Syria’s civil war, now in its sixth year, is getting more and more catastrophic and nightmarish each day. With the military intervention of Russia since September last as with the continued support of Tehran to Damascus, it is getting bloodier. The war has claimed 4,70,000 lives so far as per official figure while independent reports suggest many times more. This is the biggest human catastrophe since World War II but not horrendous enough to haunt the conscience, if any, of President Bashar al-Asad, who is hell bent upon crushing the people’s voice with an iron hand. Syrians want him to step down; but thanks to foreign Machiavellian machinations in the region, al-Asad is sticking to his guns, and most brazenly so.
The United States is interested only in curbing Isis, which like earlier terror outfits, is a created monster and serving its master. Like other big powers, it is not concerned about the loss of innocent lives. With the killing of the most senior Australian terrorist Neil Prakash fighting with Isis in a United States air strike in Mosul, Iraq on 29 April, it has become vivid once again that the strategic creation of Isis is part of an international conspiracy to defame Islam. Only gullible Muslims might be falling into the trap of Isis, which is proving a curse for the society. As for terrorism, no sane person loves it. Terrorism must be dealt with sternly and rooted out, the sooner the better. But creation of an atmosphere conducive for terrorism is also tantamount to an act of terrorism and thus equally condemnable.
The role of the United Nations in containing this civil war, not to say of preventing it in the bud, is also deplorable. It has failed once again rather miserably to keep foreign troops from the war region, and after their intervention in making them go lock, stock and barrel.
The mainstream media is also disappointing the world. It has failed to provide independent and impartial coverage of the Syrian conflict.
That Syria bleeds to ruin delivers a smart slap to the civilized world, which brags of world peace, human dignity, justice and democracy, et al. It is high time this civilized world realised the severity of the situation, ousted the foreign forces from the Syrian land, brought al-Asad to his knees, paved the way for general elections in this war-torn country and thus let democracy thrive over there.