Putin and Nasrallah’s sorrows

Mshari al-Zaydi

Seventeen months after the outbreak of the popular revolution against the rule of Bashar al-Assad, we have finally reached the critical stage, the final countdown. 


Two days ago, the Free Syrian Army [FSA] reached the Damascus suburbs, and at the time of writing it appears that the FSA was responsible for killing the top security leadership that is in charge of the Syrian killing machine which has been raging since the start of the al-Assad sponsored suppression. A bomb struck the al-Assad security headquarters in Damascus, which was housing some of al-Assad’s commanders of murder and mayhem, including his own brother-in-law Assef Shawkat, General Daoud Rajiha and the “mastermind” General Hassan Turkmani, amongst others.

In the meantime, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting regarding the situation in Syria, hoping to issue an international resolution to stop the violence, sanction the al-Assad regime and stop the flow of arms into the country in general, including to the opposition. However, as was expected, the Russian bear jumped onto the UN Security Council table and rejected this resolution, raising its veto in its claw, followed closely by the Chinese dragon. This was a provocative stance challenging the world’s feelings of concern and sympathy regarding the situation in Syria. This also represents a new confirmation of Russia and China's lack of wisdom, not to mention their seeming lack of concern regarding their public image.

In any case, the huge amount of documents that have been filed in these international negotiations, not to mention the travel expenses, the grandiose discourse and political machinations and deceit between different international political forces, have all been for nothing. Russian envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin’s vetoing of the resolution containing the least that anybody can do regarding the situation in Syria, namely impose sanctions on the al-Assad regime, polarized the entire world. However it is the people in Syria that have revealed the truth of the situation by imposing a new reality on the ground.


The UN Security Council no longer has any meaning or effectiveness regarding the Syrian crisis; this is nothing more than a boxing match between Putin and his comrades in one corner and the West in the other; however its outcome is meaningless. The reality is what is being said and done by the youth in Syria, including targeting the leadership in Damascus that was in charge of the violence, and this is what will force Russia, China and the West to take the appropriate political decisions.
Russia can utilize its veto hundreds of time; it is a meaningless act as long as there is somebody on the ground [in Syria] driving events.


As we – and others – have previously stated, we must forget the UN Security Council, for it is clear that Russia and its attendant China are in al-Assad’s camp, and are using the international envoy, Kofi Annan, to hinder the revolution and grant al-Assad the kiss of life. We must also forget Nabil Elaraby’s insignificant Arab League, and his shrewd statements, for it is clear that he always takes a line that is consistent with the “official” Egyptian view, even during the reign of the Muslim Brotherhood. This view is based on issuing condemnations and denunciation and calling for an end to the bloodshed, and providing morale support to the Syrian people, but then confirming – in a firm and intransigent manner – rejection of any international intervention to save the Syrian people, under the pretext that this is an internal Syrian affair. For example, Muslim Brotherhood senior figure Essam al-Arian, who has also adopted this approach of criticizing Syria, previously welcomed the Libyan revolution against Gaddafi, whilst NATO and American fighter jets and rockets were utilized during this, and considered halal! So how can we understand this?

Whatever the case, the Syrian revolution is leading the international efforts, and Putin, Lavrov, Elaraby, Annan, Khamenei and of course, the tormented Hassan Nasrallah have no choice but to follow the path being blazed by the Syrian revolutionaries on the ground.

Such a case goes beyond political discourse, because we are facing a scene in which the best and worst of our nature are being mixed together, and this brings to mind the famous proverb of Abu Tammam to the Caliph Motasem:

Truer than words of books is the sword in its tidings,

Its edge is the boundary between seriousness and rompings.