Syrians want rid of President Assad, but without US bombs

There's little trust in America's motives, and an airstrike would not stop the brutal slaughter of civilians. Far better to help the rebels directly

Wadah Khanfar

The Guardian, Monday 2 September 2013

"The Arab world has longed to get rid of the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad for years. In their minds it represents absolute evil. Future generations will remember the savage massacres perpetrated by the Syrian regime and the images of women and children who were slaughtered. But this strong desire to eradicate the regime will, for the most part, never be translated into support for American military intervention. That is because of misgivings and mistrust concerning US motives......

 

Throughout the two-year terror in Syria, American intervention has been mostly negative. The US pressured Arab states in the region to prevent the delivery of advanced weaponry, especially anti-aircraft missiles, to the Free Syrian Army (FSA). This was on the pretext that such weapons could fall into the hands of extremists, despite attempts by the FSA to reassure the Americans. Indeed the US demanded that the FSA fight the jihadist factions, which would have inflicted huge damage on the revolution and risked its total disintegration.
Yes, the international community needs to take a strong stand over the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its people. It must be said though that a strong moral stand should be taken against all killing of civilians, whatever the means.
What is now required is that the US and western countries allow Syrians to accomplish their revolutionary objectives by themselves – to eradicate the regime with their own hands. The west should not prevent them acquiring the means to decide the struggle militarily, and should encourage them to continue trying to build Syria according to the rules of real democracy, without excluding or marginalising any party or group. The Syrian people have proven their remarkable bravery in the struggle against tyranny; given the chance, I'm convinced they will demonstrate a similar level of responsibility in building a new democratic nation."