Posted on Dec 15, 2016
I've been watching Standing Rock. Around the world are other horrendous situations. Where do we belong? What do you know about Aleppo?
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Residents trapped were told they’d be allowed to leave Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, ground zero in the country’s five year-long civil war ever since rebel groups (some backed by the US) took over in 2012. Syrian President Assad’s forces (backed by Russia and Iran) have ramped up efforts to take it back. Many people trapped in the city turned to social media to post final goodbye messages.
In the past few days Assad’s forces reportedly are executing civilians on the streets, including children. Then earlier this week, the rebels agreed to a ceasefire deal that basically amounted to a surrender to Assad. The deal was supposed to include a safe route for residents to leave. That didn’t happen. Now, it looks like evacuation plans are back on. Except then this morning, some residents trying to leave were attacked by Assad’s forces. Apparently evacuations are still a go though. TBD on just how safe they end up being
In the past few days Assad’s forces reportedly are executing civilians on the streets, including children. Then earlier this week, the rebels agreed to a ceasefire deal that basically amounted to a surrender to Assad. The deal was supposed to include a safe route for residents to leave. That didn’t happen. Now, it looks like evacuation plans are back on. Except then this morning, some residents trying to leave were attacked by Assad’s forces. Apparently evacuations are still a go though. TBD on just how safe they end up being
Posted in these groups: 
Human Rights
Terrorism
Human Rights Terrorism
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 6
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As much as Syria is a humanitarian disaster, there are no parties left that are friendly to the US and all of our "moderate rebel groups" have entered complex alliances with radical jihadists. There's an old maxim by the medieval Persian poet Saadi: "When you see contention amongst your enemies, go and sit at ease with your friends; but when you see them of one mind, string your bow, and place stones upon the ramparts."
Right now our enemies are tearing each other apart. While we should urge everyone to respect the law of war and spare civilians, we need to let this play out. We can't decry America's role as "World Police" and step into every military conflict around the globe. Our fight is in Iraq and ensuring that we can help our ally secure their country and their borders. Russia has a vested interest in Syria, so they can bear that responsibility if they so choose.
Right now our enemies are tearing each other apart. While we should urge everyone to respect the law of war and spare civilians, we need to let this play out. We can't decry America's role as "World Police" and step into every military conflict around the globe. Our fight is in Iraq and ensuring that we can help our ally secure their country and their borders. Russia has a vested interest in Syria, so they can bear that responsibility if they so choose.
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Maj Kim Patterson
Capt (Join to see) Excellent quote. Our enemies are tearing each other apart but not every one follows the law of war and civilians become "collateral damage." We must pick our battles and expend our supplies and troops wisely. Perhaps Syria is not the place for America.
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The West is to a great extent responsible for many of the root causes of these conflicts. From drawing borders designed to maintain colonial empires, instead of helping peoples determine their own destiny to the exploitation of natural resources which is driving climate change. Drought and famine in the middle east is perhaps the single greatest driver behind all this conflict.
We are the wealthiest most powerful nation in the world, at a minimum we should be on the ground helping refugees in these conflicts or even evacuating them to safe spaces where they can begin to rebuild their lives.
We are the wealthiest most powerful nation in the world, at a minimum we should be on the ground helping refugees in these conflicts or even evacuating them to safe spaces where they can begin to rebuild their lives.
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Maj Kim Patterson
SSG (Join to see) Drought and famine are key to the win or lose of any wars. Cut off the communition, the water, the food and replacement supplies and you can cripple any army quickly. Evacuating refugees would help the innocent get out from a battle they don't want a part of yet are forced to stay and often become injured or killed. The question then becomes where would we evacuate to? Who would build and run the refugee camps?
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SSG (Join to see)
Maj Kim Patterson - We would need to identify a safe zone and then defend that safe zone. The UN should probably run it and the fossil fuel industry should pay for it the same way the tobacco industry was made to pay in the late 90's.
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I am a firm believer in noninterference. A civil war is an ugly and very sad thing but ultimately is an internal affair that they need to sort out for themselves. We should never involve ourselves in the internal affairs of other sovereign nations. I feel for the people trapped, but I find it highly unlikely that in 5 years they had no opportunity at all to leave. That is war. As much as we don't want it to happen, civilians always die in the crossfire.
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Maj Kim Patterson
SGT David T. sadly, I must agree. We cannot involve ourselves in every conflict. Even when we bing supplies, it often causes more strife and a new hierarchy of power and control. Will this end up become the spot where the US, Russia and Iran go to full out war and make it a superpower problem and destroy Syria?
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