The Houla massacre of 32 children is so unimaginably evil it’s time for Western liberal military intervention in Syria to take out President Bashar al-Assad.
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A picture is worth a thousand words, so the saying goes.
How many words, then, can describe the shocking, sickening images we’ve seen across our weekend papers and TV screens of the corpses of children and adults, lined up one by one in the Syrian town of Houla, and of families screaming in agony.
I was left feeling particularly sick to my stomach after seeing an extremely graphic video of some of the 32 children massacred – be warned, this footage is truly unimaginable:
In his description for the Independent on Sunday, Patrick Cockburn wrote:
“Horrific pictures posted on YouTube appear to show that they were shot or knifed to death, some having their throats cut.
“The small bodies of the children were covered in sheets as they were taken by survivors screaming in grief and disbelief from the houses where they had been murdered.”
It is well over a year now since we began to see the uprising in Syria, responded to with brute force by the government of President Assad.
It is clear the peace plan agreed by the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is now in tatters. Peace was given a chance and so it is now time the international community realised its responsibility and took the military action that is so badly needed to bring Assad and his murderous regime to an end.
This does not come naturally to me. I was sceptical to say the least about the Iraq War and I have no doubt many eminently more qualified people will argue action of this nature would serve to enrage the likes of Iran but I pose this simple case – how many more of these massacres can we bear to watch before we take action?
Had we taken action before this weekend, how many of those 32 children would be alive rather than buried deep underground?
• Syria: Massacre of the innocents 27 May 2012
• Amidst the burning flesh of Homs, Syrians plead: “We are getting slaughtered, save us” 7 Feb 2012
• Anti-Assad activist: “We need help… We need a no-fly zone… ASAP” 1 Feb 2012
• Syria: When will the West act? 2 Jan 2012
• Syrian government uses hospitals against protesters 25 Oct 2011
• Exposed: The pro-Assad useful idiots in our midst 22 Oct 2011
• Syria, where innocence is no defence 1 Jun 2011
The UN has itself stated it has a “responsibility to protect”. Now is the time to stop the talking and take tangible action to rid Syria of a regime perpetrating sickening acts of barbarity; the international community must uphold the basic universal right to life.
Thirty two children lost their lives over the weekend: how many more must die before we act?
44 Responses to “We can’t sit back and allow more massacres: It’s time for military action in Syria”
Shamik Das
Frm earlier: We can’t sit back and allow more massacres: It’s time for military action in #Syria, writes @EdJacobs1985: http://t.co/KJLDaYmn
Gerard
I supported the war in Iraq. I wasn’t concerned by WMDs with the capability of attacking us in 45mins, I was concerned about the people of Iraq. The people who had been attacked by WMDs in the past, were tortured, oppressed and worse by Saddam’s regime.
I supported the war in Iraq because we had seen too many of the images you post above. Like it or not, we are a country with great power and influence; we have a responsibility to use that power to help those who are unable to help themselves.
In Libya, there was a clear ability within the rebel group to organise themselves, acquire weapons and launch a ground attack – what they couldn’t do was fight in the air and that is why all we needed to do was provide air support. It is clear the rebels in Syria are disjointed and need help to push back against the attacks they suffer from their government. We should and we must help.
Whittaker David
Having read the above piece by Ed Jacobs I’m filled with a sense of dread, not because of the babies and children who died even though that is shocking and very upsetting but because the rhetoric thats being used is so reminiscent of the build up before the second Iraq war. There are other options open, the EU and US could call for a complete trade ban on any country that trades with Syria ie Russia and China (but of course that would upset the banks) and before anybody uses Libya as an example of success please speak to anyone who has just returned. Hundreds are dying there and the country is breaking apart but the mainstream press are strangely silent. Mr Jacobs with journalism like this you should consider a career with The Mail/Express.
Stephen Wigmore
So how many children do you think Saddam massacred? Fewer than 32? Hardly. Why did you oppose the Iraq war then?
Dafydd Young
“Had we taken action before this weekend, how many of those 32 children would be alive rather than buried deep underground?”
They’d have died in Nato airstrikes if we had have intervened.