Ending Wars

"We're at an impasse here in terms of what the world community believes should or shouldn't be done, and those who want to act have our full support. Obviously, we would prefer to see global consensus on this, but I think we share obviously the view of our allies, that when we see developments that we think in the long term are dangerous for the planet, and therefore us as well, we are simply not prepared to accept the idea that there is a Russian veto over all of our actions. That's the fundamental difference of opinion here.
"I think we're in new territory and I think (it) demands a different kind of response from our allies than we would have been prepared to do in other circumstances."
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, St. Petersburg, Russia

The G20 meetings generally focus on world economic matters. A consensus to be reached that will aid countries in advancing their economic agendas more or less in concert with one another. On this occasion, the two-day summit that took place in St.Petersburg focused primarily on the crisis facing the world with the conundrum of how to respond to the carnage that is taking place in the Middle East; specifically, the Alawite regime of Shia-minority Syrian Baathist President Bashar al-Assad attacking his civilian majority Sunni population.

That the Syrian regime, warning at the onset of the rebellion that the opposition facing him is comprised of terrorists, Islamists, al-Qaeda-infused jihadists, has been able finally, to point a righteous finger of blame since then at the incursion of those very battle-hardened, Saudi-weaponized factions has created a larger problem for the international community. The Free Syrian Army is hugely disorganized, comprised of many competing groups of Sunni Syrians who have a common cause but not common ground to command them.

They are now backed by the superior fighting and strategic skills of the invading jihadists flocking to the scene of action in Syria's deadly civil war, out of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, Libya, Mali and Russia, forming their own fighting blocks against the regime. And there they meet up against the regime's soldiers to whom are attached Shia Hezbollah fighters, as battle-experienced as the Sunni terrorists and far better equipped thanks to Iran's generosity with its proxy army, and Syria's earlier furnishing of weapons via Russia.

The question that looms particularly and glaringly large in international diplomatic and government circles is simply which represents the worst side in the conflict? And the response eludes because each side has convincingly demonstrated their brutishness in committing atrocities. The regime has more opportunity to mount atrocities because it is a combined authority and its equipment is that of a country well furbished with munitions by its mentors Iran and Russia. The opposition, that motley crew of Syrian rebels and Islamist fanatics don't have the advantage of attack helicopters and jet warplanes and large-scale munitions.

The desire here on the part of the West in particular, Europe and North America and their Asian allies, is to put a stop to the heinous acts of carnage, most particularly to alleviate the plight of Syrian civilians whose suffering has been palpable. Leaders and representatives from 11 nations participating in the G20 -- the United States, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Korea, Australia and Saudi Arabia -- took the opportunity to issue a statement condemning the chemical weapons attack by the Syrian government; they require no convincing that it was indeed the regime responsible.

"The evidence clearly points to the Syrian government being responsible for the attack, which is part of a pattern of chemical weapons use by the regime. We call for a strong international response to this grave violation of the world's rules and conscience that will send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated Those who perpetrated these crimes must be held accountable", the eleven said in their statement. While deploring that the Security Council "remains paralyzed".

"The world cannot wait for endless failed processes that can only lead to increased suffering in Syria and regional instability." And, in an ongoing but futile effort to end the impasse, or at the very least begin to open minds closed to the potential of arriving at some usable protocol that might convince the adversaries to take a time out and explore the possibilities of discussions, Presidents Putin and Obama met privately for a short meeting on the summit sidelines.

"He doesn't agree with me, I don't agree with him, but we listened to each other. It was a constructive, meaningful cordial conversation. Each of us kept with our own opinion", said Mr. Putin; giving verbal evidence that minds remained obdurately closed to actually listening to one another. Nevertheless Mr. Obama said he felt "encouraged" that the discussion with G20 leaders took place. In the belief that there exists a "growing recognition that the world can't stand idly by".

And hoping that they might all in good time surmount their differences enabling them to work toward a solution.

"I'm not itching for military action. I was elected to end wars -- not start them", he commented, finally.