The US Senate Foreign
Relations Committee approved an answer moved by President Barack Obama to allow
him authority to use military action in Syria from the use of chemical weapons
by Syrian government under Assad on its non military population. But diplomacy
has acted like a stop cork for such an action by US on Syria to
date.
Findings on attacks on non military population area in Syrian
capital Damascus on Aug 21, 2013 reveal using lethal gas SARIN. The motive, as
traced down by US, ended up being to drive away rebels from several regions of
the capital. The event resulted in fateful death of around 1500 people including
400 children. It has not been an incident unique but use of chemical and
biological weapons in attacking innocent population surviving in opposition
areas has gained frequency and epitomise brutality in the area. This has led to
raised eyebrows against Syria around the globe.
Syria and Assad Regime:
Bashar Hafez Al Assad, a Shia muslim, had become the president of Syria when he
succeeded his father in 2000 after his death. The household belonging to the
Alawite group, a small group within Shia muslims controls major positions within
the Syrian government. Democracy has not been the norm for Syria by which 75%
population belongs to the Sunni sect. Long many years of hegemonic rule have
rendered the nation weeding with corruption, inflation, civilian unrest,
unemployment, in order to say mal governance in most.
Arab
Spring
The term has been utilized for the attempts to
sprout democracy in
homelands by people of Arab nations for example Tunisia (said to be the origin),
Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Jordan, Kuwait, etc. The most popular characterizing
traits of these nations happen to be suppression of civil rights, bad
governance, despotic rulers and authoritarian regimes. The movement has
witnessed protests, demonstrations, unrest, civilian wars and led to upheaval of
regimes in lots of of the countries.
Tunisia - underneath the rule of Ben
Ali, a frustrated and anguished graduate Mohamed Bouazizi immolated himself.
This ghastly incidence which happened in December 2010 has stated to have
started a chain reaction across Middle East.
Egypt - was next in line to
witness overthrow of many years of autocratic rule by Hosni Mubarak by efforts
of the youth activist Asmaa Mahfouz. The President needed to resign in February
2011.
Algeria - pro democracy movement within 2011 raised the slogan
“Give back our Algeria” from the dictator Bouteflika.
Libya - this was to
end the leadership by Gaddafi and the supporters. Western powers like France, UK
and US supported this movement and NATO forces ensued military attacks which
countries like China, Russia and India have been critical. Gaddafi and a few of
his kin died as a result.
Syria - Assad had been in a position to
suppress the previous insurgency approaches by Muslim Brotherhood (a Sunni sect
political organisation) in Syria - Hama Massacre in 1982. Gradually, these
counterinsurgencies shifted towards revolutionary civil wars, more prominently
from January 2011 onwards. Underneath the wind of the democratisation which
sprang from Tunisia and spread farther, the Syrian revolution to overthrow the
Assad regime began this year and could not be suppressed because the previous
ones(by recruiting and deploying pro-regime militias). Supporters of Assad
regime have been recruited in major insurgent areas they are driving out rebels
from these areas. However this strategy has failed recently and President had to
promise reforms and lifting from the state of emergency which in fact had,
surprisingly, been in place since 1963. However this followed sending of troops
to Daraa and attacking the region and violence has perpetuated since that time.
Thus, what has set on in the area is opposition led (Sunni) protests backing
civilian uproar and counter attacks by pro-Assad militia, backed by Baha’at
party and Israel.
Six Point Peace Plan by Kofi Annan and it is
failure
UN had appointed Kofi Annan like a special envoy to Syria to
analyse the crisis in Syria and are available up with a six point intend to put
an end to it. As per his proposal, Assad would step down from position and
government would turn to talks with the rebellion groups in consultation with
Sunni led opposition. But civilian killings in Houla Massacre in May 2012
stalled the procedure and Kofi Annan resigned from the post.
Global
Position
Major supporters of Alawite rule are Iran because it is ruled by
Shia and Lebanese Hezbollah that is a Shia militant group/political party.
Russia too supports because it supplies military arsenal to Syria. China
includes a large stake in energy field in Syria as well as wants to curb US
dominance in the area and therefore supports it. In Aug 2012, Un General
Assembly passed an answer condemning civilian attacks by Syria as well as asking
it to refrain from using biological and chemical weapons. The Sunnis dominated
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is in opposition to Syria for obvious reasons. As far
as USA’s stand is worried, it opposes the hegemonic rule in Syria and states
support the march of democracy. However the hidden yet clear agenda would be to
dominate the Middle East. There has been economic sanctions imposed on Syria by
US and it is western allies. US’s position in Middle East is likely to be
strengthened if a new government pops up here with its aid. Its worry about
threats of a crackdown in Israel (backed by US) may also be addressed by the
same.
India’s Position
India opposes the undemocratic nature of
rule in Arab League and provides its support but it also opposes any external
influence within the regional politics as per its foreign policy. Although this
is one side, the other side India faces in the centre East is its stake in
Iran-Afghanistan position for resources and the Delaram-Ziranj Highway which
India has generated in order to tap those. The highway continues to be built by
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to keep trade with Afghanistan without entering
into Pakistan and it is known as Route 606. It connects Afghanistan to Iran
whereby the native country has generated a highway to connect Route 606 to the
port city of Chabahar. Fearing the development of Islamist extremism, which
seems likely using the alleged involvement of Al Qaeda within the attacks, India
along with other countries supports a democratic order within the Arab League
countries. More concerning it the truth that India’s dependence on these nations
for oil is tremendous. The speculations of a war within this already fragile
area may hike the oil prices further and modify the already shaky economy
backhome. There's a cry for human rights for that natives of the affected region
around the world, which is loud enough to push forth the governments of those
nations to adopt a stronger, humanitarian and democratic nation building
policies. The image is complex and one point alone cannot describe it.
