New Report Says Syria Responsible for Death, Possible Torture of 11,000
By
David Kailer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25836550
The BBC’s report tracks a report released on the eve of the “biggest diplomatic effort yet to end a three-year conflict that has left more than 100,000 dead and millions displaced”. The convention, commonly known as Geneva II, will convene to discuss resolving the worsening situation in Syria.
The report was comprised with the cooperation of a “defected military police photographer” known as “Caesar”, who was in charge of photographing the dead to assist in producing death certificates and to confirm that executions had been completed. “There could be as many as 50 bodies a day to photograph…” Many of the bodies show signs of beating and emaciation, the consistency over the corpses suggesting to Professor Sir Geoffrey Nice “that the scale and consistency of the killings provided strong evidence of government involvement that could support a criminal prosecution”.
The article also tracks a developing argument over the legitimacy of the report, whether the photographs were actually from within Syria, and whether the report was financed by the country of Qatar, which a spokeman for the Syrian Ministry of Information suggested should completely undermine the findings of the report because of Qatar’s interests in the region.
Marie Harf of the U.S. State Department was quoted as saying, “The situation on the ground is so horrific that we need to get a political transition in place, and we need to get the Assad regime out of power.”
Is American or United Nations intervention appropriate? If so, what form should it take? What concerns would you have about America getting involved in another political struggle abroad?
Foreign Affairs
The United States Gains a New Enemy in the War on Terror
A recent CNN article describes a decision by Congress to list a Nigerian extremist group called Boko Haram on the Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Boko Haram, whose name means “Western Education is Sacrilege”, is attempting to control northeastern Nigeria and impose strict Islamic sharia law in the region.
The organization has existed for several years and has tangible ties to al Qaeda. They have been responsible for at least 3,000 deaths in western Africa since 2009, and have recently begun amplifying their extremist activities.
In deciding to officially name Boko Haram a terrorist organization, Congress has concluded a pointed debate on the issue. On one hand, the group is almost entirely regional. While they have declared a “war on Christians”, their reach and objectives are generally limited to the geography in and around Nigeria. Thus, while they are a danger in their region and could become a larger issue with increased support from al Qaeda, the group poses no real threat to domestic American interests at this time. As such, the appropriateness of declaring them a terrorist enemy is not necessarily obvious, and our conflicting interests are more remote than against al Qaeda itself.
On the other hand, naming Boko Haram a terrorist organization might induce them to become a threat in fact. While the article does not point out any attacks directed at Americans in Africa, Boko Haram could react to this latest news by making a point to do so.
The article does interestingly point out the tools which become available to America once Congress puts a group on the Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Regarding Boko Haram, Congress now has the power to “freeze assets, impose travel bans on known members and affiliates, and prohibit Americans from offering material support.” These tools could become pretty hefty deterrent forces if Boko Haram attempts to assert influence in a wider region than Nigeria itself.
While this determination is apparently a done deal, so to speak, consider the policy implications of allowing America to label foreign organizations as terrorists even when they pose no actual threat to American interests. Should Congress be able to do this? Should there be limits or guidelines restricting Congress’s discretion in so designating organizations? Are such designations even appropriately within the discretion of the United States, or should the United Nations be in charge of dealing with groups who have no known capability or desire to directly harm American citizens? What other issues might arise under this approach?
An Effect of the Syrian Conflict: Polio
A polio outbreak that most likely originated in Pakistan has now hit children in Syria. The Minister of Social Affairs Kindah al-Shammat told the AP that jihadis from Pakistan were to blame in the rebel-controlled north. Though she did not offer any evidence or elaborate.
As of October 17th, 10 out of 22 children in Deir al-Zor have become paralyzed. The remaining 12 most likely have disease. And most of these children are under the age of two. They probably have never been vaccinated or only received one of the three doses to ensure protection.
Polio enters the nervous system causing irreversible paralysis within hours. This can spread rapidly among children under the age of five, especially in the unsanitary conditions among the displaced or crowded refugee camps in neighboring countries.
Before the conflict 91% of Syrian children were vaccinated against diseases, including polio. Since the civil war the rate has fallen to about 68%. This outbreak puts the Middle East at great risk. Not only has the same strand of polio has been found in Israel, West Bank, and Gaza as of April 2013. But about 4,000 Syrian refugees flee to Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey.
The UN is mobilizing to vaccinate the 2.5 million children in Syria to prevent any potential outbreak of this incurable viral disease. They are also disappointed as progress has not been what they have hoped to see and that they are seeing a deeper crisis, as stated by the top relief official at the United Nations
The World Health Organization is aiding to lead the new vaccination effort. The WHO is working with UNICEF and other aid groups to organize a plan to administer repeated oral doses of the polio vaccine starting with the children, not only in Syria but also throughout the region. The campaigns are likely to begin in early November and to last at least six to eight months.
Read more on the details of the polio outbreak from my sources below: