in the future.    

Mr. Hakim is a lawyer focusing on civil and commercial litigation.