generalspeaking

More Of The Same

It is the Middle East, after all. And this is what opposing political, tribal, religious groups do to one another. 'Human rights' appears not to have established itself very deeply in the consciousness of those who live in that geography. These are concepts and catch-words, like the famous 'democracy' of which everyone in the Middle East claims to have become so fond of, that are unfamiliar and foreign.

In Libya, when opposition groups began torturing and executing regime military members and regime sympathizers the West was horrified. After all, NATO had made a deep investment in Libya, aiding and abetting the disorganized, disparate militias under a purported political/social umbrella authority, to take advantage of the opportunities opened for them by NATO over-flight power and bombing.

And although NATO has resisted all pleas by the Syrian opposition to become involved in their struggle to unseat their own tyrant, benevolent though he claims to be, in reflection of what Moammar Gadhafi always claimed, a mirror reflection of Libya has appeared in Syria. And it should be to no one's great surprise.

There has been much hand-wringing over the Free Syrian Army being in possession of small arms in contrast to the military might of the regime's military, well supplied with defences over the past five years by Russia and Iran; a veritable stockpile of munitions and artillery with which to keep the militias at bay and overcome their resistance by might and by steel.

The U.S. hugely deplores the actions of the Syrian regime, finally declaring President Bashar al-Assad unfit to continue leading his country. But, like the condemnations emanating from Britain and France, there is heat without fire. President Obama has no wish to imperil his chances for re-election by embarking upon yet another Middle East military adventure.

And why should he? Turkey is a powerful neighbour with a huge military capable of intervening, but though Turkey deplores al-Assad and his regime, they have made no effort to intervene militarily, singly or in concert with the Arab League. And why is the Arab League itself not taking concrete steps to end the slaughter of Sunni Syrian civilians at the hands of an avenging regime's military?

As vicious as is the response of the regime's military to the protests in Homs, Idlib, Deir al-Zour and elsewhere, the United Nations' and Arab League-dispatched Kofi Annan held out hope for reconciliation until it became clear there was no hope. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has an agreement with the Syrian Alawites to investigate the effect of the violence.

As they do so they will, without doubt, make note that viciousness and brutality is being executed not only on the part of the regime on those who challenge its longevity, but by the opposition as well. An opposition that appears to have been infiltrated by al-Qaeda, for added effect, and giving credence to Bashar al-Assad's frequent statements of his regime being challenged by foreign elements, terrorists, al-Qaeda.

"Syria is a strategic centerpiece of al-Qaeda in many ways. This is an opportunity, I think, for al-Qaeda, in its own mind at least, to re-assert itself in a way that puts it at the centre of chaos and civil war, and begins to shape a future of al-Qaeda that looks perhaps different from the past, but one that has Syria at its core,", according to Juan Zarate, of the center for Strategic and International Studies.

And then there is the charge by Human Rights Watch which has sent an open letter to the Syrian National Council, calling on it to speak out and condemn the abuses being carried out by its own forces. The abuses that Human Rights Watch refer to include kidnapping for ransom, detention and torture of security force members, government supporters, and pro-government militia members, Shabiha.

Human Rights Watch also speaks of credible reports of summary executions conducted by armed opposition groups, dispatching to martyrdom, security force members and civilians who support the Alawite regime.

How can one distinguish the good guys from the bad guys?

Fact is, it is all perspective, a similar agenda exercised by both sides, where sectarian divides, tribal hatreds and ethnic challenges all play a role in exacerbating already existing conflicts kept under wraps through the firm control of tyrants and dictators in the Middle East.

Labels: Conflict, Islamism, Middle East, Political Realities, Syria

posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, March 21, 2012