While it was always commendable that the Arab League had finally stirred from its decades-long torpor in response to the Arab Spring, its mission to Syria must rank as one of the great failures of modern diplomacy. Not merely has the grotesque régime of Bashar al-Assad increased the tempo of its slaughter of protesters and opponents since the League dispatched monitors to the country, but the monitors themselves have been attacked by pro-régime forces.
Meanwhile, al-Assad has played out the same routine we’ve seen time and time again since last January in the Middle East, and appears intent on copying the disastrous strategy of Muammar Gaddafi — initially promising vague reform, then blaming the increasing level of opposition on foreign conspiracies while ever more savagely attacking opponents until he is at war with his own people. An indictment for crimes against humanity must surely be only a matter of time.
The failures of the Arab League necessitate a more aggressive response from the international community, despite the efforts of Russia to stymie any effective action. A total ban on trade is the next step, and measures against financial institutions and other intermediaries that enable the régime to continue trading with those countries prepared to do so. And it must be made clear to the Syrian élite they stand to benefit from the removal of al-Assad and the establishment of a more inclusive and more democratic national government in order to try to split the régime internally.
The alternative is that the human rights and humanitarian catastrophe that is under way in Syria continues, or that it evolves into a political and religious conflagration that will make the Libyan civil war look relatively benign. At that point the international community will have no choice but to act.
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Why do you describe Bashar al Assad’s regime as grotesque? He has over the years since he took over from his father, been able to keep reign over a country of many religious and ethnic factions in relative peace despite disruptive and threatening attitudes from Israel and the USA. Unlike Gaddafi and Mubarak President Assad has not had accusations of corruption and wealth accumulation levelled at him or his family, his main sin being a thorn in the side of Western powers striving to assert their influence in the area. Having close relationships with Iran places his country on the war target list for which we are daily being softened-up. I am not in any doubt whatever that unrest in Syria is being engineered not from within but from external alliances and I fear the consequences should Bashar al Assad be deposed by these forces of destruction.
Interesting response – I think your second sentence says it all – ‘since he took over from his father…’ – that was via a free and fair election was it? Or was it the same way a Mubarak was organised to take over from another Mubarak in Egypt?
Which ‘forces of destruction’ are you talking about?
I’m not denying that countries have meddled in the affairs of other countries numerous times, but where is the evidence? Bashir’s latest speech bore all the hallmarks of your average paranoid dictator – the sooner gone, the better.
Without trivializing the human tragedy taking place here, we need to be very careful in assessing the situation. As of December 2011 just over 1000 Syrian soldiers had been killed by someone….
It is also worth nothing that the French journalist was covering a pro-government rally when a mortar round hit that really fired by someone………..
It’s also worth noting that Libyan ‘freedom fighters’ have been transported to Syria during December courtesy of various external agencies.
And finally an observation and a suggestion: The Occupy protests were peaceful but they certainly resulted in massively overkill responses, and in many cases, quite violent responses aimed to intimidate. Can you imagine where this would go if someone started firing at police? Do you really believe that our government would sit on its hands and watch if they knew that foreign influences were equipping, enabling and materially supporting its overthrow.
This is the situation in Syria.
… perhaps. More likely, Crikey has failed its readership.
Robert Fisk – probably the preeminent Western authority on the region’s politics – has characterised the Syrian situation very differently.
Certainly, the largest protests have been in support of Bashir’s regime; despite its egregious failings, many Syrians recognize that it is their best guarantee of secular society.
But the real game here is Iran. The Iranian supply-line to their proxies in Lebanon (the Hezbollah) currently runs through Syria. If Bashir is deposed, Hezbollah’s ability to engage the IDF will be severely curtailed. That clears the way for an Israeli strike on the Iranian nuclear facilities.
And by way of context: the Arab League is now at the behest of Saudi money. & let’s not forget that Saudi Wahabism arguably represents Islam at its most regrettable. Most likely, they are bankrolling the Sunni terrorists in Syria (just as they bankroll them in so many other territories). For them, the Shia are the worst form of heretics.
One last word: Bahrain!
RUPERT MOLOCH: “”Robert Fisk – probably the preeminent Western authority on the region’s politics – has characterised the Syrian situation very differently.”” Exactly, very well said.
I daresay it was a predictable scenario, that it should have happened to one of the loveliest countries on the planet and to some of the most terrific people on the same planet, is a tragedy.