The world urgently needs to get its response in order. As of last night it was abjectly failing to do so
Editorial
The Guardian, Monday 13 June 2011
"....As one act of repression follows another, it is hardly surprising that Syrians are redefining the battle with a despotic regime in terms of both creed and ethnicity. The Iraqis did the same after they were invaded. If sectarian strains spill over into the army then Assad's capacity to turn his forces against the people from which they are drawn will come into question. Besides, the crisis is fast translating problems of the Syrian people into problems of the world. Where until recently the great flow over Syria's border was of chilling words about random executions, today's flow is of thousands of desperate people, seeking sanctuary in Turkey.
The world urgently needs to get its response in order. As of last night it was abjectly failing to do so. In step with the Americans, the foreign secretary said yesterday he was working to secure UN condemnation of the unfolding cruelties. But these talks about talk only underline how limp the response is: the mere threat of the helicopter gunships and tanks that Assad is now actually wielding was enough to unleash Nato's firepower against Muammar Gaddafi.
Military action is not realistic, but the full range of diplomatic, financial and legal sanctions should come into play. Instead, there is nobody directly calling for Assad to go, and China and Russia disgracefully absent themselves from the security council in order to avoid even airing disquiet. Turkey, a member of Nato, could yet drag the west in, if it decides its own interests require action to defend its borders from the refugees. The world would then pay a high price indeed for having pretended that Assad was somebody else's problem."
Editorial
The Guardian, Monday 13 June 2011
"....As one act of repression follows another, it is hardly surprising that Syrians are redefining the battle with a despotic regime in terms of both creed and ethnicity. The Iraqis did the same after they were invaded. If sectarian strains spill over into the army then Assad's capacity to turn his forces against the people from which they are drawn will come into question. Besides, the crisis is fast translating problems of the Syrian people into problems of the world. Where until recently the great flow over Syria's border was of chilling words about random executions, today's flow is of thousands of desperate people, seeking sanctuary in Turkey.
The world urgently needs to get its response in order. As of last night it was abjectly failing to do so. In step with the Americans, the foreign secretary said yesterday he was working to secure UN condemnation of the unfolding cruelties. But these talks about talk only underline how limp the response is: the mere threat of the helicopter gunships and tanks that Assad is now actually wielding was enough to unleash Nato's firepower against Muammar Gaddafi.
Military action is not realistic, but the full range of diplomatic, financial and legal sanctions should come into play. Instead, there is nobody directly calling for Assad to go, and China and Russia disgracefully absent themselves from the security council in order to avoid even airing disquiet. Turkey, a member of Nato, could yet drag the west in, if it decides its own interests require action to defend its borders from the refugees. The world would then pay a high price indeed for having pretended that Assad was somebody else's problem."
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