Liberal Democracy

Liberal Democracy
The Free State

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Euro News: 'UN Mission: 'Urgent Need to Protect Syrian Civilians'

 
Source:Euro News- Don't ask me to translate that. LOL

"Euronews is a European pay television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and aimed to cover world news from a pan-European perspective.

It is jointly owned by several European and North African public and state-owned broadcasting organizations, and is currently majority-owned (88%) by Media Globe Networks, led by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, who is the chairman of the supervisory board. It is also a provider of live streaming world news, which can be viewed via its website, on YouTube, and on various mobile devices and digital media players." 

From Wikipedia 

"Syrian security forces have been accused of shooting dead two demonstrators as they came out of mosques during the most sacred night in Ramadan. 

 The deaths reportedly occurred in separate towns after al-Qadr prayers, the night when Muslims believe the Prophet received the Koran.

 The latest amateur pictures, difficult to verify, show protesters in buoyant mood calling for President Assad's downfall.

The United Nations said at least eight people were killed as thousands rallied around the country on Friday. Euro News." 

From Euro News

With the fall of the Gadaff Regime in Libya, I believe it's now time to put the international focus on Syria and the Assad Regime there to try to force President Bashar Al-Assad to step down from and power and his regime as well to bring a transitional government there while the Syrian people move to rebuild Syrian and rewrite their national constitution and form a new government there. 

Because of the brutal crackdowns there, that Assad security forces have put the Syrian opposition through just because they are fighting for their liberation there, I don't believe the United Nations, European Union, United States, and the Arab League should step aside and watch this brutal authoritarian regime of President Assad murder his own people because they are fighting for freedom and to end the fifty year reign of the Assad Regime. From Father Assad to his son Bashar and to try to establish some type of peaceful respectful government there that would respect human rights. 

I'm not making this argument as a Neoconservative because I'm not: I'm a Liberal Democrat who believes in liberal internationalism. And that means working with our allies to deal with the issues of the world, like government's murdering their own people because they want freedom for example. 

Syria is not a country that America can invade and occupy on its own: Syria is a pretty good size country of 22M people. About the size of Iraq but smaller and America as far as I'm concern is already overcommitted in the world. And not just in Afghanistan and Iraq, but Europe, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Korea as well. 

But just because we are overcommitted in the World, doesn't mean we should sit on our hands and watch innocent people be murdered by their own governments. We are still the strongest leader in the world that needs to work with our partners the other leaders in the world to deal with these issues when they come up. Along with the United Nations, European Union, Arab League as well. With Syria clearly being in the Arab League's neighborhood along with Turkey a major ally of America. 

This is an area where I believe the Arab League should step up to the plate a play a major role in trying to knock down the Assad Regime peacefully or otherwise, hopefully peacefully of course, to limit innocent people from being killed. And that might mean that they have their own defense force and foreign Service, similar to NATO thats made up of its own members. That the European Union is trying to build for themselves, that don't have brutal regimes. That can step in to deal with these authoritarian regimes as they come up that murders its own people. 

An Arab coalition could work with Syria and the European Union and the United States to knock these regimes out of power when they go too far. And I believe Syria would be a great opportunity where an international coalition could step up to knock out the Assad Regime. That where the United States could still play a valuable role, but more from the outside with supplies and resources but where are partners step up and do the work. Like with a no fly zone and perhaps even ground troops to defend the Syrian opposition. 

I'm for a four step process to taking the Assad Regime out-of-power in Syria. First, with economic sanctions in coalition with our partners. Then freezing the assets of the Assad Regime to keep money from the Assad Regime from leaving Syria or going into the Assad Regime. Supplying the Syrian opposition with resources and supplies so they can play a major role in this operation. 

And then if necessary a no fly zone and ground troops over Syria if necessary. In coalition with NATO and the Arab League.

Euro News: 'What Will NATO's Role be in a Post-Gaddafi Libya?'

Source:Euro News- Admiral Gianpaolo Di Paola: Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

"Euronews is a European pay television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and aimed to cover world news from a pan-European perspective.

It is jointly owned by several European and North African public and state-owned broadcasting organizations, and is currently majority-owned (88%) by Media Globe Networks, led by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, who is the chairman of the supervisory board. It is also a provider of live streaming world news, which can be viewed via its website, on YouTube, and on various mobile devices and digital media players." 

From Wikipedia 

"Nato warplanes have once again been in action in the skies over Libya. On Friday it was confirmed a formation of Tornado jets fired precision-guided missiles against what has been called, "a large headquarters bunker" in Sirte.

Since NATO took command of air strikes on March 31 they have conducted over 20,200 sorties while off the coast of the North African country 16 ships under NATO command are enforcing an arms embargo." Euro News"

From Euro News

NATO including the United States except for the fact that we played a much smaller but still vital role in Libya, unlike Afghanistan and Iraq in providing the air cover and security for the Libyan rebels so they could take down the Gadaffi Regime and NATO has proven that they still play a valuable role in helping to bring stability to trouble nations that aren't used to stability. 

But NATO's role in Libya isn't over: they need to stay there to help provide the security for the Libyan Transitional Council and the Libyan people as they try to bring stability to that country and to write a National Constitution, form a new national government and hold national elections. 

Building a stable, functional, and responsible Libyan government, is not something the United States can do on its own We are already overcommitted and need to bring our troops home in places like Europe, the Middle East, Japan, and Korea. And demand that these nations take the lead role in defending themselves, while we get our national debt and deficit under control and rebuild our economy. 

But this is an area we can help with supplies and resources like releasing frozen assets to Libya so they can use that money to rebuild their country. This is something that NATO is going to have to play a lead role, with even ground troops even, along with the Arab League, especially Egypt. And where the European Union and United Nations can play a role in helping Libya form its new national constitution and government. 

The West including America can help Libya with supplies and resources as well like getting the Libyan oil industry up and running again. Lifting economic sanctions and trade agreements. This is another area and more evidence that the United States can no longer be the sole policemen of the world and that we have to work with our European and Arab partners, African partners as well to help bring stability to these trouble areas in the world. 

Somalia would be another example where an international coalition can work together to bring stability. And help them build a stable government that respects human rights and serves its people. The United States is 14T$ in debt with a 1.8T$ budget deficit and a weak economy to go along with that. And we have our own bills that we have to start paying that we owe to a lot of these countries. 

America needs to start paying our own bills and rebuilding our own country and putting our own people to work before we decide upon ourselves that we need to try to do that for other countries, especially on our own. And I'm thinking of Iraq of course and to a certain extent Afghanistan where some of our partners are starting to pull out of there as well. 

Libya is not Afghanistan, they have money and an educated class that will be a big help in rebuilding this very large but lightly populated country. It's more like Iraq though that going to need a lot of help in putting these resources together for the good of Libya.