Robert Pogson

The Arab League’s well-intentioned visits and discussions about the situation in Syria are doing nothing but wasting time and lives.

• There is no way the old regime and the opposition are going to form a “unity” government after so many have been killed.
• That Assad continued killing people in the streets even while high profile visitors and jouralists were around is evidence that Assad will not yield power politely.
• That the opposition has more or less taken up arms indicates they feel they have to fight in order to take control of the government.

It is in everyone’s best interest to replace the current regime with a functional and democratic government. The outside world has to either intervene militarily or provide arms and training to the opposition so that they can do the job themselves. Either way, blood-letting will increase but only for the short term. The present impasse will kill more in the long run as wider violence will inevitably result.

The UN should go after the regime of Assad even more vigorously than they went after the old Libyan regime. It’s not hard to pick sides. Go with the one that did not foment terrorism around the globe and did not kill thousands of innocent civilians in the streets. This time, don’t limit matters to combat air patrol but deliberately supply weapons, training and close air support. Assad should not be able to move any heavy weapons, columns or supplies around the country within hours of taking action. Within weeks the fighting could be over. That’s a far better result than tolerating months and years of internal terrorism and killing.

There are already many deserters from Assad’s army. There will be many more if a clear winner in proclaimed. Arm them and train recruits. Combined with air support, Assad would be on the defensive and will have two options, destruction in months or a polite change of regime a bit sooner.

see Al Jazeera – Syria rejects Arab League transition plan

see BBC – Syria rejects Arab League plan for Assad to step down