On Syria,whither the good choices?

culled from theatlantic.com



An editorial piece in the New York Times of 22nd June 2016 titled 'The false lure of military intervention in Syria', is put in perspective.

 It quite aptly details the difficulties that the United States faces with bowing to suggestions made by its diplomats, that confronting the Assad regime with the threat of military force is a way of nudging him towards seeking a peaceful resolution to a civil war that has destroyed much of his country, and caused as much as 400,000 deaths as well as untold suffering.

It is quite easy to see how the dynamic on the ground creates a scenario of choices ranging from 'limited', to 'not good' as the editorial has so eloquently described,  Russia's ambiguity on the matter of Assad and Syria being perhaps the most potent variable that serves to perpetuate the crises.

The editorial however asks 'whither a workable and rational alternative strategy' from these diplomats, without giving this question as much weight as the detail of a quagmire that is the Syrian war.

On Syria, whither the good choices? Perhaps the answer lies in a United States that must change its mind and fast, about not just what it justifiably sees as Assad's role in bringing about death and destruction, but also his role real or potential, in achieving a desperately needed peace.



The Middle East Peace Process- A fading hope

Culled from Isrealmatz.blogspot.com

The latest attempt, this time by France, to kick-start the peace process by holding talks on the 3rd of June 2016, is put in perspective.

The talks that was no talks has served to highlight the sad reality of what the Mideast peace process has become. It is an exercise that none of the stakeholders seriously believes would lead to meaningful dialogue, which creates opportunity for peaceful co-existence  between the state of Israel and a Palestinian state, long the wish of the Palestinian people.

Dare one ask how it has come to this? The answer is not far removed from the truth that is a lack of moral courage of the principal players to seize the opportunities presented thus far, from the Oslo accords of 1993 to present day.

With a significant proportion of the Middle East embroiled in strife, this lack of moral courage has very little opportunity to be called out as it should.

In 2016, the hope for a meaningful peace process is dimmed by a lack of moral courage which has as its crutch, a wider Middle East in the throes of an upheaval, the effects of which is being felt well beyond Its geographical borders.