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Arab League Gives Syria One More Chance at Peace
The situation in Syria is rapidly devolving into a civil war. Embassies are being attacked, and defectors from the military are meeting violence with violence. The international community's window of opportunity to protect Syrian civilians is closing.
While the Arab League threatened to suspend Syria's membership in the organization, it has given the Assad regime one last chance to cooperate before continuing on the path of isolating the regime. This proposal would allow civilian and military observers to enter Syria to determine if the Assad regime is complying with ending the violence against civilians.
The U.N. Security Council should immediately support and reinforce this offer, by authorizing a U.N. mandated and funded peacekeeping mission comprised of Arab League and Turkish forces that can tamp down the growing violence and protect Syrians. While Russia and China vetoed an earlier resolution to condemn the actions of the Syrian regime, it is very possible that a measure that bolsters the actions of regional actors would be approved.
China has a long history of supporting the wishes of regional organizations like the Arab League. Russia dislikes being portrayed as "the bad guy" and would likely abstain if China did as well. Funding such an effort through the U.N.'s peacekeeping account would give the mission the resources and legitimacy it would need to be effective. Limiting participants to regional actors would make it much more acceptable to the Syrian opposition and deflect criticism waged against the NATO intervention of Western powers in Libya.
Time is running out. The Security Council should act now.
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Don Kraus
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