This Ongoing War: A Blog: 14-Jun-11: Thumb-twiddling

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

14-Jun-11: Thumb-twiddling

There is an almost total passivity, even silence, from the Arab world over the bloodbath going on inside Syria (see some astute Arab comments in "Syria and the Arab silence… Again" published in the London-based pan-Arab daily newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat).

Greater numbers of Syrians are fleeing for their lives across the border to Turkey (see picture at right) with Assad's armed hordes firing in all directions right behind them, and some Arab voices - not enough but some - are sensing how dangerous Assad's actions are for the region, and warning where this might lead.

The death toll meanwhile keeps rising (six killed so far today, Tuesday, making a total of about 1,200 since mid March) as Assad's forces slaughter their fellow Syrians.

The Telegraph (UK) points out ("Assad's death squads have had a busy few weeks. But don't expect the BBC to tell you") that a credulous media continues to straight-facedly publish the most implausible claims by the Assad regime though they are self-evidently fictitious: "In 12 weeks, he has not been able to produce a single video showing that his military is embroiled in deadly combat with roving gangs of terrorists. The Syrian people, meanwhile, have uploaded thousands of unedited YouTube clips depicting peaceful protests interrupted by acts of savagery".

Dawood Al Shirian, the Saudi editor in chief of Alarabiya.net warns

the Syrian regime will not remain silent while watching the Syrian citizens and defected soldiers cross to north Lebanon and Turkey. This is creating an increasing international pressure with time. If Damascus fails to move everyone’s attention from what is happening on its land through creating tension on its borders with Israel and Turkey, then it would try to ignite its border with Lebanon. It would try to mix the Lebanese-Palestinian cards, create more worries for Israel and force the UNIFIL to take a stand that would turn the situation upside down and impose a whole new status quo towards Syria.

See what a ruthless despot who understands the sleight-of-hand in shifting people's attention can accomplish when he feels he is able to get away with it? Lovely people to make peace with.

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