News Update
See Alexandra Sandels, “Syria street protests met with force; On a day when U.N. monitors are missing, Syria government forces try to prevent demonstrations, firing on protesters in some cases, activists say. Continued shelling and at least 57 deaths are reported,” Los Angeles Times, April 21, 2012.
It is time to stop the charade of Kofi Annan’s six-point peace plan, NOW.
It makes no sense to send ceasefire monitors into Syria when there is no ceasefire to monitor. It makes no sense to reach “agreement” with al-Assad on anything, as his word is absolutely worthless.
The flawed concept that you can or should negotiate cessation of the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity with a war criminal, in exchange for a “peace” that will enable him to remain in power and to continue his reign of terror, is a cynical cop-out and surrender to the forces of evil in Damascus, Moscow, Bejing, and Tehran.
Syria, Russia, China, and Iran–these are the evil actors, the evil forces, which continue to support the wanton commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other widespread and grave violations of fundamental human rights by the government of Syria.
See The Trenchant Observer’s earlier articles on Syria, including the 26 “updates” on “Obama’s Debacle in Syria”, in order to fully understand the “Pied Piper’s path” we have been following as we pursue the chimera of peace under the “Pied Piper” Envoy’s peace plan–which was a craven surrender to the Russians from day one.
We cannot stop the killing by continuing on this path.
The Security Council should not send monitors to Syria at this time. Indeed, bearing in mind the experience of the Arab League monitors last year–who al-Assad brilliantly played as fools–the Security Council should not send monitors to Syria until the government of Syria has stopped committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Promises and asssurances from the Syrian government are worthless and should be given no credence. Only facts on the ground should guide actions.
Meanwhile, the time has come for military intervention by the civilized world–which does not include Russia, China and Iran, who by supporting al-Assad are accomplices to the ongoing commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It is time to stop the U.N.’s six-point peace plan process–which is an illusion.
It is an illusion of peace which serves as a shield against military action that might halt the killing–and which serves to maintain al-Assad in power.
The hope that the Russians might come around and not veto a resolution in the Security Council authorizing the use of military force is also an illusion. It is not going to happen. Not this year.
It is time to stop playing Russia’s and al-Assad’s game.
It is time to stop the killing in Syria. “by all necessary measures”, with or without Security Council authorization. There is a basis in international law for such action without Security Council authorization.
In any event, the legal basis in international law for such action is certainly far stronger than the legal basis for targeted killings by U.S. drones and speacial forces in many cases, and particularly those far from the war theater in Afganistan.
Military options should be readied on the most urgent basis, and used soon if not immediately to stop the killing in Syria.
This may take some guts, some courage by leaders in the West, the Arab countries, and the rest of the civilized world.
But if they do not act to effectively stop the killing, the likelihood is this generation of leaders will be remembered as the Neville Chamberlain’s and the Édouard Daladier’s of the 21st century. (Chamberlain and Daladier sold out the Czech people in 1938 at Munich through the infamous “Munich Pact” recognizing Hitler’s annexation of the Sudetenland.)
Or today’s leaders may be remembered as the Dutch U.N. peacekeepers at Srebrenice who watched without raising a finger as over 8,000 men and boys were massacred in July 1995.
It is time to intervene in Syria to stop the killing.
For the sake of humanity. Pour l’humanité.
The Trenchant Observer
observer@trenchantobserver.com
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For links to other articles by The Trenchant Observer on this topic, and others, click on the title at the top of this page to go to the home page, and then consult the information in the bottom right hand corner of the home page. The Articles on Syria page can also be found here.
