The Syrian People Suffer While Diplomats Try to Force al-Assad Compliance

While those not completely bored with the long process are waiting tonight for news about a Romney victory in the latest GOP primaries - a subject for tomorrow’s blog - today the world should be looking toward Syria.
Al-Assad has sent military reinforcements to the cities where the opposition is strong. This may be the most honest of his answers to the UN and Kofi Annan’s peace process. Certainly, his allowing diplomats to come and go to and from his Damascus capital is not honest.
And, today while the diplomats were scouring their plans, papers and draft accords, 44 people were killed in Syria among then 31 civilians. The attacks took place in the south and north of the country, as well as close to Damascus.
And what was al-Assad doing…arranging for yet another visit by a UN delegation and promising to work with them on their plan for distributing aid to those in need - in need because of al-Assad’s murderous war on his own people.
The UN says it will have a plan agreed by Thursday to insert observers into troubled areas, and al-Assad has agreed to stop the shelling and put the country in a “ceasefire” mode by the 10th of April.
A militant in Deraa, an insurgent stronghold, told French reporters that “in their effort to starve the people, they [al-Assad troops] are entering houses, destroying any stocks of food found” and cutting electricity for 15 hours per day. The troops are also destroying wheat stockpiles in bakeries and throwing rising dough into the streets.
The International Red Cross president will be in Damascus on Wednesday and has asked to visit Deraa, as well as to see detention centers being used by al-Assad’s regime.
Susan Rice, the US Ambassador to the UN has said that America sees no proof that al-Assad will keep any of these promises. Further, and with good reason, the insurgent army says it will not lay down its arms until al-Assad tanks and troops have withdrawn from their cities.
If this all sounds too familiar, it is the same song we have been listening to for more almost two months now. There seems to be an endless wave of plans, papers, meetings and resolutions…while the Syrian people are being killed and starved to try to break their spirit and desire for freedom.