War and the Small Nations (Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931)

In light of the unpredictable machinations of Russia (more particularly Putin) regarding the Ukraine, this little story may resonate with some: 

 

Once, high above a pasture, where a sheep and a lamb were grazing, an eagle was circling and gazing hungrily down upon the lamb. And as he was about to descend and seize his prey, another eagle appeared and hovered above the sheep and her young with the same hungry intent. Then the two rivals began to fight filling the sky with their fierce cries.

 

The sheep looked up and was most astonished. She turned to the lamb and said, “How strange, my child, that these two noble birds should attack one another. Is not the vast sky large enough for both of them? Pray, my little one, pray in your heart that God may make peace between your winged brothers.”

 

And the lamb prayed in his heart.

'Twas a famous victory!

December 31, 2018 - added: - Well it seems as if Assad has really won this time! But at what cost in human lives and materiel? With the Americans deciding to pull out of Syria and Iraq, this gives free reign to Assad's allies, Iran and and Russia. Good luck to the Kurds and any others in opposition to Assad, still in Syria! Assad will have a field day with any opposition still in the country.

If you thought his father, Hafez al-Assad was bad - who killed 20 000 opposition countrymen and women - I'm thinkin you ain't seen nothing yet! Son of Hafez, one Bashar al-Assad, has presided over at least 200 000 deaths, millions displaced and the cities and infrastructure destroyed. Now there is no one to stop him!

And in spite of various claims to the contrary, ISIS, that murderous fundamentalist Islamic group has not been defeated or destroyed. Weakened? Yes. Destroyed? No.

March, 15. 2018 - added:- According to the latest news with the assistance of both Russia and Iran the "rebels" who have been fighting to free Syria from the murderous regime or Bashar al-Assad have been all but driven out of Syria. Likewise the ISIS, at least what is left of them have also, more or less, been defeated. So, shortly, there will be proud proclamations that Syria is free!

The trouble will be rebuilding a shattered country. Aleppo - formerly a large thriving city - is now absolutely devastated. And there are many similar situations. And what about the people - homeless, injured, refugees in their own country?

This will be no "victory"; this will be an example of brute force applied indiscriminately to prove a point.

Sept, 15. 2017  - added:- According to the latest news what I have written below is coming to pass. The Russians are now in control of much of what was ISIS controlled Syria. So be it.

I wonder at the “victory” the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad will inherit after his "civil war" is over. He will win but he does not have the ability to do it his own.

With Russian help he will win. But at what cost?

What I fear is that what was a country with an ancient history – stretching back thousands of years – I fear it will be in ruins. My concern is what will remain after the “victory”?

Cities devastated; infrastructure in ruins; half the population (about 12 million out of a total of about 24 million people) either dead, injured, displaced or homeless. For what? So Bashar al-Assad can claim “victory” and satisfy his ego and support the legacy of his megalomaniac father?

As my one loyal reader knows I like poetry. Now there is a poem by Robert Southey (1774-1843) called “After Blenheim”, which satirizes the concept of “victory”, which I believe is very appropriate in this situation. I won’t burden my reader with the whole poem – just the last three verses. They will give some idea of the gist:-

…..

‘They say it was a shocking sight

            After the field was won;

For many a thousand bodies here

            Lay rotting in the sun;

But things like that, you know, must be

After a famous victory.’

‘Great praise for the Duke of Marlboro’ won

            And our good Prince Eugene.’

“Why ‘twas a very wicked thing!”

            Said little Willelmine;

“Nay …. Nay … my little girl”, quoth he,

“It was a famous victory.”

‘And everybody praised the Duke

            Who this great fight did win.’

“But what good came of it at last?”

            Quoth little Peterkin:-

‘Why that I cannot tell,’ said he,

‘But ‘twas a famous victory.’

As always in war it is the innocent, the women and children, who suffer the most.

What a "famous victory" Bashar al-Assad will have won!

Injustice – 298 dead in Ukraine, over 700 dead in Gaza.

My one loyal reader – remember Archie? – knows the one human failing that always gets up my nose is injustice; injustice of any kind. There is no such thing as partial injustice; there is either injustice or there is no justice. All injustice, even perceived injustice, burns like a hot ember in the psyche of those affected – it rankles for generations and is never forgotten.

