Russia's hypocrisy?

On 11th September 2013, Putin wrote an op-ed article, "A Plea for Caution From Russia. What Putin Has to Say to Americans About Syria" which appeared in the New York Times. The article was written in relation to the air strike that America (and other western countries) were debating on. In that article he mentioned the following: 

"From the outset, Russia has advocated peaceful dialogue enabling Syrians to develop a compromise plan for their own future. We are not protecting the Syrian government, but international law. We need to use the United Nations Security Council and believe that preserving law and order in today’s complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos. The law is still the law, and we must follow it whether we like it or not. Under current international law, force is permitted only in self-defense or by the decision of the Security Council. Anything else is unacceptable under the United Nations Charter and would constitute an act of aggression.

It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States....

We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilized diplomatic and political settlement...."

Around that time, there were anti-war protests in London as well as in other cities, against any western foreign intervention in Syria (though they seemed to have overlooked Iranian, Russian and Hezbollah interference in the country and only focused on USA/UK/France etc.)

I refer back to that article for a reason in relation to the current events in Ukraine. It's been recently reported that, Russia has sent troops to Ukraine, that there's been a build up of armoured vehicles near a ferry port on the Russian side of the Kerch Channel, which separates the two countries with more recent news that now pro-Russian troops have taken over the ferry terminal on the Ukrainian side.

So what about all that talk on Syria, arguing against any western intervention against their own internal affairs?

Where are all those anti-war protesters around the world, calling against Russia's interference in Ukraine? Isn't Russia's actions an act of aggression? Why isn't international law applicable to Ukraine and their sovereignty protected? Or is it only American and British imperialism that the anti-war movement objects to but when it's Russia, that's fine?

RIP Khaled Bakrawi

Khaled Bakrawi was a 24-year old activist from Yarmouk Camp, born and raised in Syria but originally from Lubya, Palestine that was ethnically cleansed in 1948. Khaled Bakrawi played an integral role in rallying the masses in the struggle for justice. He was one of the founders of the Jafra Foundation and was extremely active in the Palestinian Youth Movement. During the commemoration of al-Naksa in 2011, Khaled was injured when Israeli Occupation Forces opened fire on the protestors. Despite his wounds, he remained steadfast in his struggles and organized for the internally displaced that made their way into Yarmouk. Khaled Bakrawi had been missing, thought to be in Assad’s jails, since January 19, 2013. This was confirmed on September 11, 2013 when news arose that he had been tortured to death.

UK's participation in the UNHCR Syrian Refugees Programme

On Wednesday 29th January, there will be a debate in the House of Commons on UK's participation in the UNHCR Syrian Refugees Programme. So for all those who are in the UK, email/phone your MPs, ask them for their views and get them to vote for the programme!

Here's a link for an email template by a UK charity RefugeeCouncil which you can use.

The following is the email I sent to my MP.

Dear __________,

As I'm aware, there's a debate on Wednesday 29th January regarding UK's Participation in the UNHCR Syrian Refugees Programme. I wanted to enquire what your position on the matter is and what you will bring to the debate on Wednesday.

I think it's very important for the UK to be involved in the humanitarian side of the Syrian uprising and a resettlement program offers a durable solution to help the most vulnerable struggling in the region. There are over 2,300,000 registered refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon alone, and over 3,000,000 internally displaced Syrians. Yet these numbers are only the tip of the iceberg. As the Syrian Uprising is soon to enter its fourth year, many Syrians are struggling financially both within Syria and abroad. I'm sure you're aware from the news of the conditions inside Syria and also in the refugee camps in Jordan and Turkey.

As a result of the current conditions, the UK must work with the UN and the wider international community to initiate an immediate programme of emergency humanitarian evacuations to help refugees whose needs are the most acute. Furthermore, it should be made possible for Syrians with a connection to the UK, in particular those who have family members who are either British citizens or are recognised as refugees by the UK government to be assisted to enter the UK to join their families and communities. I personally know of a case where a young lady has her visa application denied by the British embassy in Lebanon and in Egypt despite her mother, step father and their family living in the UK. Her husband died a year after their marriage in Damascus and has now returned to Damascus with no other options. Is it ethical to deny family members the right to be with their immediate families?

Additionally, the UK should set an example for the wider international community by establishing a substantial and co-ordinated resettlement programme in the UK and encourage other European member states to do so likewise. Sweden has offered unlimited assistance to Syrian refugees allowing asylum and permanent residency to all Syrians that enter the country whilst Germany have offered 10,000 humanitarian visas for Syrians.

