Syria in a state of civil war

By Haider Ali

There is little delusion surrounding the catastrophic situation that has been brewing within Syria’s borders. For months on end journalists and onlookers alike have been speculating as to whether Syria was indeed entrenched in a bloody civil war. With a spate of massacres being carried out by both Bashar al-Assad and the “opposition,” there is simply no room for any other perception.

The west’s frantic urge to sanction a resolution to enable an intervention of sorts has only been prevented by the veto of Russia and China. The interventionist charge headed by the United States and her band of allies are continually emphasising and often pinning the blame of massacres on the government often without thorough investigation. Not only do some of the reports seem fabricated but footage often obtained by the United States government and then released to the media seems confusing. One cannot ascertain how long corpses have been dead for in recorded footage being just one instance in how propaganda is being spewed.

Civil war has been on the cards for a while and has been down to a variety of factors combined to have a common goal, which is regime change. Bashar al-Assad’s removal from the government has benefits that are three-fold. By knocking out Syria, Iran becomes isolated and far more susceptible to a military attack that can be pronged on another front. Corrupt Arab kingdoms, mainly Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan can achieve their objectives by removing a Shiite power base, as known to many Bashar al-Assad is an Alawite Shiite, ruling over a country that is predominantly Sunni.

Finally Israel gains perhaps the greatest reward from any possible regime change in Syria because of its precarious location in the region. Syria smuggles in weapons for Hezbollah and Hamas, which leaves Israel’s northern border vulnerable to rocket propelled attacks. Taking out President Assad’s can make way for a western friendly government, as has existed in Jordan and Egypt for so many years.

The Russians and Chinese have their own political motivations for wanting to prevent the fall of Syria. Not only are they strategically placed to counter any further growth in American influence in the region but Russia has military bases there.

The Syrian military is by no means ill-equipped to defend itself. They are armed to the teeth to fight a long and protracted war. Unlike Libya which was virtually defenceless due to Colonel Gaddafi’s inadequate leadership, the Syrian army has a stern backbone to quell the violence. In spite of some defections they have a president who refuses to be unseated from office adding to the myriad of problems the country will continue to face.

Bashar al-Assad’s refusal to vacate office seems to indicate that a civil war may be fought for a while. The west cannot obtain a UN resolution permitting it to intervene because of opposition from the Russians and the Chinese. Rebels seem to be increasing in number with the added addition of more funding and weaponry from the Arab diktats. Finally the opposition refuses to come to the table to negotiate some sort of ceasefire because they are demanding the removal of Bashar al-Assad as a pre-requisite before any such diplomatic talks take place. The civil war is only likely to continue and get worse to the detriment of the majority neutral population that will get caught in the crossfire.