The "just" is being
employed advisedly, of course. But the fact of the matter is
that there is more than one horrendous way for Assad to attack
civilians associated with rebel forces.
This past Thursday, information
came out from Syria via BBC journalists that was picked up by very few news
sources. I would have thought it would have been screamed from the rafters, but
either it is "ho hum" or is simply running under the
radar.
My betting is that you haven't
heard about this:
It was the end of a school day in
the north of Syria, and, reportedly, a fighter jet overhead flew back and
forth looking for a target (i.e., place where a group of people is
assembled). The one the pilot decided upon was the yard of a high school,
where groups of teenagers just dismissed from a day at school were lingering.
What he dropped on the
kids was some sort of "napalm-like" incendiary bomb that caused
horrendous burning. Ten young people were dead and many more
injured, "writhing in agony."
The aftermath of the attack was
filmed.
The BBC link is here although I
advise you not to look at the video portion unless you have a strong
stomach.
Credit: BBC
Panorama
~~~~~~~~~~
The "fighter jet" wasn't
identified by the BBC journalists as belonging to Assad's forces, but
certainly it did. The rebel forces don't have fighter jets. The
location of the attack, an area where those supporting the rebel forces are
found, makes this even more clear. According to the Independent (UK) the attack took place in Aleppo.
It is only days ago that there
were Americans saying that the military warning to Assad to stop using gas had
to be delivered soon because there was fear of another gas attack, with the most
likely target Aleppo.
~~~~~~~~~~
After I viewed the video, I
confess that I responded viscerally: My first thought was that Assad's
head had to be bombed off. Of course that probably would not be possible
because he's hiding in a bunker.
I make no apology for that initial
emotional response to such gross and shocking inhumanity. But, in short
order, I began to think more rationally again, with regard to the wisdom --
within the full context of the situation -- of taking the Assad regime
down. There are a lot of people calling for this -- not because of the
incendiary bomb, but for broader reasons regarding a weakening of
Iran.
What has shocked me is how
little the world has paid attention to this latest attack by the Assad
regime. Evidence seems clear in the video, but if further
confirmation is required, let journalists begin to
investigate.
And here I would suggest that you,
my readers, can be a vehicle for spreading the word of the reports on what is
going on.
If you cannot definitively say,
"Assad's air force dropped an incendiary bomb that burned young people
to death," although there is an exceedingly good likelihood that this is
precisely what happened, then you can say just that: There is a good likelihood
of this having happened as reported, and it's important for people to know, to
pursue the matter, and to raise their voices loudly.
For the record, use of an
incendiary bomb is forbidden by international law, on a humanitarian
basis. I've checked this with an international lawyer. Alan
Baker, my frequent "go to" on such issues. As I said, it's not "just"
gas.
Use the BBC link, or the
Independent link, or both, for confirmation. Put this up on websites, and
on discussion groups, and ask why the world is not responding with horror.
~~~~~~~~~~
Equally shocking to me (I suppose
I should no longer be shocked but I haven't learned to move past this) is how
brazen Assad is. Defying all norms established by the international
community with regard to humanity, he proceeds blithely even as he knows
he is being watched.
He is thumbing his nose at the
world, confident that he can proceed without paying a price.
And this is precisely why he must
pay a price.
~~~~~~~~~~
Now to Barak Obama, and his
statement last night.
I make a public confession.
For one fleeting moment, after I heard that he was going to address the American
people, I imagined that he was going to say that there had been sufficient
justification for action in Syria in any event, but now with evidence of an
attack on young people with an incendiary bomb, the case is even
stronger.
Silly me... I was quickly brought
back to the reality: Obama is a coward who has made a fool of
himself.
~~~~~~~~~~
According to unattributed sources
within the administration, Obama's turn-around on speedy action in Syria was
made unilaterally at the last moment. Advisers gathered expecting to
discuss details of the attack, only to be told that the plans had changed.
Understand that he is not surrounded by advisors we would call "right wing" or
"hawks." And yet they were on board for moving on Syria.
According to the Wall Street
Journal, which carried this story, Obama's change of mind was facilitated
by reassurance he received from chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.
