Jahanzeb Hussain is the editor of Collateral Damage Magazine. He is a 22-year old student based in Vancouver, where he goes to Simon Fraser University. He also represents the Vancouver chapter of Afghans For Peace.
A few words on Bashar Al-Assad
He keeps what the US and Israel call « Stability ». The Syrians have been careful not to challenge Israel because they can’t afford confrontation with Israel. As long as the dictatorship remains (not just in Syria, but also in Egypt and Jordan) the government will be aloof when it comes to public opinion, which is highly pro-Palestinian. The US and Israel want the dictatorships to stay so that Arab public opinion stays out of decision making. Assads provide that.
However, the West does not love Assad because he is close to Iran. The US, especially Saudi Arabia, want this Shia connection to go away, so that they can dominate the region completely. But the problem right now is that there is no alternative in Syria for the West as the opposition is weak. The real opposition in Syria is the Muslim Brotherhood, which the US and Israel will not want in power. There is too much uncertainty in Syria, a fear that a new government in Syria will not play by the rules and will upset the “peace” which Assads have with Israel.
Assads know this very well; therefore they will keep going with the killings. I don’t know when it will stop though. The West knows that too, just as they knew that Russia and China will veto the UN resolution. The US and EU just took the resolution there in order to make it appear that they are trying to do everything but it’s the old foe Russia that is in the way.
- Jahanzeb Hussain