The terrible tragedy of Malaysian Airlines flight MH 17 with the loss of 298 lives (many  were children, even infants) – shot down by Ukrainian separatist rebels has a parallel lost in the confusion of current events - Gaza. The continuing violence in Gaza has left over 700 dead, most of whom are women and children – innocent women and children. There are obviously some, reputed, militants among the dead as well but it is the deaths of women and children and the over three thousand injuries that have been reported that really upset me.

One received worldwide condemnation, the other is barely mentioned. Why?

The 298 dead in MH 17 were killed when the aircraft was shot down by a surface to air missile fired from Russian separatist controlled Eastern Ukraine; the majority of the over 700 dead and the thousands injured, in Gaza, died or were injured  by missiles fired from the air – air to ground missiles - what's the difference?

The Russians blame the Ukrainians for the loss of life in MH 17; the Israelis blame Hamas for the loss of life in Gaza.

Both are wrong. Both are the result – the tragic result – of injustice.

The injustice, in Gaza, and Palestine, has its roots in the aftermath of the First World War. The Palestinians believed that the British, who they had helped to defeat the Turks, would grant them the right to live in Palestine (a British “mandated” territory, where they had been living for centuries anyway).

Meanwhile the Jews believed that now the First World War was won and the Turks defeated,  the British would grant them their God given right to the land of Israel (according to their interpretation of the Biblical Old Testament).

Unfortunately neither of these beliefs was ever realised. Accordingly the very disillusioned Palestinians blamed the British and the Jews for the fact that their beliefs turned out so wrong.

Similarly the Jews were greatly disillusioned that their “God given right” to the land of Israel was to be so frustrated – they accordingly blamed the British and the Palestinians.

The British, in effect, threw up their hands and walked away from the problem, thus setting the scene for the fact that there has been no real peace in Middle East since 1946.   

This, current, senseless violence and appalling loss of life will inevitably end in a truce or ceasefire in Gaza so it may be useful to reflect on why the conflict was ever started in the first place!

If Israel continues to refer to the horrific past visited upon the Jews of Europe in the 1930s and during the Second World War as a justification for their “right” to have a homeland which “right” they also claim is supported by the Bible’s Old Testament, why can’t the Palestinians also refer to their “horrific” past in the hands of the Jews and the war time allies (USA, England and France)?

It is recorded that the great teacher, Hillel (who died in 10 C.E.) summarized the essence of Judaism by saying: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow humans; this is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary. Now go and learn.” Another central premise of the Torah (the moral code of Judaism) is the command to “Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Remember the Palestinians were summarily removed from what had been their “homeland” for centuries, to make way for the state of Israel, and many were made stateless and homeless. Some still lay claim to the land and buildings now occupied by the Israelis.

Also remember that far more Palestinians have been killed by the Israelis than there have been Israelis killed by Palestinians. And remember that the Palestinians in Gaza have no where to go. They live in one of the most densely populated areas on earth. Giving 10 minutes warning of a bombardment, as the Israelis claim they give, is no answer. Another point to remember is that the Israelis have had a "siege" in place for years - nothing may enter or leave Gaza without the Israelis say so.

This is the injustice that the Palestinians seek to have redressed (and are prepared to fight for this to be redressed); this is the injustice that the Israelis cannot, or will not, accept. For a people (the Jews) who have suffered so much injustice, racial vilification and horrific pogroms in their long history, one would hope that they would have developed sufficient insight, understanding, humility and empathy to accommodate the Palestinians in the land that “belongs” to all (all land was present before humans existed and all land will still exist long after humans have vanished from the face of the earth). 

But no – the Israeli response has always been “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

As for the current Russian/Ukraine problem this, again, stems from injustice and a perceived “right” to land. The Russians believe they have a “right” to Ukraine because of historical links – and they are offended by the Ukrainian’s desire to be affiliated with Europe rather than Russia. Many Ukrainians object to this Russian view - they will recall the terrible loss of life under the rule of Stalin (when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union) – enforced starvation killed over 5 million Ukrainians; many Ukrainians will recall the Russian imposed limitations on teaching (and speaking) the Ukrainian language; many Ukrainians will know that their forebears fought for Ukrainian independence from Russia at the end of the Second World War, which was brutally suppressed. This is the injustice that many Ukrainians resent. 

Hopefully a yet to be seen Russian directed pull back by the Ukrainian separatists in Eastern Ukraine may at least bring about a semblance of a truce.

Violence is never, repeat never, a solution to any problem – violence begets more violence. As has been stated before in these Posts, violence is the usual outcome of moral bankruptcy.

