Syrians need America’s compassion not just its cruise missiles
DONALD TRUMP’S declaration that action would be taken over the latest deadly chemical attacks in Syria has to be commended. The US leader was unequivocal in his condemnation of despot Bashar al-Assad’s actions, calling them both “atrocious” and “barbaric’.
But after having promised Syria will pay a “big price” the President is in danger of leaving America open to renewed criticism if he does not follow through.
We can but hope Trump has learnt from the latest heinous act of ‘animal Assad’.
This year the President has failed to respond to seven previous smaller chemical attacks and only last week announced that he intended to pull out US forces and “let the other people take care of” the problem.
It, therefore, should not have come as a surprise that Assad’s ever-opportunistic regime responded by dumping toxic chemicals on Douma.
The town, a suburb of Damascus, saw more than 500 people, mostly women and children, affected, with at least 70 dying a tortuous death.
Trump, who criticised his predecessor Barack Obama for allowing red lines in Syria to be crossed without retaliation, ought now to recognise that the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian allies are as happy to take advantage of any perceived US inaction as they have in the past.
Last year’s air strikes by Trump, following a similar attack by Assad, proved that the despot and his enablers have not been deterred.
Vladimir Putin and the ayatollahs came to believe they could do what they wanted in Syria, reinforced recently by Trump’s plans to call for an early withdrawal of 2,000 troops there.
The President further encouraged that sense of impunity every time he exempted Putin from direct criticism for Russia’s disgraceful actions.
So this week was a major step forward when Trump finally drew a line, saying in a tweet, “President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad”.
The question is what comes next, as a few cruise missiles won’t change anything in the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
As welcome as forceful military action against the despot and his regime will be, there’s no guarantee it will alleviate a single Syrian’s suffering. An easier, non-military step would pay far larger dividends in that respect, but it is one Trump is loath to take.
Since 2012, as a savage civil war has left a more than 500,000 Syrians dead, two American presidents have toyed with using the military to punish the Assad regime for chemical attacks.
Both came to nothing, only serving to strengthen Assad’s resolve, as he tightened his grip on the country.
But now, with Trump’s professed concern for the victims of the chemical brutality, hopefully we may see a swift change in American
policy.
The cruel, collective refusal to accept more than the tiniest trickle of refugees fleeing the humanitarian disaster is at odds with the President’s supposed compassion.
More than five and a half million Syrians are registered as refugees.
Some 60% are in Turkish camps or settlements while most of the rest are in Lebanon or Jordan.
In the face of this mass exodus from Assad’s barbarity, Trump has capped America’s refugee resettlement quota at 45,000 – the lowest in history.
What’s more, America – historically a haven for victims of war-torn countries – has resettled fewer than 11,000 refugees.
Just 44 of those are from Syria. In an attempt to justify the brutally low numbers allowed in, Trump continues to vilify would-be refugees, women and children included, as immediate security threats.
It is beyond ridiculous.
By all means send a message to Assad with air strikes and missiles but more importantly, as the world grows ever more numb to the slaughter of civilians in Syria, open the doors to those in need.