The Syrian Soldier’s Offensive
Syria has been in the news for its humanitarian crisis with President Bashar Al- Assad accused of killing civilians. According to the UN, the death toll has crossed 7,500, and this is not counting the soldiers, the military has also been suffering high amount of casualties. The figure vary from various Human Rights groups, as there is no official count yet.
Homs is the new battleground and under siege by the Syrian military. Avaaz - a Human Rights advocacy group claim there is no access to emergency food and medical supplies, making it extremely difficult for civilians to deal with the crisis. Read about the campaign here.
What happens actually on the field though? Do the soldiers think before they shoot, or do they function robotically under the orders of their dictator? The Egyptian revolution was a success only because the soldiers decided to side with the people. The Egyptian military had considerable respect as they did not blindly support former President Mubarak Hosseni. The military is independent in Egypt, of course it’s a different matter that it got powerful and started taking advantage of the control earlier this year.
Currently. the Syrian forces under Bashar Al Assad is involved committing widespread massacre, especially in the city of Homs. According to recent reports, there is a blockade to international aid agencies like Red Cross in the region of Baba Amr, in Homs.
With Moscow and Beijing using their veto power to prevent intervention, how will Damascus hold up? Tehran on the other hand is teaming up with Assad’s regime, under the pretext of peace. With the situation between Jerusalem and Tehran already tense, the Syrian bloodbath will only lead to bigger implications and division for the region.
Protests and demonstrations are not new to the Middle East, Tunisia – Egypt – Yemen – Libya and now Syria. The Arab Spring has been largely violent, with the exception of Tunisia. In all the revolutions, the tyrants were challenged by an isolated incident, which then spread like wild fire, instigating nation wide protests.
As I am writing this post, the death toll is mounting in Syria. The International community must act urgently, and more importantly, the Arab League must take a tougher stance on its regional member.
