Syria Unrest — International Points

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November 4, 2024

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by Anup Shah
This web page Created Tuesday, June 05, 2012

This web page: https://www.globalissues.org/article/799/syria.
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Introduction
Information tales from IPS

Introduction

Syria is likely one of the oldest locations the place civilization has thought to have began. Its capital, Damascus, is likely one of the oldest repeatedly inhabited cities on the earth. All through historical past it has seen many adjustments, violent and in any other case.

Immediately it’s comprised of a lot of ethnic teams, largely Arab, although an affordable variety of Kurds, Armenians are additionally current. There have additionally been a lot of Iraqi refugees and the principle Arab group are themselves from completely different sects and denominations.

Round January 2011, following on from the Arab Spring the place protests in opposition to ruling regimes erupted in a lot of Center East international locations, protesters in Syria got here out demanding President Bashar al-Assad and his authorities step down. In response, Assad despatched in troops with some cities and areas being besieged for weeks and months. Each professional and anti-government protest gatherings have at instances been massive.

Picture: Demonstrations in Hom. Credit score: Bo yaser

Criticism of Syria’s crackdown has been fairly widespread. The Arab League has responded by suspending Syria’s membership. Syria claims that it’s combating an insurgency that’s terrorist by nature and claimed Al Qaeda is concerned. It has not been attainable to confirm that declare so many see it as a cynical excuse.

The ruling regime is a sect of Shia, so has assist from Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, whereas the opposition is basically Sunni, thus receiving assist from different Center East international locations, similar to Saudi Arabia and others.

1000’s have been killed — civilians and armed combatants. Some are asking the West for a army intervention like there was in Libya, however the US specifically isn’t eager on one other army intervention regardless that they’ve been brazenly hostile and significant of the Syrian ruling regime for a few years.

Picture: Professional-Assad Rally. Credit score: Newtown grafitti

China and Russia even have shut ties with Syria and up to now haven’t been eager on any motion condemning Syria and have even vetoed some actions. Some papers have reported Iran and others serving to Syria with weapons, whereas others additionally talked about the opposition being armed by the West.

Mainstream media protection is after all a part of the problem; understandably the brutal regime crackdown has been met with shock, horror, and so on. However the protection has additionally been one-sided within the sense that comparable varieties of violence dedicated by US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan don’t obtain comparable criticism, however a lot flatter and measured reporting as an alternative. Media Lens covers this level in rather more element declaring many propaganda issues in mainstream media protection and is price studying.

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