SyrianCrisisandPresidentialElections:WhereShouldWeStand?

TheSyrianCivilWarhasbeengoingonforfourandahalfyearsnow.1Itstartedwiththe
attackslaunchedbyAssadagainstcivilians,whichincludedchemicalattacks.TheCivilWar
consistsofthreeteamsthoseinfavorofAssad,whichincludesRussia,Iran,andHezbollah
thosewhoopposeAssad,rebels,U.S,Turkey,SaudiArabia,andtheIslamicState,orISIS,
whichthreatensallgroups.
Now,therearemanysidesonthetopicofSyria.WithinSyria,therearetherebels,who
believethatAssadisinthewrongandshouldstepdown,orbeforcedoutofpower.Thereisalso
theProAssadgroups,madeupthemajorityoftheeliteinSyria,whichbelievethathehasevery
righttocontinuetobepresidentofSyria.OutsideofSyriaareAssadsopposition,whichbelieve
thatheshouldbetakendownduetohisactionsagainstciviliansinhisowncountry,theU.S
beingoneofthem.ThentherearethosewhosupportAssad,eithertopreventanotherIraqand/or
becausetheyhaveinterestsinSyriaunderAssad,Russiaclaimingtobeboth.2
RussiaisanationofinterestwhenitcomestoSyria.Putin,Russia'spresident,hasstrong
tieswithBasharAlAssadofSyria,havingbeenastrongallyeversinceitenteredintothe
conflict.HehasprovidedmilitaryequipmenttoAssad,andhasbeenbombingrebelsinfavorof
Assad.ThesebombingsbySyriahavebeenofgreatdistresstomanywhosupporttheRebels
sinceRussiahasclaimedtohavebeenattackingterrorists,notcivilians.Yetreportshavesaid
otherwise.3Videosoftheairraidhaveshownhowseveretheyhavebeeninthearea,destroying
buildingsalongwiththelivesinsidethem.4TheareasbombedbyRussiawererecentlyheldby
theRebels,andhadbeenasafehavenfortheoppositionpartyinSyria.TheareaaroundIdlib
wasthelargestareaheldbyrebels,thushavingbeenhometomanyfamilieswhodidnotwantto
leaveSyriainhopesofAssadbeingoverthrown.Withtheairstrikes,whichhavebeenrelentless
duringbothdayandnight,5 therehasbeenanadditiontotheflushofrefugeeswhohaveescaped
thebombardment.6
Justrecently,Assadhasannouncedthatheisplanningtoholdapresidentialelectionin
thefuture,butafterallterroristshavebeenwipedoutofSyria.7 Thisannouncementhasbeen
seenbypeopleaseitherasignthathehaschangedforthebetter,whilemanybelievethatitis
justinhisowninteresttodoso.Thisisbecause,ashesaid,hewillholdelectionsafterthe
1

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/laedsyria20150930story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/16/world/middleeast/untanglingtheoverlappingconflictsinthe
syrianwar.html?_r=0
3
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/25/usmideastcrisissyriaelectionidUSKCN0SJ05R20151025
4
http://www.bbc.com/news/worldmiddleeast34589137
5
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/scoreskilledairstrikesnorthernsyria151024072547067.html
6
http://www.bbc.com/news/worldmiddleeast34589137
7

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middleeast/presidentassadtoholdelectionsinsyriabutonlyaft
erhewipesoutterroristsa6708036.html
2

terroristproblemhasbeenresolved.Butwhatishisdefinitionofterrorists?ForRussia,terrorists
areanyonewhoisathreattoAssadsRegime.ForAssad,itisthesame.Thisincludesrebels,
terrorists,andthosewhoopposeAssadingeneral.Oncetheseindividualshavebeenerased,the
onlypeopleleftwillbethosewhosupportAssad.
ButAssaddoesnthavetokilleveryonethatopposeshim.WiththeairstrikesinSyria,
manyhavemigratedintoEuropeandsurroundingArabnations.BetweenJanuaryandAugustin
thisyearalone,therehavebeen120,000peopleapplyingforasylumfromSyriatoEurope.8The
attackontherebelheldareasseemstobejustanotherwaytoweedoutoppositionagainstAssad.
Withtheoppositionremoved,Assadcouldholdtheelectionsandwineasily.Andhis
statementhasbeenseenaspleasingtomany.Heispreparedtomakeanyconstitutional
amendmentsalongwiththeelections.9But,withthemajorityofthepopulationhavingfledinto
Europe,orkilled,theelectionswouldntreallyshowwhatthepeopleofSyriawouldhave
wanted.Iftheelectiontakesplace,thereisapossibilitythatSyriawouldstabilizeandfocuson
gettingridofISIS,butthatwouldleavetherestoftheworldwiththeresponsibilityofhousing
therefugees,outcastsinthenewregime,which,bytheendoftheconflict,wouldbehigherthan
theyarenow.
Withseveralcountriesbeingpartofthemigrationroute,itisnecessaryforallthose
involvedtomakeanagreementastohowtocopewiththecostsneededtomaintaintherefugees
safe.Itisespeciallyimportantnowthatwinterisarriving.Wecanseetheeffectsoftheweather
intheCroatianandSerbianborder,whichhasbeenharshonmigrantswhoonlyhavetents,fires,
andtheclothestheyweartokeepwarm.10Luckily,thesetwocountrieshaveagreedonstartingto
sendtheserefugeesintrains,whichwillbeleavingfourtimeseachday,toeasethejourneyto
Germanyorothernationstoacceptthem.11 AndeventhenGermanyishavingissuesonhousing.
12

