It would be really interesting if the Arab League actually did something ummm… diplomatic, like offering to broker a settlement. Kind of like what the UN would do if Russia and China didn’t object. Or even, subject Syria to sanctions. Sanctions that were internationally accepted. But, then it comes down to Syria’s allies.
I don’t know. In a perfect world, the Arab League would be more useful. As it is, it is about as useful as SEATO was. <sigh> I wish this stuff would just get better, but it isn’t.
Is it the USA’s fault that Syria is self-destructing?
If so, then we need to fix it, but I really don’t think it is.
I agree with this. Even the Arab League said that NATO went too far
And the population centers of Libya were pretty isolated as well. Syria is right in the midst of a volatile area.
Also consider no one really knows what is going to happen long term in Egypt (still has fighting) or Libya. I mean no one wants to replace a dictator with someone worse.
Turkey would not invade Syria unless attacked. Remember the Ottomans ruled Syria and France even gave to the new Turkish state, Alexandretta and the surrounding area back to the Turks, which did not go over well in Syria
I honestly don’t know enough about it to say, but it’s hard to imagine. There are so many different ethnicities that historically don’t get along. I would be especially concerned about the Christians and the Kurds. And the Alawites.
Not exactly a surprising turn of events. From the Russians perspective it makes perfect sense…they are betting that Assad et al will survive this intact, while at the same time making noises about how confident they are that peace will be restored to the region and even a wink to ‘enlarged Arab League mission in the country’ type stuff. Russia is not going to abandon their support for the current regime, BG…at least not until the writing is not only on the wall but pretty much chiseled into the granite on the tomb stone. Neither is China.
It’s an important update that they seem to be going the extra inch, or, rather, flailing desperately to save something from the situation. Like to know what’s passing between Assad and Lavrov right now.
They are merely trying to preserve the status-quo…like they pretty much always do. There is no change here at all. The only way Russia is going to change it’s tune is if Assad is hanging from a street pole…at that point they will probably try and work with whoever takes over, assuming they can, and keep doing business as usual.
DO they think that?? If so, I agree…there is no reason to believe that. I’d guess that the Russians are unsure if anyone but Assad will continue to do business with them, which is probably why they want to maintain the status quo.
It’s more a sense that the world in general and the MENA in particular will be better off with one dicatorship less. I mean, it’s hard to regret anything that has happened lately in Tunisia or Libya or Egypt . . . even if it all ends with the Muslim Brotherhood everywhere in (and freely elected to) power.
Why would we otherwise support an overthrow of Assad? Otherwise, we’re supporting the substitution of a reasonable dictatorship with a dictatorship of an unknown quality. We have even more interest in a stable Middle East then Russia does, even if we don’t realize it. If our government does not expect a new Syrian government to be even more supportive of us than the current one, then our actions and statements are inexplicable.
It’s an important update relevant to the OP.