Truth depends on who is presenting it…
In the red corner stands Assad, Russia and Iran + their media
And
In the green corner USA, UK, operatives from Al Qaeda, Hamas, Somalis, local rebels, Chechens, Afghans, Pakistanis, Egyptians, etc. Some supply weapons, others use them. + Sympathetic international media
In category green we have basically two main groups:
– Murderous lot that often carry out the cleansing and blame it on Assad : Al Qaeda, Hamas, Somalis, Chechens, Afghans, Pakistanis, Egyptians etc.
– Local rebels who bear the brunt of Assad & Co. and also, ironically, their fighting partners extracurricular activities like rape, indiscriminate slaughter and other incidental activity.
Western nations supporting the rebels falsely assume that they (western nations) are fighting for the liberty/democratization of Syria. But in actuality they are assisting the murderous lot gain another foothold in the region. And if Assad is overthrown it is highly unlikely that the unholy gentlemen involved will simply pack up their guns and bombs and move to another theatre. Hardly, they will demand a share the spoils of war, a war between the good, the bad and the ugly.
And one cannot overlook the reason for the altruism of western nations. There is no such thing as a free lunch. They too would want their pound of flesh.
And lastly, the religious gendarmes will be waiting in the wings to ‘guide and indoctrinate’ the faithful back onto the path of peace with threats and imposition of Sharia.
Every murderous actor wins, except the audience.
They pay with their women and blood.
Here is a News report on the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria which states the obvious – that ‘all’ sides are complicit in the rape and murder of civilians and the looting of property.
Excerpts from News Report on the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria: LINK
“If the national, regional and international actors fail to find a solution to the conflict and stop the agony of millions of civilians,” Pinheiro warned, “the alternative will be the political, economic and social destruction of Syria and its society, with devastating implications for the region and the world.”
The lengthy report is based on information from 443 interviews that U.N. investigators conducted inside Syria.
One of the more disturbing passages details rebels and government forces recruiting boys as young as 12. Children under 18 are seized at checkpoints, and government-affiliated militia use sectarian affiliation, kinship systems and cash to cajole children into their ranks, the paper notes. The government has used children as informants, but both they and rebels punish children who act as informants by killing them, the report says.
An uncorroborated video, investigators say, seems to show a child associated with an anti-government group beheading a prisoner.
The report says rebels frequently use schools as barracks or offices, children have taken up arms to fight and rebels have used them as lookouts.
But the war has affected the body itself. Last week, rebels detained 21 U.N. peacekeepers, claiming they came into an area where they didn’t belong and saying they suspected the peacekeepers were secretly trying to help government forces. The captives were released a few days ago.
The Syrian government, meanwhile, has consistently blamed “armed terrorist groups” for killing civilians. While the regime has often referred to opposition fighters as “terrorists,” some radical militants — such as members of the Nusra Front – have also joined the fight against the government.
Last year, the United States blacklisted the Nusra Front as a foreign terror organization. The move baffles Syrian rebels, an analyst said.
Many Syrians see the group as heroes of the revolution because of its professionalism and its willingness to fight and take causalities, said Jeffrey White, a defense analyst at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The organization is active in eight provinces, he said.
More than 70,000 Syrians — mostly civilians — have been killed since peaceful anti-government protests led to a fierce government crackdown, an armed uprising and a civil war with no end in sight.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged patience.
“We want to stop the killing. And they want to stop the killing. The world wants to stop the killing,” he said.
End of Report
(Note: It is the USA which supplies among other things – tear gas to Egypt and Bahrain who in turn use the gas on their own citizens. One wonders what is being supplied to the “rebels” – a guide book on how to set up a democratic society ?)
marculyseas 