And, In Syria...

Another feel-good moment in the United Nations.  Where the United Nations General Assembly condemned human rights abuses in Syria.  In Iran and North Korea as well, in separate votes.  The wording of the resolution against Syria was to the point: it ... "strongly condemns the continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities and the government-controlled 'shabiha' militia."


There, that should do it.  Syria will, without doubt, feel roundly condemned.  And, as a result contemplate a turn-around of their response to the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.  And prepare itself for retribution by the Sunni rebels against the Shia-Alawite regime and its supporters.  Syrian Christians might wish to prepare themselves as well. 

A Syrian UN mission representative characterized the resolution against his government as highly politicized - that it "hinders peaceful solutions for the crisis in Syria.  The sponsors of this draft resolution", he further insisted "namely Qatar Saudi Arabia and Morocco, are not renowned for their desire to protect and promote human rights in Syria."

"Quite to the contrary they are a major part of the problem, they are the main instigator for ongoing violence and an escalation of violence in my country."  Not at all; Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Morocco are complacent in their denial of those absurd allegations.  They are simply recognizing, as is their responsibility, that one of their number is blackening the collective eye of the Arab League.

One cannot help wondering, however, how they feel collectively about the alternative to the Alawite regime.  Which will clearly be replaced by a Sunni Islamist regime.  Matching the Islamism of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Morocco, and then far outdistancing it with the triumphant inclusion of al-Qaeda associated terrorist groups finding themselves a firm footing as a base from which to further their ambitions.

The Syrian regime has much on its mind, other than the condemnation in the UN.  Their key military installations close to the capital with stores of chemical and biological weapons are as likely to be looted by the rebel forces and by extension the terrorists alongside them and leading the charges, as they are to be used by the regime itself.

And their major sponsor outside Iran has pronounced some disquieting observations of late.  Including those of Vladimir Putin: "We are not preoccupied that much with the fate of the Assad regime.  We realize what's going on there and that the family has been in power for 40 years. Undoubtedly, there is a call for changes."  That's just too precious coming from Vladimir Putin.

But timely as a recognition of the inevitable with the rebels coming closer than ever to driving President al-Assad from clinging to power, shaking confidence in his ability to retain Damascus and fend off their storming of military bases in the north.