How Will al-Assad Leave? We Need Actions Not Words
01 February 2013By Tariq Alhomayed
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has condemned
the situation in Syria, describing it as ?abominable?,
with nearly a hundred Syrians killed on a daily basis
at the hands of the tyrant of Damascus. According to
Fabius, "The situation is horrific and Bashar must go
as fast as possible." These words are important, but
what now? These are important words but solving the
Syrian crisis and putting an end to Bashar al-Assad's
violence cannot be achieved by statements alone,
particularly as everyone has said everything about the
Syrian crisis. What remains necessary is real action,
whether diplomatically or militarily, to end Assad's
terrorism. The Security Council is yet to adopt a
serious resolution to put an end to the Assad killing
machine, which has claimed the lives of over 60,000
Syrians so far, and the international powers are
reluctant to support the rebels who have been
confronting the tyrant of Damascus' forces for two
years in an unequal war. Assad has well outdone
Muammar Qadhafi in terms of killing, destruction,
rape, and infanticide. At the beginning of the Libyan
revolution it was said that international intervention
was necessary for fear of Qadhafi using warplanes
against the Libyans, yet now Assad is using them
against Syrian civilians on a daily basis.
Therefore, it is true that the French minister's words
are important, particularly as the world seems to have
forgotten the Syrian revolution, and the magnitude of
crimes being committed against the Syrian people, in
light of the launch of military operations in Mali and
after the terrorist events in Algeria. Yet Fabius'
condemnation is not enough, for they will not put an
end to Assad's crimes against the Syrian people.
Assad's ouster is inevitable, but how will it be
achieved? What price will be paid by Syria and the
entire region? This is the fundamental question and
the crux of the matter. If the intention is to let the
Syrian people topple Assad by themselves, this
represents a real danger for a variety of reasons. The
Iranians for example, together with Hezbollah and
Iraq's sectarian extremists, are not hesitating to
support the Assad regime. The entire country is being
torn apart and its social fabric is being ripped in a
systematic manner, whether at the hands of the Assad
regime or its allies. This is all happening while the
Syrian rebels have no one to support them; no one to
provide them with ammunition or arms or to adopt
strict political stances towards the Damascus regime.
The story here is not about the legitimacy of foreign
intervention; the fact is that this was already
happening prior to the Syrian revolution when Assad
transformed his country into an Iranian stage, not to
mention Iran's current meddling in the Syrian crisis
to defend the Syrian president. Here I am calling for
military and political action in Syria, represented by
Security Council intervention, to stop the Assad
killing machine, avert the possible collapse of the
state, and prevent post-Assad Syria from transforming
into a breeding ground for terrorism in the region,
something that would jeopardize the security of the
Middle East as a whole.
Thus, the question is how will Assad leave and what
will be the price? This is what the West, and first
and foremost the Arabs, must consider. The longer the
crisis is prolonged, the more dangerous it is for
everyone. We need actions not words.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq
Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that
position. He holds a BA degree in Media studies from
King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also
completed his Introductory courses towards a Master's
degree from George Washington University in Washington
D.C. He is based in London.
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