SYRIAN CRISIS: FROM DIALOGUE TO DISASTER
By Swaleha Malik
The ongoing Syrian conflict took a new turn when western powers condemned the alleged use of chemical weapons that they blame Assad regime has used, which resulted in killing 1400 civilians. Aimed at punishing the Al-Assad for the attack using the cloak of humanitarian crisis the real objectives are different.
United States once again took the responsibility to protect the innocent civilians and threatened to intervene Syria militarily. So any one on planet earth thinking that US is all set to protect the world humanity is under illusion and needs to wake up from the dream and dismiss the idea for once and all times to come.
As the G-20 summit ended, an economic forum which dominated the Syrian crisis issue and ended up in re-affirming the prefixed positions of the Presidents of both US and Russia with their respective allies. Obama had hoped to mobilize and win the international support to attack Syria which he could not. British the traditional ally of US, its PM had failed stunningly to get the support from parliament which argued that they should wait for the UN to reveal the results. Though France has expressed the staunch alliance and so has Saudi Arabia Turkey, and Qatar. And many like Russia, china, India, Pakistan, Italy have opposed the idea.
The political ambitions are very clear. This intervention will protect and secure alliances the vested interest in the Middle Eastern region. Alliances equation is very much same but issue is to maintain the military supremacy and preserve the security of Israel, maintain the political and economic influence over the region so as to deter Russia, containing Iran, disarming the proxy of Iran (Hezbollah) working against the direct interest of Israel in Lebanon. This would also send a strong message to North Korea that in future they can also dealt with.
Much shame and disappointment comes from the Arab league who couldn’t devise a plan which could facilitate the transition. Suspending the membership of Syria from the league and putting sanctions according to them was a wise decision. Providing the arms ammunition and financial aid to rebels doesn’t fit into the equation for those who want a political settlement. As for Saudi Arabia they are looking forward to paralyze the Iranian influence in the region. One can easily conclude that this type of action would serve whom very well.
Al-Assad has made it clear that incase of any aggression he will defend his country and is confident of its allies Russia and Iran for backing him. Anything moving in UNSC against Syria would be vetoed by Russia and China. Russia being the biggest arms suppliers to Syria and having a naval base that is strategically important to them and they would stop an intervention on humanitarian basis as it will further diminish their influence and they don’t want that. Being a resurgent power they want US to admit that they are force to reckon with. Since Saudi-Us alliance is evergreen. Russians are on natural alliance with Shia-axis.
As for Israel remains content with ongoing stalemate in Syria, it works for them well. And Israel may hope to get its former ally Turkey back and US may be working on it through back door diplomacy.As for Turkey their relations are stained with territorial dispute with Syria and being a NATO ally and candidate for European Union trying to play at their best which they have failed so far.
If in any case US attack Syria unilaterally its fall out for the region would be destabilizing for sure. It may work for a win –win situation for US and Israel but a lose-lose for all times to come for Arab and it will haunt them.It will consolidate the precedent of attacking the sovereign states as per convenience to achieve their objectives and provide a further platform for military and political hardliners to come up with doctrines which provide them an umbrella to act without the authorization of UNSC.
Arab league should better re-visit and re-write the charter of OIC or better to dissolve the organization. The events of Egypt, the division of Sudan, a clueless Libya, de-stabilized Iraq, Yemen or for that matter any other country is not reflecting any condition of which they can flag their achievements. It would have been better that they should have recognized Israel earlier and settled the situation rather having the alliance with US and ending up doing indirectly what Israel wanted.
