Assad must be held responsible for bloodshed

It took a lot of audacity for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stand in front of the international community and say the recent massacre in Houla did not happen. More than 100 civilians and children were murdered, but the besieged president still has the temerity to deny what happened under his very nose. The world is outraged, yet again, at another horrific slaughter in Syria. Something must be done urgently, especially at the United Nations Security Council, or else there will be more killings by this bloody regime. It’s time for the world’s highest body to take a common position against Assad.

It has got to the point where Assad thinks he can do what he wants. He’s buying more time so that he and his armed groups, known locally as the Shahiba, can continue terrorising people and cling to power. 

The Shahiba has been operating for years, under different guises, to keep Assad and his associates in power and to cultivate fear among the public. These armed thugs will continue to kill. However, any UN resolution aimed at punishing Syria and removing the Assad regime physically would require the support of Syria’s faithful allies, Russia and China. These two powers are still refusing to change their stance despite worldwide condemnation of the events in Houla. For the time being they remain adamant that all parties must enter into a ceasefire, which is clearly unattainable at this point in time.

Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan’s peace plan is falling apart because neither side respected the ceasefire already imposed and neither is ready to talk peace. Indeed, it seems like it’s now too late for any meaningful ceasefire. 

After the Houla massacre, the resistance groups realised they must increase their attacks against the government’s positions in Damascus and the provinces. Assad also knows that the only way for him to survive is to kill more people to consolidate his power, which is evaporating by the day.

So the only scenario is to have a strong UN Security Council resolution that will allow the use of force to stop the killings. However, with the Libyan crisis still a fresh memory, many UN members are reluctant to see any further application of force. 

Many key players are also stuck with their own domestic challenges. US President Barrack Obama is seeking re-election in November and is now in full campaign mode. Newly elected French President Francois Hollande is disinclined to join any international force to intervene in Syria. With the financial crisis in Europe, even Germany has to think twice about supporting military action. None of the big Western powers is ready to go in. Assad reads this situation correctly, and that’s why he will continue the killing spree.

Nevertheless, all necessary measures must be taken to ensure that Assad is prosecuted for crimes against humanity, just like former Liberian leader Charles Taylor. But the world must reach a consensus on this. The longer we wait the more innocent people Assad will kill. The UN must learn from its past mistakes in Rwanda and move now before it is too late.