The corpses of some of
Syria's 150,000 dead: People of the region
wonder when the great
powers will stop playing games and find a
way to help Syria's
suffering multitudes.
The Price of the West's Broken Promises to Syria (L'Orient Le Jour, Lebanon)
"It is inexplicable that a conflict of
such magnitude as that in Syria be politicized to the point of ignoring the pent
up expectations of an entire people. ... To the leaders of the free world,
please don't mistake the people of our region for pawns on a chess board. ... In
the 21st century, if your heart is no longer touched by the sight of skin and
bones barely surviving, then understand that every word not followed by an act is
another lie added to a long list of broken promises."
Bashar al-Assad and his British-born wife Asma on a campaign to ' infuse confidence and optimism; into a nation he has relentlessly bombed into submission. As hard as it is to believe, most of the major players, including the United States, Israel, and Russia, prefer Assad to any of the alternatives.
A
who's who of the political world tirelessly promises a blueprint for peace and
prosperity to an ebullient third party - families, communities, the populations
of many countries, and a civilization in decline around the globe. Many of the projections
dreamed of in our "world order" reflect aspirations of the people.
The
dramatic decomposition of the perceptions and identity of the individual has
transformed the flagrant injustices emanating from conflict into
"acceptable" inconsistencies. Thus, within the international community,
we find it difficult to do more than erect statues to powerful heads of state,
confirm the existence of armed conflicts, count the dead, only much later helping
the poorest, the injured, and the disabled, and subsume any vital support for the
region's strategic interests to those of the hegemon.
Right
up until Geneva II, we
spoke about "contexts," the "suffering of the people," the
problem of representation, and the emerging dynamics of democratization. We did
not, however, neglect the essential: the inhumane realities on the ground that result
from intentions, proposed terms, and the agreements being contemplated. These
are the reasons such high level meetings are being held in the first place. The
fierce fighting, killings, and tragedies, reflect this contradiction. Will we
therefore mobilize around a common desire for a ceasefire to be put on the
table? Will we put a priority on ending the suffering? This requires only the
use of common sense language and behavior that responds to immediate needs.
It
is inexplicable and unjustifiable that a conflict of such magnitude as that in
Syria be politicized to the point of ignoring the pent up expectations of an
entire people. Syrians are caught up in the most vicious cycle of despair. It
is equally unacceptable to yield to the relentless fury of those who want to
prolong wars that will generate even more innocent victims. What kind of
negotiations are on the table when "action" is synonymous with "talks?"
In the wake of the massacres in Syria, brutal attacks and fighting against
extreme fanaticism has spilled into Lebanon. Who would believe there is a self-respecting
international community capable of speaking in one voice in defense of human
values?
Posted By
Worldmeets.US
To
the leaders of the free world, please don't mistake the people of our region
for pawns on a chess board. By losing your credibility with reasonable decision
makers, you may squander what remains of your means for preserving genuine
peace in the world. In the 21st century, if your heart is no longer touched by the
sight of skin and bones barely surviving, then understand that every word not followed
by an act is another lie added to a long list of broken promises.
