Siria

The 2011-2012 Syrian Crisis

The current situation in the Middle East after the beginning of the called "Arab Spring" is alarming in the eyes of the international community. Systematic human rights violations and massive massacres from the hands of governments and militias against their own people is something than in the words of US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is "disgusting anddespicable”.

The Arab Spring movement began in late December of 2010 when the people of Tunis began protesting against their regime and after months of demonstrations managed to make their government step down from power. In view of Tunisian success, civilians began to protest in Libya, Egypt, and many other Arab nations; causing leaders from all over the region to abdicate and flee theirrespective countries. There have also been leaders like General Muammar Gaddafi from Libya and President Bashar Al-Assad from Syria which decided not to step down and rather continue in control of the country in spite of all protests. The people of Libya took the matter to a civil war that lasted several months and caused thousands of casualties from both sides. The rebels were eventually supported by theinternational community, especially the UN Security Council which declared a "No fly zone" over Libya and authorized NATO to aid the rebels by conducting airstrikes against Gaddafi's forces. The regime eventually collapsed and General Gaddafi was killed during a rebel raid in his hometown of Sirte on October 20, 2011.

The situation in Syria is turning out to be just like in Libya. Publicdemonstrations began on 26 January 2011 and the situation developed into a nationwide uprising, with protesters demanding the resignation of President Bashar Al-Assad and the overthrow of the government and ending nearly five decades of Ba’ath party rule. As protests continued, the Syrian government began deploying the army forces as a means to quell the uprising, and several cities have beenbesieged.

President Al-Assad has refused to resign and has rather ordered his forces to take strong stands and repressive measures against protesters. Human rights violations intensified, curfews were established and soldiers were given clearance to shoot people in a systematic fashion. NATO members United States, United Kingdom, and France have repeatedly spokenin favor of the Syrian opposition and have demanded President Al-Assad to resign in order to preserve stability in the country. The UN has passed several resolutions condemning this conflict in the General Assembly, but has been unable to do so in the Security Council, the organization's most powerful body, due to vetoes from Russia and China in several occasions.Even though Russia and China have stated they are against violent repressions and massacres, they believe that involving third parties such as NATO would only cause more violence and destruction. Both countries maintain that they have a feeling of mistrust when it comes to foreign intervention, because NATO went further than what the Security Council Resolution 1973 authorized in Libya. Theyalso believe that the US, UK, and France were and are only looking after their own interests in the region.

On the other hand, Western powers accuse Russia and China of putting their own national interests before their moral duty to help the Syrian people. These nations believe that Russia is looking after their billionaire weapon trade contracts with theAl-Assad regime and their only military base in the region. For many analysts this is not but another political stalemate in the UN, caused by China and Russia´s secret vow to stop western democracies from controlling the faith of the world.

With death tolls increasing at an alarming speed, this committee has to decide which stand the international community must...