Here is a simple breakdown of everything you need to know about Syria.

The numbers are staggering. In just two years, over 100,000 people have been killed. There are two million refugees, half of them being children. Currently, one-third of the Syrian population is displaced.  Entire cities inside Syria are completely wiped off the map.

Yet these numbers aren’t what grabbed the American people’s attention in these past couple of weeks. It wasn’t even the 1,429 people, many of them children, being gassed to death by chemical weapons on Aug. 21, 2013 that finally got everyone talking.

Instead, it was President Obama’s announcement of a potential strike on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his military that gave way to the national discussion of Syria.

Here is a simple breakdown of everything you need to know about Syria. As you weigh in on the debate of intervention, keep in mind these five things:

1)   American Troops Will Not Be On the Ground in Syria

What President Obama is calling for is airstrikes aimed to target the Assad regime, the regime that has mercilessly slaughtered 100,000 of its own people, whose only crime was a call for democracy. Obama is not calling for American soldiers to enter the Syrian Civil War; this has been stated explicitly in the draft currently being reviewed by Congress. The reality of the situation is that in just one strategic strike, the Assad regime and his army will be severely weakened. Their military strength is no comparison to the United States.

2)   Syria is not Iraq

Like most Middle Eastern countries, Syria has its own unique conflict with its own unique history.  So how does it compare to Iraq? Well, it doesn’t, for the simple reason that unlike what we saw in Iraq, there are in fact weapons of mass destruction in Syria. How do we know this? Because Assad unleashed them multiple times this year on his own people. Countless journalists, doctors and even the United Nations inspection team have evidence of this. These chemical weapons attacks have now forced Obama to take action, given his statement last summer about a chemical weapons attack being a “red line.” And essentially, it is how we got here to this debate today.

3)   The United States has an embedded interest in Syria

One thing you’ll hear people say is “the US has no interest in Syria, so we should just stay out of there.” This is a false statement. The United States and its key allies, particularly Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan, all have interests at stake with Syria. Syria is a key regional player in the Middle East, given its strategic location and influence in the region. It is important to remember that Assad gets much of his support from Iran and Hezbollah, and vice versa. If Assad is weakened, Iran and Hezbollah will also be weakened. This is very much aligned with United States interests and security, particularly during a time where Iran is developing a nuclear program.

4)   Supporting the Syrian opposition does NOT mean you are supporting Al-Qaeda

The Free Syrian Army (these are the people fighting to outs President Bashar al-Assad) is made up of everyday, ordinary Syrian citizens, volunteering for the sake of their country. Free Syrian Army General Salim Idris has already assured the U.S. that he and his fighters are in no way affiliated with Al-Qaeda. It is because the U.S. played the “wait and see” game that there is Al-Qaeda presence in the first place. However, extremist fighters make up less than 20 percent of the Syrian opposition. These extremists operate solo, and will most likely find that when Assad is gone, they will have no place in Syria. Al-Qaeda militants are somewhat like a mosquito; they play only a parasitic role within the Middle East. They see conflict, and they infest the region. But in the end, they will only leave a mark on Syria that will at first itch and swell, but will eventually subside. The Syrian people have no tolerance for Al-Qaeda, with or without Assad in power. 100,000 people did not give up their lives to hand over their country to Al-Qaeda.

5) Keep the Syrian people in mind, as they will be the ones most affected by any decision

It is understandable that we as a country are weary of war. But we must also consider the consequences of not taking any action at all. “Hands Off Syria” is merely a slogan of intellectual laziness; it does not aim to solve the conflict. Instead it suggests that people continue to go about their merry way, ignoring the hundreds of thousands of dead Syrian people. Many of these “Hands Off Syria” activists are going as far as to pointing fingers at the U.S., accusing them of another imperialistic plot. Considering that the U.S. has been doing its best to avoid any action in Syria for these past two years, I think we can all see how ridiculous this accusation is. But more importantly, both Syrian refugees as well as the opposition are in full support of U.S. strikes, and have been vocal about it to Western journalists. If anti-war and “Hands Off Syria” activists are true to their word on wanting to support the Syrian people, then they should recognize that a U.S. military strike is what the Syrian people want.

Air strikes targeting Assad’s military bases seem to be the only viable option at this time. Simply continuing to give humanitarian aid is not enough, and eventually, these funds will wear out. The Assad regime has made itself very clear: they will not relinquish power, and as long as they are in power, they will continue to slaughter more Syrians. There will be, of course, a lot of turmoil following Assad’s departure. The Syrian people themselves do not deny this. But why delay the inevitable? Assad must go, and the sooner, the better. Syria will not be able to rebuild itself while he stays in power.

If you truly believe in the democratic foundation that our country, the United States, was built on, then you would help support the Syrian people to do the same. As we saw with our own country, democracy is not an overnight process. We had to fight, just as the Syrian people are fighting. U.S. support could help aid that fight, and should not be dismissed by the American public.