Macabre Farce in Syria
Observers from Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere; generals, human rights observers, politicians, representing the Arab League, have descended on Syria to finally implement the agreement to observe on the ground how the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad is handling the protests that have grabbed world attention of late.Homs, where some of the worst shelling of the city by government forces has taken place, with casualties and killing proceeding apace, is set to be visited by some of the observers representing the Arab League officials. They will be dividing themselves into five groups when they are all assembled, to visit other cities as well. And they will be guided by Syrian representatives.
Their mode of transport will be that arranged by the Syrian regime. But they will be independent and neutral, and observe what has been transpiring. The Egyptian and Tunisian observers, of course, have their own protest occurrences in their own countries to rely upon for experience.
Where even now protests continue and the government forces there deal with them in somewhat similar ways to the Syrian forces. Irrelevant details.
Since they are being led by Sudanese Lieut.-Gen.Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, there is additional expertise in identifying human rights abuses and outright murder of those who protest; Sudan has much experience in this line of government control of those who wish to incite to riot.
As for the group from the Arab League arriving to view the situation in Homs, well they're in good hands.
None other than Gen.Assef Shawkat, President al-Assad's brother-in-law, one of Syria's most powerful military men is there to take charge of the procedure of observing and reaching conclusions. He will be most helpful to the process.
And he will take charge of the situation, awkward as it might seem, of escorting the observers to particular sites.
Perhaps not where lifeless bodies are lying in the streets and alleyways - outside mosques, and close to their homes where people ventured out thinking they must, and this would be the last thing they ever did - to observe these obvious foreign elements, terrorists, jihadists who have entered the country for the purpose of destabilizing normalcy.
"Our Syrian brothers are co-operating very well and without any restrictions so far", said team leader, Lt.Gen. al-Dabi. Assuring any who take interest in what he says that the mission will be fully capable of maintaining the "element of surprise", going wherever it wishes so it will be able to conduct a perfectly impartial process of interviews.
Soldiers of the Syrian army surround neighbourhoods where tanks patrol the perimeter streets. People who live there, Syrian civilians, cower in their bathrooms or basements, hoping to be spared by shots being fired indiscriminately. Food and water is running in short supply. The Arab League observers may observe this.
They also may not, however.
Labels: Arab League, Communication, Conflict, Syria
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, December 27, 2011
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