Martin Dempsey, who said that the timing of the attack did not matter:
Whether strikes were launched tomorrow, or a week from now, or a month
from now, the military would be able to ensure the effectiveness of the
operation. he reportedly maintained.
I take strong issue with
Dempsey on this. What he is saying -- if indeed he said this as
reported -- is akin to nonsense. Already too much time has elapsed, and
too much has been said by the president.
There are reports of military
equipment being moved in Syria away from the places the US is most likely to
attack. Reuters, for example, reported on some missiles and launching
equipment being moved from a key military site last week as a "precautionary
measure":
Other reports have alluded to
precautionary troop movements.
What is worse, there are multiple
reports of prison inmates being moved by bus, by the thousands, to those sites
most likely to be targeted -- to serve as human shields. This is also in
defiance of international law.
See, for example: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/syria-human-shields-president-assad-2237439
And Dempsey maintains
that the timing is irrelevant here?
~~~~~~~~~~
Obama's reluctance to act against
Syria has been evident from the start, whatever the surface bravado of his
words. He has now surrendered to that unease -- which was exacerbated
by the negative response of the British Parliament and Cameron's subsequent
pull out.
He has fallen back on the excuse
that it will be more of a "democratic" process if he permits Congress to debate
the issue and then vote on it. (Obama: the champion of democratic
process.) For the record: this is not required of him by law, as he is not
declaring war on Syria; there is ample precedent for the sort of action he
was supposed to take.
Congress is not scheduled to
re-convene after its summer recess until the 9th of September. That
is when the debate will begin; who knows when the vote will be
held.
There is mixed opinion here: Is
Obama hoping that the Congress will vote against, so that he is off the
hook? Or is he looking for support so that he isn't going it alone?
He says he intends to attack Syria eventually; but if Congress is opposed?
My contempt for all of this is
boundless.
~~~~~~~~~~
I will note here that the argument
is being made that with the delay Obama will at least have access to the
findings of the UN team that went to the site of the gas bombing and came out
with samples -- and thus will his case be bolstered. I find this a bit of
nonsense as well. For it has already been concluded that there was a gas
attack. If the UN now says the blood samples show there was a gas attack,
how does this make Obama's case stronger?
The issue (allegedly) was one of
being sure that Assad ordered the attack. But the UN team's blood samples
will not provide evidence of this.
~~~~~~~~~~
A case can be made that the longer
the delay, the less the sense of immediacy, the easier to dispense with it all
together.
Coming full circle, there is also
concern about additional attacks against the Syrian population that Assad will
pursue with great equanimity if has not been attacked. If the whole point
is to warn him that his current behavior will not be tolerated, then he has to
be warned, does he not?
In fact, Obama's delay is causing
Assad to feel even more emboldened.
~~~~~~~~~~
Here in Israel, where criticism of
Obama is strong, it is being said that Netanyahu now knows he cannot count on
Obama on Iran.
My own opinion is that
Netanyahu, who is not foolish, figured this out a long, long time
ago.
Perhaps there are others, either
here in Israel or elsewhere in the Middle East, who have now been
disabused of any notion that Obama is someone to be depended upon.
Neither the government of Israel nor that of other countries such as Saudi
Arabia, eager for the attack, were informed in advance of Obama's change in
plans. The president's
credibility has sunk to a new low.
What is certain is that in Iran,
they're sniggering.
~~~~~~~~~~
What I would like to suggest is
that, if you are an American, you contact your representatives in Congress
now, as they prepare to convene for the big debate.
Tell them that before they vote,
they should be aware of the evidence of an incendiary bomb attack by the Assad
regime on Syrian teenagers. Provide the BBC link, complete with
video.
For
your Congresspersons:
For
your Senators:
~~~~~~~~~~
You
might want to see Alan Baker's comments for the Jerusalem Center for Public
Affairs on the situation in Syria. He is taking a broad international
position:
Credit: cjnews
~~~~~~~~~~
Lastly,
let me share an upbeat article from the JPost Magazine about Israeli
medical care provided to Syrians wounded in their horrendous civil war. This is
the sort of article not only to read and share, but to save in
order to refute malicious charges against Israel:
~~~~~~~~~~
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Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner,
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