A Nation's Heritage
Over 78,000 Syrians have fled their country. They have fled in desperation as refugees from violence and deprivation to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Another half-million Syrians have been internally displaced within Syria. Many of them have lost their homes; this according to the Syrian Red Crescent.Syria's regime has most graciously agreed to permit the United Nations and international aid agencies to expand humanitarian operations within the country. It is estimated that at least one million Syrians are in need of urgent assistance. Because Bashar al-Assad cares so deeply for his people, he is anxious that they be well cared for.
During the first five days of June alone, around 2,700 Syrians fled their embattled country to find haven in Turkey where tens of thousands of their countrymen have already sought protection from the violence that is raging in Syria. Turkey has provided safety to the Syrian regime's army defectors, to the rebels and to refugees, from the violent intent of its one-time ally.
It seems, now that China is the head of the rotating Security Council, it has had second thoughts about the violence that is on a non-stop-upward trajectory. And Russia also seems to be wavering, suggesting it would countenance the removal of President Bashar al-Assad, as long as Syrians themselves determine the future of their own country.
Russia is compelled to listen to the urgent arguments of Saudi Arabia. "We have never said or insisted that Assad necessarily had to remain in power at the end of the political process", claimed Gennady Gatilov, Russia's deputy foreign minister. "This issue has to be settled by the Syrians themselves."
And Syria itself has reacted - at least the regime has - to last week's announcement by Western countries that Syria's diplomatic missions be shuttered and their diplomats expelled, abandoning Syria to itself. Now, 17 western diplomats have been banned by Syria; ambassadors from the United States, Canada, Turkey and several European countries were invited to leave Syria.
Rebels continue to battle government forces, after having announced that they would no longer recognize the UN-Arab League peace plan put forward by Kofi Annan, leaving it in a shambles of unrequited love. The regime's forces, backed by helicopter gunships are engaged in the heaviest clashes in coastal Syria since the revolt began 15 months ago.
Heavy government forces fire has been trained once again on Homs, hobbling along after the siege it staggered under for weeks, leaving part of its population bloodied, its buildings shattered. Fifteen months of violence has destroyed the lives of over 13,500 Syrian men, women and children.
From the government's perspective, this is a just war, to protect Syrians from the vicious depredations of foreign-inspired terrorists. From the perspective of the rebels, the need to remove a brutal tyrant whose heritage handed down from his father before him, compels him to oppress and mutilate the hopes and aspirations of Syrians.
Labels: Conflict, Heritage, Human Relations, Political Realities, Societal Failures, Syria
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, June 07, 2012
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