- On November 12, New York Times writer Neil MacFarquhaqar
headlined, "Arab League Votes to Suspend Syria Over Crackdown,"
saying:
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- "Syria's formal suspension is to start in four days,
offering what senior Arab League officials described as a last chance for
Mr. Assad to carry out a peace agreement his government had accepted....to
halt violence directed toward civilians (and) withdraw all security forces
from civilian areas...."
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- On October 10, a Times editorial headlined, "Enabling
Mr. Assad," saying:
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- "There is a lot of shame to go around after the
United Nations Security Council failed last week to pass a resolution condemning
Syria's brutal crackdown."
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- Fact check
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- Since March, anti-goverment protests began and intensified.
Replicating Libya's model, Western backed insurgents stoked violence. Insurrection
spread from one city to another.
-
- Trapped between waring sides, civilian casualties keep
rising. Hundreds of security forces have been killed. Imported weapons
are used against them. Syria's wrongfully blamed for confronting an armed
insurgency. Unresolved conflict rages.
-
- At issue is destabilizing and toppling a Baath party
controlled secular, anti-imperial regime, supporting Palestine, Lebanon's
Hezbollah and Iran.
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- Washington and Israel want it replaced with a pro-Western
Islamic republic puppet state similar to other subservient Arab ones.
-
- Russia and China blocked America's (Western supported)
Security Council resolution. If passed, it would have been a first against
Syria, perhaps opening the way for greater conflict or war like against
Libya.
-
- Despite watered down language, both countries opposed
options, including the UN Charter's Article 41 provisions, stating:
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- "The Security Council may decide what measures not
involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its
decision, and it may call upon (UN members) to apply such measures."
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- "These may include complete or partial interruption
of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio,
and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations."
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- In other words, stiff sanctions further harming Syria's
weakened economy might topple it. If not, war might follow.
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- "Despite the disgraceful outcome, the United States
and Europe were right to push for a vote. It left no doubt which countries
stand with Syria's courageous opposition and which stand with the ruthless
autocrat."
-
- Its bloodstained pages still wet over Libya, Times editors
want another country ravaged, colonized and plundered. They've fallen far
from revealing Pentagon Papers secrets, exposing Johnson administration
lies about America's Vietnam war.
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- The League of Arab States
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- Calling itself "a voluntary association of independent
countries whose people are mainly Arabic speaking, (its) purposes are to
strengthen ties among the member states, coordinate their policies, and
promote their common interests."
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- In fact, pro-Western despots head most of its 22 member
states. In 1942, Britain hoped to unite Arabs against Nazi Germany. In
1944, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, North Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Transjordan (Jordan
and Palestine) agreed to form the League of Arab States.
-
- In 1945, a formalized Arab League Pact inaugurated it.
Years later, its charter members expanded to 22. In 1976, the Palestine
Liberation Organization was admitted. In 1979, suspension followed Egypt's
peace treaty with Israel. The league's headquarters relocated from Cairo
to Tunis.
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- In 1987, diplomatic ties with Egypt were restored. In
1989, Egypt was readmitted and League headquarters returned to Cairo where
it remains. Four observer states include Brazil, Eritrea, India and Venezuela.
Effective November 16, Syria will be suspended.
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- In most Arab League states, constitutional and statute
laws affirm Pan-Arabism. In practice, most ignore it. PLO de-Arabization
was a US/Israeli Oslo prerequisite. Most Arab states went along.
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- In 1998, 12 PLO National Charter articles were deleted
and 16 amended without Arab League objection. Most dealt with Palestinian
Pan-Arabism.
-
- Palestinians get rhetorical support only. Member states
didn't condemn Israel's (2008-09) Gaza or (2006) Lebanon wars. Nor have
formal measures rebuked its lawlessness, let alone isolated the Jewish
state.
-
- For over two decades through June 2001, former League
Secretary-General Amr Mousa held top Mubarak regime posts, including foreign
minister and other diplomatic positions.
