The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

The full horror of Houla emerges

How should the west respond to a crime against humanity?

By George Eaton Published 30 May 2012 9:14

Demonstrators protest against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Demonstrators protest in front of the Syrian consulate in Istanbul on May 27, 2012 against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Photograph: Getty Images.

The more we learn about last week's massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, the more horrific it seems. Following UN investigations, we know now there were at least 108 victims, 49 of whom were children and infants, their lives ended with a shot to the head or a knife to the throat. Fewer than 20 of the deaths were the result of the initial bombardment by the Syrian armed forces. Most were summarily executed in their own homes by state-sponsored militias (principally the shabiha). The front page of this morning's Times (see below) powerfully articulates the human revulsion one feels at such an event.

In a leading article (£), the paper calls for military action by Britain and others. Given the apparent futility of diplomacy and the legacy of western inaction in Rwanda and Bosnia, that is an understandable response. But there remain good reasons to doubt the wisdom of military action. Even a limited intervention would risk triggering a full-blown sectarian civil war and proxy interventions by Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The west cannot avoid the uncomfortable truth that a significant portion of the Syrian population remains unambiguously loyal to Assad. Moreover, as Tony Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell argued in the New Statesman in February, "our action would be viable only if the rebels wanted us to intervene." For now, they remain divided. The Syrian National Council has called for the imposition of a no-fly zone but the National Co-ordinating Committee, the other main faction, favours a negotiated settlement. In view of the continuing bloodshed in Libya, that is no surprise.

The best hope remains that Russia, Syria's most loyal ally and its largest supplier of arms, can be persuaded to exert genuine diplomatic pressure on Damascus. The US is pushing for a negotiated settlement, modelled on that in Yemen, under which Assad would depart but remnants of his administration would remain in place. Yet even if Vladimir Putin acquiesces in the proposal, it is hard to see Syria's tyrant doing so. The fear remains that, like Macbeth, he is "in blood stepp'd in so far" that retreat is unthinkable. But it is hard to conceive that military intervention would do anything but exacerbate the bloodshed. There are no easy options for the west but diplomacy, not bombs, continues to offer the best chance of stopping the killing.

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Tags: Syria

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18 comments

Fri, 2012-07-20 11:30 — Goji (not verified)

Nice article..... interesting.
Goji Goji fructe goji

Thu, 2012-07-12 18:29 — MarlandSantoso

First were told they were the victims of bombing. Now it's some callous slaughter, near identical to the atrocities carried out by Sunni terrorists in Algeria a decade ago. So who says it wasn't the same type of action by some of the unsavory groups vying for control among the opposition to the Asaad govt? It's just all too convenient as a bandwagon for the armchair bombers. http://www.squidoo.com/best-top-load-washing-machines

Sat, 2012-07-21 15:15 — mnafdja (not verified)

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Wed, 2012-07-11 15:06 — ahmadnasr89

Thu, 2012-05-31 23:41 — Frederick. (not verified)

Muslims slaughtering little Muslim children. There's Islam for you. just imagine what these savages would do if they were allowed to come into contact with Jewish kids?

Thu, 2012-05-31 23:41 — Frederick. (not verified)

Muslims slaughtering little Muslim children. There's Islam for you. just imagine what these savages would do if they were allowed to come into contact with Jewish kids?

Thu, 2012-05-31 12:33 — Jerusalem Center (not verified)

Al-Qaeda and the Jihadists Join the Battle against the Syrian Regime

Jacques Neriah, an Israeli intelligence official makes the following observation :

"The gradual transformation of the Syrian opposition into a movement led by extremist Muslims allied with al-Qaeda does not serve the opposition well. The majority of Syrians don't identify with those radicals. The more the opposition wears the mask of al-Qaeda, the more there is cohesion in the ranks around Assad."

see http://jcpa.org/article/alqaeda-jihadists-join-battle-syrian-regime/ for the full article.

Wed, 2012-05-30 16:16 — islmophobe (not verified)

Andrew Nichols has a point. It may be that Assad's thugs did this. On the other hand, it may be that the other side's thugs did it to put blame on Assad's thugs. There would appear to be no good options for government in the Arab world. There is either military dictatorship or Islamic dictatorship. That's the choice. Johnny Wog just can't do government. If and when the rebels win, the first thing they'll do is murder every Alawite, guilty or innocent, then muder every Christian, then murder whatever few Jews are foolish enough to remain there.

Wed, 2012-05-30 12:09 — Andrew Nichols (not verified)

Has anyone even begun to ask the question as to the possibility that this was not the act of the Syrian Govt? First were told they were the victims of bombing. Now it's some callous slaughter, near identical to the atrocities carried out by Sunni terrorists in Algeria a decade ago. So who says it wasnt the same type of action by some of the unsavoury groups vying for control amongs the opposition to the Asaad govt? It's just all too convenient as a bandwagon for the armchair bombers.

Wed, 2012-05-30 15:39 — Bill23 (not verified)

Wed, 2012-05-30 13:01 — Mr Danger

But its not all too convenient a bandwagon for Assad to blame it on terrorists?

Wed, 2012-05-30 12:09 — Andrew Nichols (not verified)

Wed, 2012-05-30 10:48 — Mr Danger

Unless we can find a way to blame America or Israel, don't expect the left to care.

Wed, 2012-05-30 10:21 — McMac

This is appalling, truly sickening. Everybody in a position to do something about this should take action now. Even if it’s contacting your MP. I’ve already spoken with mine and have asked that he makes a public statement saying what action he’s going to take. Everyone should at least do the same.
Also, lets not get carried away with the idea that this sort of slaughter is somehow indicative of a problem that belongs to Syrians, Arabs, Muslims, The Middle East, Foreigners.
We subcontract the slaughter of children, in our name, to armed forces who deal it out from afar with hi-tech and hi-explosives. Many many children in Iraq were killed by our forces. Every one of them is a tragedy equal to the death of a child in Houla.

Wed, 2012-05-30 10:08 — mike cobley (not verified)

"And where do the relations of that freaks wife live?"

Er, collective punishment is forbidden under the 4th Geneva Convention.

Wed, 2012-05-30 15:32 — Bill23 (not verified)

I know, you use that line all the time.
Ever considered the fact that present day legal systems are based on precedence, as science was when the sun orbited the earth!
Are all legal bods so thick. Suppose it comes from following rules without engaging the grey matter. Bet you can spell though.

Wed, 2012-05-30 09:36 — Bill23 (not verified)

You would think MI5 would send 007 in to sort it out. What are we paying them for?
And where do the relations of that freaks wife live?