Arab League Observers in Syria
What a relief. Finally, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has agreed, under huge pressure and with some reservations, to having Arab League 'observers' enter the country to see for themselves what he has claimed all along, that terrorists, al-Qaeda-connected Islamists, have been wreaking havoc, shedding blood, attacking his troops since March.And his regime has been courageously facing down this external threat to the stability of his country, while fending off unfair accusations of regime brutality against its own. Why, only yesterday al-Qaeda terrorists had managed to infiltrate a heavily-guarded area of Damascus close to a police station, setting off several car bombs and killing 60 civilian Syrians.
Obviously, the observers - the advance team comprised of military and human rights observers amounting to some twenty seasoned conflict surveyors, followed by another hundred observers in several weeks' time, prepared to fan out throughout the country to do the work assigned to them, will soon conclude that the accusations have been wrong, and Bashar al-Assad's contentions quite correct.
Who would not have confidence in the calibre of the advance team sent out to set up the network and look after the logistics of doing so? In the name of freedom, honour, and Arab-style democracy they are all set to perform and do their duty to the merit of the Arab League. Which in their wisdom selected Lt.-Gen.Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, former head of intelligence of the regime of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, to lead the advance team.
This would be, of course, the very same President Omar al-Bashir who presided over the mass slaughter, rape, destruction and homelessness of the people of Darfur. And for which atrocities the International Criminal Court has sent out a warrant for arrest on the basis of his having ordered, through the activities of the Arab Janjaweed, human rights atrocities against Black Sudanese, Darfurian agriculturalists.
When the slaughter of all these people was ongoing, it was a matter of no concern to the Arab League, for they were neither Arab nor Muslim. President al-Bashir of Sudan is both, therefore the accusations and condemnation of the world at large and the International Criminal Court in particular is of no particular concern to the Arab League, of which al-Bashir and Lt.-Gen. Mustafa al-Dabi are proud and free members.
Trifles, obviously.
Lt.-Gen. Mustafa al-Dabi is now present in Damascus with his advance team skilled in military affairs and human rights obligations. They will be able to judge for themselves, presumably, neutrally, the latest atrocity where over a hundred civilians were besieged, trapped, gunned down in a village close to the Turkish border, with none left alive.
They may have the opportunity to see the 37,000 Syrians remaining in detention after summary arrest for illegal protest. They will not have the opportunity to question the estimated 617 who died under torture, including 39 children whose misfortune it was to be arrested along with adults, tortured and sent to their very early deaths.
Labels: Arab League, Conflict, Human Rights, Syria
posted by Pieface @ Friday, December 23, 2011
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