The unbridled violence that has steadily escalated in Syria is now entering its tortuous 18th month. A series of minor scuffles and quasi-pacific protests have developed into a fully-fledged war that has many intricacies, kingmakers and deeply rooted interests playing a deadly end game. Indeed, it has ironically become the ‘jewel’ in the crown of what many had hopeful and optimistically labelled ‘The Arab Spring.’

For better or worse, the uprisings and subsequent revolutions in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Tunisia, and to some extent Egypt, have had their turning points. Many of the long-standing regimes in the absolute majority of cases have crumbled with their attendant grim consequences. It will take years for real stability and peace to be achieved in many of these countries, some of which have been riven by violence and hatred accumulated over many years. In the meantime, for these nations it is a time for complex constitutional reform and delicate and patient bridge building and reconciliation. Only time will tell if the actual and original aspirations of the Arab Spring will ever be realised.

Syria remains a completely different story. For decades, Syria was an established player on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean. Its many roles kept its incumbent leaders ensconced in a world of international intrigue but with a firm grip on its long standing domestic agitations, frustrations and internal politics. Alas this is no more.

During these 18 months, Syria’s relative stability has disintegrated as its symbols of power have been openly challenged with unmitigated violence. The war has claimed as much as 15,000 lives and counting (some speculate the figure is closer to 40,000). In many of the latter cases, the victims of this revolution and repression have been innocent civilians, women and children.

There has been utter and irrevocable disgust expressed by the international community for the atrocities committed in Syria. The acts of violence perpetrated by the Assad regime on its people have been decisive, unrepentant and unmoveable. So far many attempts have been made to bridge the gap between the warring parties with absolutely no success at all. In fact, quite the contrary has happened. With each passing day, the Assad regime ups the ante and the dose of lethal violence escalates as we speak.

Places like Daraa, Baniyas, Al-Qamishli, Homs and now Aleppo have become veritable killing fields in an unmatched conflict between government and the FSA (Free Syrian Army.) Towns and cities have been literally razed to the ground and the wave of refugees continues to swell northwards. Syria is now paralysed almost beyond recognition.

Clearly the international community has shown very weak resolve in the face of this Syrian reality. Beyond the posturing and ineffective sanctions, it is amply clear that Assad has absolutely no intention of backing down. Both sides are breaking sanctions with the mute complicity of neighbouring countries and others beyond. Kofi Annan’s attempt at a peace brokering of sorts has ended and the UN presence on the ground is now practically over. It seems there is very little appetite to face up to the grim realities the Syrian people are enduring.

One would naively have believed that after Libya there would not be a similar repeat of violence witnessed in Syria. Yet it seems that deadly violence remains the favoured weapon of humanity when seeking to address intractable challenges of power.

To make matters worse, Syria’s predicament has now developed into a full-scale civil war flavoured by heavyweight third party interests namely Russia, China, Iran and Turkey. As things stand, there seems little hope for a quick resolution to the Syria question.

It seems there is almost no hope of a peaceful outcome to the present conflict. Unexpectedly, the international community remains seemingly impassive in front of the complexities that make up Syria. Radical political change remains a chimera as long as the warring parties remain locked within the web of international intrigue. This in itself explains the complexity and complicity that keeps Syria mired in this deadly conflict.

In the meantime, the body count continues to grow each day with seemingly little or no hope of a long lasting reprieve. Shame on us all!

[email protected] unbridled violence that has steadily escalated in Syria is now entering its tortuous 18th month. A series of minor scuffles and quasi-pacific protests have developed into a fully-fledged war that has many intricacies, kingmakers and deeply rooted interests playing a deadly end game. Indeed, it has ironically become the ‘jewel’ in the crown of what many had hopeful and optimistically labelled ‘The Arab Spring.’

For better or worse, the uprisings and subsequent revolutions in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Tunisia, and to some extent Egypt, have had their turning points. Many of the long-standing regimes in the absolute majority of cases have crumbled with their attendant grim consequences. It will take years for real stability and peace to be achieved in many of these countries, some of which have been riven by violence and hatred accumulated over many years. In the meantime, for these nations it is a time for complex constitutional reform and delicate and patient bridge building and reconciliation. Only time will tell if the actual and original aspirations of the Arab Spring will ever be realised.

Syria remains a completely different story. For decades, Syria was an established player on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean. Its many roles kept its incumbent leaders ensconced in a world of international intrigue but with a firm grip on its long standing domestic agitations, frustrations and internal politics. Alas this is no more.

During these 18 months, Syria’s relative stability has disintegrated as its symbols of power have been openly challenged with unmitigated violence. The war has claimed as much as 15,000 lives and counting (some speculate the figure is closer to 40,000). In many of the latter cases, the victims of this revolution and repression have been innocent civilians, women and children.

There has been utter and irrevocable disgust expressed by the international community for the atrocities committed in Syria. The acts of violence perpetrated by the Assad regime on its people have been decisive, unrepentant and unmoveable. So far many attempts have been made to bridge the gap between the warring parties with absolutely no success at all. In fact, quite the contrary has happened. With each passing day, the Assad regime ups the ante and the dose of lethal violence escalates as we speak.

Places like Daraa, Baniyas, Al-Qamishli, Homs and now Aleppo have become veritable killing fields in an unmatched conflict between government and the FSA (Free Syrian Army.) Towns and cities have been literally razed to the ground and the wave of refugees continues to swell northwards. Syria is now paralysed almost beyond recognition.

Clearly the international community has shown very weak resolve in the face of this Syrian reality. Beyond the posturing and ineffective sanctions, it is amply clear that Assad has absolutely no intention of backing down. Both sides are breaking sanctions with the mute complicity of neighbouring countries and others beyond. Kofi Annan’s attempt at a peace brokering of sorts has ended and the UN presence on the ground is now practically over. It seems there is very little appetite to face up to the grim realities the Syrian people are enduring.

One would naively have believed that after Libya there would not be a similar repeat of violence witnessed in Syria. Yet it seems that deadly violence remains the favoured weapon of humanity when seeking to address intractable challenges of power.

To make matters worse, Syria’s predicament has now developed into a full-scale civil war flavoured by heavyweight third party interests namely Russia, China, Iran and Turkey. As things stand, there seems little hope for a quick resolution to the Syria question.

It seems there is almost no hope of a peaceful outcome to the present conflict. Unexpectedly, the international community remains seemingly impassive in front of the complexities that make up Syria. Radical political change remains a chimera as long as the warring parties remain locked within the web of international intrigue. This in itself explains the complexity and complicity that keeps Syria mired in this deadly conflict.

In the meantime, the body count continues to grow each day with seemingly little or no hope of a long lasting reprieve. Shame on us all!

[email protected]