(Amended 24/07/2014)

Now it is Assad for Syria – what if …?

Recent reports in the media indicate that analysts now consider the best option for Syria (and for stability in the Middle East) is if Assad regains control of Syria. Well now – isn’t that good news!

Ooops! Sorry we made a mistake!

I have said before (as my one loyal reader has pointed out) the Syrians are an intelligent people with a very long, if rather turbulent, history going back millennia. As I also pointed out it is very poor policy to try and pick winners when it comes to any country’s governance, but particularly in the Middle East. And then what about the one hundred thousand (and counting) Syrian casualties later?

For the sake of humanity and in the name of whatever you consider God to be, leave Syria to the Syrians and back off!

And now there is Afghanistan. The Afghanis are an intelligent people with a very long, if rather turbulent, history going back millennia. They have fought off invaders ranging from Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan to the more recent Soviet invasion and prevailed. Once more – trying to pick winners in this area of the world is an impossible, and pointless task.

In their recent history the Afghanis have lost many uncounted thousands of civilian casualties to the Taliban, the Soviets and NATO (read USA) actions. More importantly are the people any better off with NATO interference? 

The Afghanis are capable of sorting themselves out, one way or another. Just leave them alone. Back off!

Will this be another “Ooops” moment? You bet.

Now, just for a moment let us speculate. What would have happened if former President G W Bush and his cronies had come to a similar conclusion about Iraq? Maybe, just maybe, Iraq (and stability in the Middle East) would have been better off under Saddam Hussein. As afore mentioned, it is very poor policy to try and pick winners when it comes to any country’s governance, but particularly in the Middle East. And particularly for the five hundred thousand plus (and counting) Iraqi (and US and allied) casualties later.

Just like the Syrians and Afghanis, the Iraqis are an intelligent people with a very long, if rather turbulent, history going back millennia. Mesopotamia – the Land between the Two Rivers – was the cradle of civilization and extends at least as far back as recorded history, to about 3000 BC (remember the Babylonians?).

Ooops! Sorry we made a mistake! But was the mistake about the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) or was the mistake about invading Iraq in the first place?

Or maybe both? Why can’t we (that is the USA and the West) just leave well alone and back off?

Syria – don’t add fuel to the fire!

It is a very dangerous course of action to try a pick a winner in a war zone. Particularly in a civil war and even more dangerous when to opposing sides are divided by religious beliefs.

I am not a Syrian, I have never knowingly met a Syrian – nor am I a Muslim. I strongly believe that no person, group or country that is neither Muslim nor Syrian should interfere in Syria. Bashar al-Assad may not be a very nice person – but look at who his father was and look at what his father did to the Syrian people many years ago. He killed thousands. So his son, the current Syrian president, has not had a particularly good role model to emulate.

The Syrians started this “war” two years ago (Amended Feb 22, 2018:- actually started March 15, 2011, so now seven years ago) and while I am appalled at the violence and the escalation into neighbouring countries I strongly disagree with any attempt to “support” any of the warring parties by supplying them with weapons. The Russians are wrong; the EU is wrong and the Americans are wrong in offering support to either side – in other words trying to pick a winner. (Added Feb 22, 2018:- Also  don't forget the religious side of this war Shia - the Alawite ruling minority and Shia majority in Iran vs the Sunni majority opposition allied to the Turks and others in the region).

Picking winners in a civil conflict never works. The Russians and the Western Coalition tried it in Afghanistan; the French and the Americans (and allies) tried it in Vietnam; the Americans and their allies tried it in Iraq and there are many other examples to draw on (Palestine?) – history is littered with such attempts - all failed or are failing. The Americans themselves should know better than to interfere in someone else’s civil war – each side resisted interference from the French and/or British in their various "home grown" conflicts hundreds of years ago.

Now the Russians are ramping up their supply of weapons to Syria. This will inevitably be matched by the “West” and by Israel. To what end? Such actions will just add fuel to the fire. This Syrian civil conflict – as in all such conflicts - has its origins in injustice (Palestine?). And injustice can never resolved by violence. Violence just creates more injustice, as we have already witnessed, this in turn will promote more violence to “redress” the additional injustices and so a vortex of violence and injustice will ensue. No one benefits – except arms dealers and weapons manufacturers and suppliers.

By all means provide humanitarian aid to the millions of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey and to support these countries in their efforts to assist the refugees  - this is  fair and just. But not to supply weapons.

Violence is the last resort of the morally bankrupt.