-
- Supporting its military junta, he'll seek Egypt's presidency
next year. On July 1, 2011, Nabil Elaraby replaced him, another former
Mubarak functionary.
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- Notably, Arab League states didn't stop:
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- Israel's 1947-48 Nakba;
- its 1967 West Bank/Gaza/East Jerusalem occupation, as
well as parts of Egypt and Syria at the time; Syria's Golan remains illegally
occupied; so does Palestine for over 44 years;
- its 1982 Lebanon war and occupation of Southern Lebanon
until 2000;
- its continued Lebanon Shebaa Farms occupation;
- Washington's 1991 Operation Desert Storm; and
- its 2003 Iraq war and occupation.
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- Recent Arab League Duplicity
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- In March 2011, League members backed UN Resolution 1973,
Libya's no-fly zone prelude to war. Once it began, they supported NATO's
campaign.
-
- Backing Western imperialism, they condoned Libya's ravaging,
including massacres too great to ignore. In March, they recognized puppet
Transitional National Council (TNC) leadership. In August, they formally
restored Libya's League membership after ousting Gaddafi at NATO's behest.
-
- They're silent on NATO's plan to colonize, occupy and
plunder another Arab State, as well as ongoing atrocities in Bahrain, Yemen,
Somalia, Palestine, and elsewhere in the region.
-
- Since March, they supported Western-backed anti-Syrian
insurgents, heading perhaps for more war, occupation, and regional instability.
-
- On and off for months, half or more of League members
attacked, killed, arrested, imprisoned, and/or brutalized their own people
for protesting against political, economic and social injustice.
-
- Effective November 16, Syria's membership will be suspended.
Political and economic sanctions target it for battling Western-backed
insurgents. Short of NATO bombing, doing so replicates Libya's regime change
model.
-
- A Syrian National Council (SNC) was established, similar
to Libya's puppet Transitional National Council (TNC).
-
- Originally formed in 2005, it was revived on August 23,
2011 in Istanbul, Turkey. It represents Western-backed internal opposition
elements against the rights and interests of most Syrians.
-
- It called for a Libyan-style "no-fly zone"
and foreign intervention. It supplies intelligence to Washington, other
Western nations, and Israel. If unconventional tactics fail, stepped up
violence and war remain options.
-
- Speaking on condition of anonymity, Arab League officials
said if Syria ignores Western demands, the League will formally recognize
its SNC opposition. Informally, it's done. Bashar al-Assad's government
is increasingly isolated.
-
- SNC secretary-general Wael Merza said the decision marked
"a historic day for Syria as a country, the Syrian revolution and
the Arab League."
-
- In fact, once again it showed League subservience to
Western demands. Syria's Arab League representative said suspension breached
the organization's charter, "serving a Western and American agenda."
He added that it's "not worth the ink it was written with."
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- Obama called on international bodies to do more, saying:
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- "After the Assad regime flagrantly failed to keep
its commitments, the Arab League has demonstrated leadership in its efforts
to end the crisis and hold the Syrian government accountable."
-
- "These significant steps expose the increasing diplomatic
isolation of a regime that has systematically violated human rights and
repressed peaceful protests."
-
- In fact, America's by far the world's leading human and
civil rights abuser, waging global wars on humanity. Syria and Iran know
they're targets. So do other nonbelligerent states, whether run by despots,
democrats or others in between.
-
- Obama stopped short of calling for Assad's ouster. Some
observers expect he'll do it. Joint Chiefs head Admiral Mike Mullen ruled
out military intervention. Saying it means little if nonmilitary measures
don't work.
-
- Whether diplomatic, economic, or military, Arab League
support is assured. Despots throughout the region back America's worst
crimes.
-
- Why not when they commit so many of their own against
people who revile them.
-
- Why else would Arab Spring uprisings have occurred and
continue across the region without major media coverage.
-
- Perhaps they'll notice if one, in fact, succeeds. Expect
it, followed by others, inspiring people across Europe and America to press
harder for real change.
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- Sustained struggle, pain and sacrifice is the only way
to get it.
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- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive
Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy
listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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