As #Obama A Promised Land no 1 bestseller #Dublin #bookshops ,timely piece by @bassamva to remind us of his Syria policy&urgent appeal to US president elect @JoeBiden for change .@ABlinken Thread thenationalnews.com/opinion/commen… via @TheNationalNews
“The incoming administration certainly needs a different approach to the Syrian crisis”- #Obama "red line"threat did little to deter President Bashar Al Assad,who used chemical weapons against his own civilians. Mr Al Assad's military operations went on to displace millions /2
of ordinary Syrians–thereby creating one of the largest humanitarian crises since the Second World War–and his regime destroyed much of the country..All this happened at a time when theObama administration was engaging with Iran and negotiating a deal over its nuclear programme/3
The message toAmerican public–and to foreign policy establishment in Washington–was that the agreement was tailored to deter Tehran's nuclear ambitions but did not preclude confronting the regime on other issues,including its destabilising activities in countries suchas Syria/4
However,the reality was completely different. In order to make this deal materialise,the president made geopolitical concessions,allowing the regime to expand in Syria and turning a blind eye to Mr Al Assad’s atrocities./5
He also provided little support to Syrian grassroots groups that were essentially demanding dignity, human rights and democracy – core American principles./6
The incoming administration certainly needs a different approach to the Syrian crisis.. It should be clear that it will not tolerate human rights abuses or violations of international law, both of which have come to define a decade of conflict/7
Furthermore,the incoming administration should be clear with Iran that no new deal will be signed at the expense of Syria's future or that of its displaced people.The new administration shouldalso demand withdrawal of the various armies and militias operating in the country/8
and hold the Assad regime accountable for the crimes it has committed against civilians.
Finally,and most importantly, I hope the new administration will work closer with the UN,the European Union and all the region's stakeholders to empower those Syrians /9
Finally,and most importantly, I hope the new administration will work closer with the UN,the European Union and all the region's stakeholders to empower those Syrians /9
living outside regime-controlled areas ofthe country, and in neighbouring countries.Empowering the Syrian people is the only way for the world to confront extremists and opportunists,as well as standing upto MrAlAssad's policies,which have, fuelled extremism and sectarianism" /10
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