Russia and China are being held morally responsible for allowing the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad to continue the slaughter of its own people. By vetoing a Security Council resolution, they have been accused of handing Assad a licence to kill.
Diplomacy failed spectacularly at the United Nations this weekend.
Now Russia and China have pinned their colours to saving Bashar al-Assad, their UN Security Council vetoes have also emboldened the Syrian dictator.
In effect Assad has been given a licence to kill.
Just to prove it, Assad’s security forces engaged in yet another massacre in the beleaguered city of Homs while the vote was underway at the UNSC.
As Syria was being lambasted for this behaviour its ambassador to the UN answered criticism by turning the question back on the state’s accusers. He asked what sort of country would be so blatant as to kill its own people when the very issue was being discussed at the United Nations?
Not exactly a sophisticated defence, but then Syria really doesn’t care what the answer is.
It is as if the Assad apologists are from another planet.
Planet Assad is where the benevolent and peaceful regime is trying desperately hard to rid the beautiful country of foreign influence and terrorists who are one in the same apparently.
Assad’s Russian supporters explain their veto by arguing they were not happy that the Arab League sponsored resolution didn’t put enough blame on those who have risen up against the legitimate Syrian government, and, asserted that other countries have no right to demand Syrian forces be recalled to barracks.
Russia says it is not in the business of regime change. OK, fine. Surely however, Russia’s and China’s obstruction is actually hampering a legitimate, domestic-driven revolutionary change, not unlike that of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen?
Any argument that Russia blocked the resolution for fear of creeping military intervention which was the case with Libya is blatantly disingenuous as the Russians were assured repeatedly that military intervention in Syria is specifically ruled out. This time the Arab League has not asked for UN military intervention as it did with Libya.
Instead, by supplying arms to Assad to use against his own people, and thwarting the majority consensus of the UNSC (the vote was 13-2), Russia is actually drawing attention to its own domestic insecurities about the overthrow of leaders.
Putin and Medvedev just assumed the Russian people would be stupid (or cowered) enough to stand back and allow them to swap jobs. Hardly the epitome of the democratic process, but Russians are in revolt themselves, as seen in unprecedented anti-Putin demonstrations, and that’s got to be a worry for Kremlin musical chairs.
Now diplomacy at the UN level has (again) been exposed as precarious, if not downright impotent, the Syrian situation seems more likely than ever to deteriorate into civil war. That increases the urgency for a serious re-grouping of the so-called West and the Arab states who have been leading the charge against their neighbour.
The outbreak of violence at Syrian embassies around the world is an indication of the global reach of this issue, but hardly likely to worry a regime that blatantly bombs and bulldozes homes and people.
The only clear option is to ratchet up the pressure through sanctions on Syria so financial and military resources dry up. Together with the immense pressure sanctions are now putting on Syria’s backer, Iran, this could assist in toppling Assad by making it very difficult for those who benefit from supporting the regime, to continue business as usual.
Within Syria smart sanctions need to target those who have vested interests in maintaining the status quo. This is a long shot given the nature of the ruling apparatus this Assad inherited from his father, and has continued to entrench – a completely dedicated military elite and secret service and generously rewarded high level members of the minority Alawite sect to which Assad’s family belongs. These sorts of people don’t give up their own power base easily. Their status and wallets would have to be very clearly in jeopardy before they were convinced to turn on their patron.
Alongside smart sanctions, the world would increase support for the Free Syrian Army and any other opposition political organisations. That pressure could include expelling all Syrian diplomats and cutting any remaining diplomatic and economic ties with the Syrian regime as the Tunisian Prime Minister and the head of the Arab Parliament have called for.
Already US Senator Joe Lieberman has started talking about providing weapons, medical supplies, intelligence and reconnaissance surveillance to the Syrian rebel forces.
It is perhaps appropriate to heed the assessment Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman made of the UNSC veto. She called for the world to see that Russia and China now “bear the moral and human responsibility” for the massacres of the Syrian people. Indeed they do.
Comments (9)
It's no great suprise that both Russia and China have stood for less inividual freedom/rights and are in favor of more government contol.
The reason that they have vetoed this resolution is that, when they are in the same position, they've set [what they hope to be] a standard of inaction, thereby allowing them the same ability of repression.
The world is not as free as you think.
Rampant propaganda - Tell us exactly what the Russians and Chinese were proposing as an amendment before you make any kind of further contribution.
SIf you have read what they proposed why do you think it's OK for the armed groups to be allowed to continue their operations while only the Syrian army is required to cease fire?
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