Theyhavetriedtouseanyformsofhousing.Thetentscurrentlybeingusedincampsare
hardtomaintainwarm,andthecloseproximityoftheserefugeeshasbeenasourceofillness.
Thosewhohavealreadybeenacceptedasrefugeeshavecontinuedtostayinthecampsdueto
theshortageofhousing.13Itisalsoaconcernthatnationswithlargeinfluxofimmigrantswillsee
ariseinradicalfarrightmovementsattackingthosewhosupporttherefugeesandtherefugees
themselvesaswhenGermanyinthe90s,thelasttimeithadalargeimmigrationspike.14 This
fearhasalreadybecomeareality,nowthatithashappened.Finlandsawitsownattackagainst
therefugeesonSeptember24,30orsoindividualshurlingrocksandfireworksatabusloaded
8

http://www.bbc.com/news/worldeurope34131911

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middleeast/presidentassadtoholdelectionsinsyriabutonlyaft
erhewipesoutterroristsa6708036.html
10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUm_e_MdfwI
11
http://www.wsj.com/articles/serbiacroatiaagreetoeaseflowofmigrantsacrossborder1445605589
12
http://www.businessinsider.com/winterweatherwillmakeeumigrantcrisisworse201510
13
http://www.businessinsider.com/winterweatherwillmakeeumigrantcrisisworse201510
14
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/06/germanyrefugeecrisissyrian
9

withrefugees,whichincludedwomenandchildren,chantingracistsslurswhilewearingoutfits
thatoftheKuKluxKlan.15
ButthisoverwhelmingnumberofmigrantsinEuropeshouldntbesomuch.WiththeEU
agreeingonhousing160,000,16theUShasonlyacceptedaround1,854refugeesfromSyriasince
theSyrianCivilWarstartedfourandahalfyearsago,aweaknumbercomparedtoGermanys
92,911.Obamadoesplantoenduptakingin10,000,ajumpfromthepast5,00017 afterbeing
pressedbyEUmemberstocarryhisownweight.Itshouldntbeasurprisetomany,especially
sincetheUSbecameoneofthebiggestplayersinSyrianIntervention,andhasdonelittlegood.
Yes,wearmedrebelgroupsandtrainedthem,butnowtheyhavebeenkilledoff,largelydueto
RussianAirstrikes.Withthat,onecanonlywonderwherealltheammunitionhasgone,
hopefullywithmoderaterebelswhohavenothingtodowithISIS/ISIL.And,asmuchasone
wouldhatetoadmit,atthistimeitisbesttofocusonhelpingtherefugeesfleeingthantryingto
stoptheRussianairstrikesandAssadsbotchedfutureelections.Theonlywaytochange
Russiasmindnowisbygoingintoawarwecannotafford,whichwoulddefinitelyleadtoa
largerwarwithmoreplayers,evenathirdWorldWar.
Bothsidesareatfault.RussiaandtheUShaverefusedtonegotiateinvariousinstances,
andwhentheyhave,littlehascomeoutofit.Assadhasnotofferedanysolutionsuntiltherecent
announcementsofafutureelection,andeventhenitisinhisfavor.
Eitherway,civilianswillbedisplaced.IfawarbrokeoutbetweentheUS,Syria,and
Russia,manymoreliveswouldbeputinunnecessarydanger,butifwecontinuetojustlet
RussiahandleAssad,refugeeswillcontinuetoleaveSyriaandAssadwouldbeplacedbackto
power,lettinghimfocusonattackingISISmembers.Thisiswhyitisbesttoplaceourmoneyon
helpingtherefugees,whichincludestakingtheminalongwithprovidingmoneytothosenations
whoacceptrefugeesandhavedepletingresources.Wewouldntevenhavetodomuch
screening.TheUNhasalreadyreferred18,000totheUS,lettingtheUSscreenthoseforthe
10,000wearetoaccept.
Wealreadypaid1.1billiondollarsintherelocationof70,000duringthiscurrentfiscal
18
year, meaningthatforthose10,000,wecanexpectaround1billiontopay.Intaxes,thatwould
bearoundsevendollarsintaxes,ifyouconsiderthatthenumberofTaxReturnswas
144,815,000in201519 .Knowingthis,itisobviousthatitisntmuchofastrainintheeconomyof
theUS.Itallcomesdowntohowwillingthepeopleareinpayingthosesevendollarsforagood
cause.

15

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/finlandgroupsattackrefugees150925123046167.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/world/europe/europemigrantcrisisjeanclaudejuncker.html
17
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/10/politics/ustake10000syrianrefugees/
18

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/15000morerefugeestoberesettledinusnextyear/2015/09/20/02
565b4e5e5411e58475781cc9851652_story.html
19
https://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/FilingSeasonStatisticsforWeekEndingSept.25,2015
16

Thisiswhywemustvoteforapresidentwhichcancontinuetoallowrefugeestoseek
asylumintheUS.Asanation,weshouldn'tfearSyrianImmigrants.After911,oursecurity
measureshaverisen,includingourscreeningofpotentialmigrantsandrefugees.Ourimage
wouldriseamongtheIslamicpopulation,andmayevenlessenthethreatofterroristattacksby
IslamicExtremists.
Evenifwedothis,itmustalsobelearnedthatearlyinterferenceisbestinsuch
situations.Russiahasbeencrossingthelineonseveralissues,includinghumanrightsamong
LGBTindividuals,andagainstjustifiedrevolutioninSyria.Russiamustbeseenfromnowonas
apotentialthreattothestabilityoftheworld,andweneedapresidentthatcanacknowledgethat
whilemaintainingdiplomatictieswithRussia.