Thanks to todays article from the Troubadour and the on-going series Witnessing Revolution folks, we have been exposed to the issue of Syria and the trouble there.
Well today in the face of the brutal dictatorship of the Assad regime the U.N. Security council just condemned the Syrians for their incredibly callous actions....
But wait... there is more to this - follow below the squiggley thingamabob
First the Lead: UN Security Council condemns Syria for crackdown on civilians:
In its first substantive action against Syria's five-month-old uprising, the UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned human rights violations and use of force against civilians by Syrian authorities....
....The statement, read out to a council meeting by Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, this month's president of the body, "condemns widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities."
The document, agreed upon after three days of hard bargaining instead of a full council resolution that the West would have preferred, also urges Damascus to fully respect human rights and comply with its obligations under international law.
The council called for "an immediate end to all violence and urges all sides to act with utmost restraint, and to refrain from reprisals, including attacks against state institutions." This line was a gesture to Russia and other countries that had called for a balanced statement that would assign blame to both sides for the violence in the uprising against President Bashar Assad.
During this procedure, Lebanon, while not blocking the measure strongly disassociated itself from the Security Council's Condemnation stating that they didn't think this would be a "productive measure".
Aside from Lebanon's behavior there is another twist to this as well. In an attempt to reach out the the West (and Israel for some odd reason) they Syrians have offered to put pressure to free Gilad Shalit from his captors in exchange for lifting of sanctions. Now, notice that they did not say they would free him but only that they would "promote" release.
As Ynet (Israel) quotes:
eanwhile, the opposition-affiliated website All 4 Syria reported the state has offered to promote the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for relief of some of the sanctions recently imposed upon the government for its brutal crackdown on protesters.
All 4 Syria cited a diplomatic source who said the Syrian intelligence minister made the suggestion to his German counterpart, offering Syrian mediation in exchange for German pressure on the international community to lift some sanctions.
The site added that the proposal was also conveyed to the German mediator in talks for Shalit between Israel and Hamas, Gerhard Conrad, who resigned recently after Hamas accused him of siding with Israel. Other European countries were notified as well, according to the source, so that leaders could form an opinion.
It is currently unclear exactly how significant of an effect Syria has on the matter of Shalit's release.
I can't see how that should even be considered by anyone. How can the release of one man from his terrorist kidnappers equal the pain and suffering of thousands of Syrians and honestly the people of Syria deserve better than that. That is a ridiculous offer and I sincerely hope the U.N. is not even considering that. I say this as someone who feels the release of Shalit is a very important thing.
So what does this condemnation really mean? What options are there to change the situation. The Russians and the Chinese won't sanction military action like Libya. Economic sanctions against Syria won't accomplish anything as the regime doesn't care what happens to their people. Further, the people are already in revolt so what more could sanctions do?
I think one possible solution is a U.N. blockade of all Military items both land, sea, and air to starve the dictatorial Assad regime of it's power to inflict casualties over time. I think active re-supply of those Pro-Democracy activists (and only that faction) could also be helpful.
I may be wrong but that is just one solution.
Anyhow, let's discuss....
Thanks!
UPDATE #1 Here is what Triggerd it: Syria army shells Hama, seizes central Assi square