Outrage in Syria
Once again the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad is conducting a brutal and criminal offensive against its own population, with the support of Russia and Iran. Warplanes have been pounding the suburban Damascus area known as Eastern Ghouta, targeting hospitals, apartment buildings and other civilian sites. In the week that ended Sunday, relief organizations reported at least 541 people killed and 1,500 wounded.
On Sunday, hours after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution mandating a 30-day cease-fire, the offensive intensified: Ground forces launched an assault on five fronts, and opposition sources reported that chlorine gas had been used in at least one area.
This latest Syrian atrocity has been made possible, like so many before it, by Vladimir Putin. The Russian military is backing the Ghouta offensive, and Russian diplomats ensured that the Security Council resolution meant to stop it was held up for several days, then laced with loopholes providing a pretext for the slaughter to continue. On Monday, Putin offered, instead of the cease-fire, a daily “humanitarian pause” to allow the evacuation of civilians and entry of aid.
Moscow said it would begin on Tuesday, but — to the surprise of virtually no one — no such action was taken. Instead, the assault goes on. … Russia has suffered several recent reverses in Syria — not just a bloody nose on the Euphrates but the collapse of a unilateral attempt to broker a peace settlement. Putin does not appear chastened. He is openly defying the Security Council while helping the Assad regime to overrun a region populated by 390,000 people by bombing hospitals and deploying chemical weapons.
After months of hesitation, the Trump administration recently outlined a policy for Syria that supports the U.N. process and calls for eliminating terrorist groups. But Putin eschews cooperation with Washington. Putin is doing his best to intimidate President Donald Trump into ordering a withdrawal. In the absence of a firm U.S. response to its latest outrages, the Kremlin is unlikely to change course.