A Plea for U.S. Intervention From a Syrian Activist
Let there be no doubt: With 6,000 dead and more than 50,000 displaced, the crisis in Syria has reached the point of no return, and the people of Syria are begging for help. We Syrians had hoped that the international community could cooperate in helping lift us from the daily terror we live in, but with the Security Council in stalemate, it is hard not to feel abandoned by it. Instead, we turn to the United States, which we know can still make a difference.
That’s not to suggest that Washington hasn’t been helpful already. We appreciate that the Obama administration has repeatedly issued demands for Bashar al-Assad to cede power, and that, together with the EU, the Arab League, and Turkey, it has implemented sanctions to undermine the regime. But more decisive action is needed. Sanctions and statements have failed to stop the killing, and Syrians are seeking help on multiple fronts.
Humanitarian aid is absolutely essential. The United States should help ensure the delivery of food and medical supplies to Syria’s most besieged communities. Currently, it is impossible for injured civilians in some areas to receive treatment, because there is often no consistent electricity to service our makeshift hospitals. In certain parts of the country, ordinary Syrians have been going without food—both because the availability of fresh food has plummeted due to the violence, and because people are increasingly unable to leave their homes for any reason at all.
Of course, the United States cannot simply enter a live conflict zone in order to distribute aid. That’s why, together with its allies in the Arab world, Washington should establish safe zones—designated areas of ceasefire, protected by armed peacekeepers, where Syrians can come to seek refuge. The ideal place to do this would be in Syria, along the Turkish border. Once they have been established, the United States should try to set up a limited no-fly zone over these designated safe areas.
The United States doesn’t need to act alone. There are a number of other countries that would probably be willing to join a humanitarian coalition for this purpose. But the United States would likely have to take the initiative in forging it.