User of chemical weapons must be punished

Sep 01, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
Regarding the news report (Aug 29) on the PPP government calling on the US and West to exercise restraint attacking Syrian installations, the government should side on the cause of human rights and protection of the innocents. We should back freedom against oppressive rule and peoples’ right to democratic governance considering our own struggle against a dictatorship. Any government or organization that uses weapons of mass destruction (WMD) killing innocent people (children in particular) must be punished to discourage future use of such abominable weapons. Action against deterrence is critical.
Our government is right that it is not absolutely determined as yet whether the Syrian government used WMD. And UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has asked for more time to determine whether WMD was used and who used it. It is not easy to determine who used WMD in Syria given that several warring factions can or has access to WMD. However, if the Bashar al-Assad regime uses WMD, the world should and must come together to punish it. And our governnment should back actions against the syrian regime.
Use of WMD is against international law and perpetrators must be punished to send a clear message to those who use such weapons aginst its own citizens or even against enemies. The world body should decide what is the right punishment against Assad if it is determined it used WMD.
The Obama administration is convinced, from its intelligence sources, that the Assad government was responsible for the most recent chemical weapons attack near Damascus, which Syrian opposition forces and human rights groups allege killed hundreds of civilians. The Syrian government denies using nerve agents on its own people and has allowed U.N. weapons inspectors into the country to investigate. In previous chemical attacks against civilians, it was not certain that Assad’s forces used chemical weapons. It was reported that the opposition may have used the weapons to make it appear that Assad used chemical weapons in order to draw the West into the conflict. But this time around, the US and Western allies believe the Syrian government was complicit in using nerve gas even though Prime Minister Cameron of UK is not absolutely certain the Assad regime used WMD. However, Cameron feels actions are needed though the parliament voted against British involvement.
U.S Secretary of State John Kerry called the chemical attack a “moral obscenity” vowing to take tough actions against Assad though how and when is being debated with Western allies. The use of cruise missiles is being contemplated against Syrian military targets. President Obama says he is weighing his options. China, Russia and the Arab League are against military strikes and prefer diplomatic sanctions. Obama would prefer not to attack Syria fearing the immediate fall of Assad and the alternative is not any better. But unlike in the past when the US facilitated dictators to kill political opponents because it was in its interest, the US can’t ignore the use of nerve gas to kill people – the regime must be punished. There are no great policy options in Syria because the US does not really want to remove Assad unless there is a secular alternative. The US is reminded that all of the regimes that changed hands in the region over the last three years, radical Islamists took over denying people fundamental rights.
Several Stanford university scholars, according to an AP report, believe actions will destabilize the Assad regime so badly as to strengthen Al Qaeda terrorists operating inside Syria as well as attract outside recruits to the terrorist group to fight forces tied to the US. A new post-Assad regime that will be friendly to the United States. Also, as one scholar remind the public, “the Obama administration said several times that ‘stability’ in Syria – even if that means a continuing, limited civil war – is more important than a decisive victory over –Assad”.
The US and the West are caught in a tough situation on Syria. Any dictator who is on a mass killing spree must be punished and the Guyana government should not be opposed to punishing a dictator who used WMD. However, first it must be established that the Syrian regime was behind the use of deadly chemical attacks against civilians before actions are pursued
Vishnu Bisram

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