Syrian civil war: Four years of genocide

The Arab Spring or the revolutionary democratic uprisings that spread across the Arab world in 2011 also had its impact on Syria led by the autocratic president Bashar al Assad.

The Syrian regime is known for being one of the most tyrannical and bloodthirsty dictatorships in the world with the president Assad crushing down the rebellion with the aid of his powerful army and backing from its allies like Russia, Iran and even China. The civil demonstrations that began as peaceful protests under the Opposition in 2011 against the despotic rule of Assad soon changed its nature strengthening the Arab Spring. Instead of stepping down to make way for a democratic rule, he gave orders to suppress the rebellion and refused to meet the protestor’s demands leading to clashes. In the riots that used chemical weapons, more than two lakh people were killed. According to the reports from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Committee and Turkey government, around 40 lakh Syrians were deprived of their homes with people fleeing to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Europe. Turkey alone hosts 17 lakh Syrian refugees aiding in their rehabilitation much to the praise of UN. Despite limited resources the country continues to receive the refugees the majority of which are women and children.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has now suggested Turkey to have negotiations with President Assad in order to end the conflict in Syria. It has been four years since the start of conflict in March 2011 and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that all of Syria’s problems were caused by the Assad regime. Cavusoglu reportedly asked what negotiations were to be held with ‘a regime that has killed over 200,000 people and has used chemical weapons’. He was also quoted saying as to what result has been achieved through the negotiations till now. The US, European Union, the United Nations, Arab League or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has not been able to stop the bloodshed and save the country from the civil war. Assad has continued to hold on to Syria refusing to step down. Reports of the Assad regime being the backing force behind Islamic State (IS) has also been speculated. Turkey had earlier refused to be part of an operation against IS due to this reason. The authoritarian president for the time being is content for the IS would be held responsible for any brutality he carries out against the voices raised against him. The violence and cruelty of the regime is no less than that of the IS militants. It is the responsibility of the United States, UN, the countries of the European Union and the Arab Nations to put an end to Assad’s despotic rule and save the innocent civilians from the savage terror groups like the IS, Boko Haram and Al Qaeda.