Since the Second World War, every US president has played some sort of a double game in the Middle East. President Donald Trump has already ordered an attack in Yemen, which resulted in slaughtering innocent people, bombed Mosul and Aleppo, effectively killing scores of civilians, despite promises during his presidential campaign that he won’t be starting any new wars. He also passed laws to prevent Syrian refugees from entering the US and is also deporting immigrants. Hence, Trump’s claim of bombing Syria owing to the images of Syrian children that moved him fails the sniff test. “When you kill innocent children, innocent babies — babies, little babies — with a chemical gas that is so lethal,” Trump said, “that crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line. Many, many lines.” The man is either bipolar, ignorant or willfully hypocritical since the US just dropped a bomb that indiscriminately killed people in about a square mile of earth. His emotions seem to be just fine with continuing to partner with a nation that bombs families during funeral processions in Yemen.
Over the years, both US political parties have helped the president expand his military authority. Donald Trump has the ability to carry out drone strikes, listen in on phone conversations and invade anywhere in the world without any real checks and balances within the US government. The laws are consistently changed or some fancy jargon is cooked-up to bend laws that cannot be changed. Obama was famous for keeping his interpretation of the Patriot Act confidential for years to secretly collect data on millions overseas and at home. Unfortunately, for Americans and the rest of the world, this almighty altar has now been passed onto a narcissist with a predisposition of a child.
Around 500,000 people have died in the Syrian civil war through shootings, rocket attacks, air raids, chemical strikes, torture and the US air campaign against ISIS. Yet, the hundreds killed by chemical weapons are the only ones that invoke an international response. Yes, chemical weapons are brutal but so are mortar shells and drone strikes. Also, as was widely reported, didn’t the Obama administration work with Russia and other international agencies to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons in 2014? These are relevant questions, especially when US military intervention anywhere in the world is always sold as an action taken out of love and concern for freedom and justice. More often than not, US intervention resorts to bombing. Rather than ushering peace and prosperity, this policy creates more threats than it eliminates.
The past few years have proven that the Syrian people have no friends, Western or Arab. Trump’s administration has not offered any plans for Syria beyond the latest bombs. The US is arming the opposition at the same time when the US ambassador to UN, Nikki Haley, stated that they are not focused on overthrowing President Bashar al Assad. This appears to signal that the status quo is desirable since the Syrian opposition is unlikely to accept any deal which will leave Assad in place. The real story is that this war is being fought between the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on one side against Russia and Iran on the other. Just like Afghanistan this has also created a serious humanitarian crisis. The Syrian war has created three million refugees who lack the neighbouring harbour that Pakistan offered Afghan refugees. Syrian refugees are spread across Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Europe. The world powers are seeing a direct impact of the Middle East aggression show up in Western countries in a form other than terrorism. If only for their own well-being, they would be wise to rethink their approach in keeping the region destabilised and commit to help the victims of this conflict.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2017.
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The author seemed to have condoned the over 300,000 deaths that have been caused by the brutal dictator, Assad. She has wrongly apportioned the blame of the majority of deaths on other participant in that relentless war.
The Syrian government did not just kill with chemical weapons but also with barrel bombs and off course with land based mortars and other conventional weapons. Most deaths, estimated by the UN to around 400,000, are attributed to the genocide of the Syrian government.
It all started when in 2011, Assad used brutal force to kill demonstrators, who opposed his despotic rule.
In 2013, the Syrian govt. used chemical weapons against rebels who could have taken over Damascus.
Thereafter, as per international agreements, most chemical weapons were removed but some stockpiles were left behind
On April 4, Assad again used the chemical weapons. As his claim of the ammunition depot to have been hit by his air force caused the sarin gas to leak and disperse is false as Sarin gas would have been destroyed by bombing.
More credibly the Sarin gas bombs were used to hit the innocent civilians.
Compassion demands that Assad be brought to justice for his war crimes.
All the above basic facts about the Syrian imbroglio have been conveniently ignored by Ms. Khan.
