'All international military interventions in the Mideast were Criminal, Illegal, Unjust & had nothing to do with Human Rights: In Syria, that will change!'

Via FLC

SABAN's Al Shaikh in the Beast;

"... The actions of the international community have been too little, too late. The latest suggestions among policymakers, experts, and talking heads include tightening economic sanctions, recognizing the opposition Syrian National Council, and forming a “Friends of Syria” international contact group, which will meet for the first time on Feb. 24 in Tunis. Such actions could have been implemented months ago, as all can be executed independently and without the approval of the increasingly stubborn Russia and China... ...

Separately, there have been calls for international military intervention, following the example of Kosovo, where President Clinton launched a NATO air campaign without U.N. approval ... It is under a similar “humanitarian emergency” that some in the Washington Beltway are encouraging Obama to act in Syria without a U.N. Security Council mandate and de facto outside the framework of international law....

International military action outside an international legal mandate is exactly what Assad wants. It will split the international community further and deepen the mistrust between the great powers, particularly the West and Russia, China, and the other BRICs. Unlike Libya or even Iraq, though, the differences will be along one of the region’s primary axis points: the Syria fault line. It also would seriously threaten to unravel the consensus that RtoP achieved in 2005. Assad and his regime surely would also seek to present a future Iraq-like situation in Syria, in which a “coalition of the willing” chose to act to oust an Arab leader but ended up killing civilians and fueling a bloody civil war.

As difficult as it is proving to be, international intervention in Syria needs to be aligned with international law. Many have given up hope that Russia and China can be part of the consensus and that international military intervention is necessary in Syria. However, we must try again....

The Middle East region has seen too much international military intervention that does not advance the principles of legality, justice, and the promotion of human rights. Now is the time for the international community to act collectively according to such principles...."

... and here, be awed at Radwan Ziadeh's intellect & leadership in FT;

"... The European Union is debating a new round of sanctions against Mr Assad and his cronies. But sanctions, as most know, are a mixed bag.... the government in Damascus is likely to weather any sanctions and pass on the burden. ..... The US was able to help create an independent Kosovo outside the UN Security Council, without losing any American troops.

It is important, though, that the international community mount all possible efforts to pressurise the Assad regime and undermine support for the status quo. A well-rounded intervention strategy would involve the following. First, as in Kosovo, the international community – be it a joint UN-Arab League mission or a coalition of “Friends of Syria” – must designate safe zones to be protected by air power. An air campaign would minimise the risk for intervening actors. The international community, though, must help enforce these havens,....

Critics of intervention worry that such a campaign could fuel terrorism and sectarian tensions across the region. The Syrian opposition, however, has had almost a year to plan for a post-Assad Syria, ..... Secularists and Islamists are united in the name of forging a peaceful, democratic future for Syria.

Fears of sectarian tensions spreading across the region as a result of intervention in Syria are misplaced. It is the international community’s inaction that threatens to push Syria towards full-scale civil war, which would inflame divisions in Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, among others. If Syria falls into civil war, so will the surrounding region. The US may be tired of war but it can still join the right side of history ...."

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 8:31 AM

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!