New Hope for Syria

CNN and French news services are reporting this evening that the meeting of world diplomats, from countries calling themselves the “Friends of Syria”, will agree in Tunisia tomorrow on a package of humanitarian aid, including food and medicines, for the Syrian opposition and will try to create closer ties with them. Seventy countries have been invited to attend the Tunisia meeting. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in London today that the Syrian regime "…can't stand the test of legitimacy or even brutality for any length of time. There will be increasingly capable opposition forces,…they will find somewhere, somehow the means to defend themselves as well as begin offensive measures and the pressure will build on Russia and China. World opinion is not going to stand idly by." Clinton added that "Arab opinion is not going to be satisfied watching two nations --one for commercial reasons, one for commercial and ideological reasons -- bolster a regime that is…defying every rule of modern international norms. We think the pressure will continue to build. It's a fluid situation, but if I was a betting person for the medium term and certainly the long term, I would be betting against" al-Assad, Clinton said. This is the strongest language yet by the American Secretary of State and it comes on the day that the UN actually spoke openly of “crimes against humanity” being committed in Homs by al-Assad forces. Friday’s meeting, to be followed by a written communique, is part of the "ongoing efforts with our friends, allies, and the Syrian opposition to crystallize next steps to halt the slaughter of the Syrian people and pursue a transition to democracy in Syria," according to U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. The Friends of Syria conference was proposed after the unsuccessful attempts by the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution condemning the violence in Syria. Russia, a Soviet-era ally and arms dealer to Syria, and China vetoed that resolution. Neither country is taking part in Friday's conference. The world has been outraged by Syria's crackdown on protesters, but it has been unable to stop the violence. Clinton said, "…we see a lot of developments that we think are pointing to pressure on al-Assad. We hope it will pressure him to make the right decision regarding humanitarian assistance, but in the event that he continues to refuse, we think that the pressure will continue to build." An opposition Syrian National Council delegation met with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Homs, bombarded daily by Syrian security forces. "This meeting was held in response to the demands of the residents of Homs to assess all the relief and humanitarian aid capabilities and options that might be provided to Homs residents, who have been suffering under the bombing and brutality of the (al-Assad) regime for weeks," the council said. CNN reports that world powers also plan to meet with the Syrian National Council to discuss such plans for relief and a political transition. One senior State Department official said he was "favorably impressed" with the Syrian National Council's increased outreach, given the complex political situation. Countries will hear from the opposition group at the conference in order to know its needs and then efficiently coordinate aid. The United States called for more international action and hinted that arming the opposition isn't out of the question.White House press secretary Jay Carney said the conflict under al-Assad's regime demands reaction. "We believe that we are in a situation where we -- the international community -- need to act in order to allow for the transition…to a more democratic future for Syria to take place before the situation becomes too chaotic," Carney told reporters. Asked about calls by Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, for the United States to consider arming the opposition, Carney said, "We don't want to take actions that would contribute to the further militarization of Syria, because that could take the country down a dangerous path. "But we don't rule out additional measures that, working with our international partners, that the international community might take," he added. This, dear readers, is, by any measure, the beginning of a concerted effort to help the Syrian people free themselves from the al-Assad regime’s strangle hold on their country. We can only support the Friends of Syria and hope that al-Assad will, by some miracle, come to his senses and allow the aid and the transition to flow. Because it now seems that the world has finally decided not to stop until he is ousted from power if he does not go willingly.