No doubt, the Syrian government is responsible for many of the casualties resulting from its brutal crackdown, equal if not more blame can be put on foreign meddling which began several years before the Syrian revolt of a few hundred erupted in 2011.
In an interview done in 2005, 6 years before the start of the war, by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour told Assad about the intentions of the USA to remove him. (2005: Amanpour and Assad). This has been now confirmed after the WikiLeaks which reveal that the plans to change the regime in Syria were hatched in 2005/6 prepared by the Israeli government and handed over to the USA. It had three objectives.
• Firstly, to ensure Israeli security by installing a pro-west regime in Syria and weakening Israel’s arch enemy namely Iran by cutting off its supply routes to Hezbollah passing through Syria. It has been now confirmed after the revelation of Hillary Clinton’s emails.
• Secondly, to facilitate Israel to cement/expand its occupation of the Golan Heights for additional oil exploration and water security.
• Thirdly, to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian and Iranian oil and gas by building an alternative pipeline known as Qatar Jordan-Turkey-Syria Pipeline. Assad refused to agree to this pipeline passing through his country.
every US president has played some sort of a double game in the Middle East. President Donald Trump has already ordered an attack in Yemen, which resulted in slaughtering innocent people, bombed Mosul and Aleppo, effectively killing scores of civilians, despite promises during his presidential campaign that he won’t be starting any new wars.
The key message in the article outlining the self proclimed role of a world police man, which the Trumpers are now pursuing and expanding it to the pacific. The difference being that in the meantime the balance of power has tilted against America. Russia is now playing a powerful role in the middle east whereas North Korea is even challenging the trnquility of the American mainland given the disturbing signals which are coming from the US new administration. One thing is sure tht the nbel peace prize will no longer head for the Americn President.
Rex Minor
@Shahid Hussain:
As you say the plans to remover Assad was among other reasons to “… reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian and Iranian oil and gas by building an alternative pipeline known as Qatar Jordan-Turkey-Syria Pipeline. Assad refused to agree to this pipeline passing through his country.”
But you did not explain all the reasons behind as to why Assad refused to agree to “this pipeline.”
One reason, as to why Assad refused this pipeline was to please Russia. Russia has used the pretext of the insecurity of the Assad regime to increase its presence in Syria. Syria has obliged Russia and its huge military presence in Syria makes Syria look like almost a Russian colony.
@Rex Minor:
You sound like an ungrateful European who does not appreciate the role the US has played over decades to protect Europe from Russian onslaught.
Perhaps you are teed off as America wants Europe, especially Germany, to contribute more to NATO but you want more or less a free ride. I mean European contribution to its own defense preparedness is less than proportionate. Take it easy.
Author somehow forgets Obama’s nuanced response to questions regarding Syria’s illegal chemical weapons stockpiles! Obama declared that all such chemical weapons THAT WERE DECLARED BY SYRIA were removed! How about “undeclared” chemical munitions????
Too bad that the author never looked up “Use of Chemical weapons in Syrian Civil War” or “List of Syrian Civil War Barrel Bomb Attacks” on Wikipedia to see the ongoing Team Assad slaughter of civilians since the ARAB SPRING MOVEMENT arrived in Syria years ago!
@Ungrateful:
You sound like an ungrateful European who does not appreciate the role the US has played over decades to protect Europe from Russian onslaught.
No so fast Sir, the USA did not confront Soviet Union when it occupied the east European countries including former East Germany nor did it challenge the advances of todays Russia in Georgia and Ukraine. In fact history tells us that USA has never won a war on its own in any part of the world. It is already showing the cold feet in the face of unpredictable North Korean young Kim. This is true that the USA would prefer the Europeans to spend more on their military especially Germany but did not quantify to what purpose. The German coalition Government has no support from the public to build aircraft carriers or to police the world and is of the opinion that economic aid to the developing countries should take the lead which will prevent local and regional conflicts and the resultant mass migration..I fully support the European project for social and economic growth within Europe as well for the ouside world.
Rex Minor