There are considerable strains on neighbouring countries to absorb refugees though over recent months many Syrian refugees are facing hostile environments in host countries; particularly Egypt and Jordan, and increasingly in Lebanon. Refugees who leave Syria for political reasons are unable to travel to Lebanon for security concerns.

Of course there are those who will always oppose immigration to the UK; however I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Furthermore, in this case there is an imperative need to help those who face harsh conditions that no one should ever have to face. By offering Syrians a chance to live in the UK, many children would continue their education which they would unable to do so either in Syria or neighbouring countries as many have to work for their families to survive. It would also allow many Syrians the right to work and contribute towards British life; many Syrians have professional roles so they could rely on their own earnings and provide different perspectives and ideas which could only add to British life and diversity. Many refugees have the hope of returning to Syria once the violence and bloodshed has stopped and security has returned to the country. Their experience in the UK would help Syrians to rebuild their country as they would have continued their education and training, gained work experience and improved upon their skills.

In terms of what the UK would get out of a resettlement plan can be seen from past experience. Firstly, immigrants, including refugees, pay more into public's money compared to their UK born counterparts (http://www.ippr.org/publication/55/1352/paying-their-way-the-fiscal-contribution-of-immigrants-in-the-uk). 

Secondly, 30,000 jobs have been estimated to have been created in Leicester by Ugandan Asian refugees since 1972 (http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/aug/11/race.world).

Another advantage would be the economic benefit of accepting refugees whose professions are in medicine. There are currently 1,200 medically qualified refugees on the British Medical Association's database. It's estimated that it costs £25,000 to support a refugee doctor to practice in the UK whereas training a new doctor in the UK is estimated to cost between £200,000 and £250,000 (http://www.nhsemployers.org/Aboutus/Publications/Pages/ReapingTheRewards.aspx).

Lastly, asylum seeking children contribute very positively to schools across the country which in turn enables more successful integration of families into local communities (http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Education/Inclusion/Asylum-seeker-children/The-education-of-asylum-seeker-pupils/%28language%29/eng-GB).

I hope you will consider my email in your decision and I would highly appreciate hearing your opinion and decision prior to the debate on Wednesday.

Thank you for your time and help. I look forward to hearing from you.

Your sincerely,

Evidence of torture and execution of Syrians (GRAPHIC IMAGES!)

Three lawyers (Sir Desmond de Silva QC , Professor David M. Crane & Professor Sir Geoffrey Nice QC), wrote a report into the credibility of certain evidence in regards to torture and execution of citizens incarcerated by the Syrian regime.  Both the Guardian and CNN wrote articles publishing the report alongside key findings and images.

The following images are from the report which were leaked by a source named "Caesar" who worked in the military police in Syria for 13 years before defecting. The images were taken either by himself or his colleagues in his unit.

"Each body in the photographs seen by CNN had a number written on it; a person's hand can often also be seen holding a piece of paper in the frame of the photograph with the same number written on it."

The following text taken from the report details the process and the reasoning behind the photographs:

The procedure was that when detainees were killed at their places of detention their bodies would be taken to a military hospital to which he would be sent with a doctor and a member of the judiciary, “Caesar’s” function being to photograph the corpses. He informed the inquiry team that there could be as many as fifty (50) bodies a day to photograph which required fifteen to thirty minutes of work per corpse. The purpose of documenting the corpses was to ensure that none had been released by the security services and to inform the families of murdered detainees in due course that the cause of death in each case was either a “heart attack” or “breathing problems” and to satisfy the authorities that executions had been performed. Each murdered detainee was given two numbers with only the intelligence service knowing the identities of the corpses. The procedure for documentation was that when a detainee was killed each body was given a reference number which related to that branch of the security service responsible for his detention and death. When the corpse was taken to the military hospital it was given a further number so as to document, falsely, that death had occurred in the hospital. Once the bodies were photographed they were taken for burial in a rural area.

Protest videos (17/01/2014)

Here are some videos of today's protests in Syria.

Dael - Daraa province (17/01/2014):

Saqba, Damascus Suburbs (17/01/2014):



Erbeen, Damascus Suburbs (17/01/2014):



Killi - Idlib province (17/01/2014):



Sarmada - Idlib province (17/01/2014):



Kafrnbel - Idlib province (17/01/2014):