Syrian Crisis - 4645 Words

I. Background to the crisis in Syria Protests asking for the release of political prisoners began mid-March 2011 and were immediately met by Syrian security forces who at first detained and attacked protestors with batons, and later opened gunfire, and deployed tanks and naval ships against civilians. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad refused to halt the violence and implement meaningful reforms demanded by protestors such as the lifting of emergency law, broader political representation and a freer media. Assad continued to deny responsibility for the attacks on protestors, placing the blame for the violence on armed groups and foreign conspirators instead. On 16 February President Assad called for a referendum to be held on 26 February†¦show more content†¦According to Syrian National Council representatives in Geneva, over 1,000 civilians were killed in the first two weeks of April, with shelling and mortar fire in the northern village of Marea and the city of Homs on 10 April. Reports from Amnesty Internatio nal and Human Rights Watch highlighted ongoing rights abuses, from the arrest of minors to extrajudicial executions. The impact of the conflict began taking its toll on the countries bordering Syria, with over 24,000 Syrians occupying the Turkish refugee camp of Kilis, which reportedly came under fire from government forces on 9 April; meanwhile Lebanese opposition leader Amin Gemayel has voiced concern that the fighting could spill over into Lebanon. II. Crimes against humanity perpetrated by Syrian government Syrian government use of excessive force against protestors The Syrian government’s violent response to protests since mid-March has left over 5,400 people dead as of 10 January 2012, including at least 300 children, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Thousands more have been wounded, arbitrarily arrested, tortured and disappeared as protestors and their families within and outside of Syria have been targeted. Under-Secretary-General B. Lynn Pascoe informed Security Council members on 27 April 2011 that sources in Syria were â€Å"consistently reporting the use of artillery fire against unarmed civilians; door-to-door arrest campaigns; theShow MoreRelatedIs The Syrian Refugee Crisis?1139 Words   |  5 PagesThe issue I have chosen to write about is the Syrian refugee crisis. I believe this is a pertinent topic of discussion because it is an ongoing issue that is quintessential of conflicts witnessed previously, and unfortunately is likely to be representative of many conflicts to come. This is a morally loaded situation because evaluating what actions are warranted, and even required, is the subject of moral judgements by both nations and individuals. In this essay I shall first offer a descriptiveRead MoreSyrian And The Syrian Refugee Crisis1953 Words   |  8 Pages Since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, The Western world is witnessing the largest forced migration of peoples since World War II, about 2.7 million Syrians have fled the country and settled in the neighboring states, including Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt. Currently, there are approximately 4 million Syrian refugees registered in the region. The Syrian refugee crisis has brought tremendous challenges to the region. If the Syrian refugee crisis is not treated as global problemRead MoreSyrian Refugees Crisis And The Syrian Refugee Crisis Essay1346 Words   |  6 PagesLatifa HassanJan Syrian Refugee University of Kansas On September of 2015, the image of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi went viral. â€Å"The toddler’s lifeless body on a Turkish beach had reverberated across the globe† (Parkinson George-Cosh, 2015). 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We began with plainly discussing all of my members’ ideas, eventually deciding our top three topic choices. Finally, we chose the Syrian refugee crisis as our paper’s topic. From there, we decided that the whole crisis was too broad and I already knew too much about it overall. Fortunately, focusing on Germany would solve both of those obstacles. It would center our research -- and therefore our paper -- and I had littleRead MoreThe Syrian Crisis Essay903 Words   |  4 PagesThe current state of the Syrian crisis may not be as volatile as before, but there is indeed a great deal of tension that remains. Civilian targeted warfare not only violates UN law, it violates human law. Real humans today are experiencing damage to their communities, both structural and population wise, while also living through a dilapidated and corrupt government. Because of the poor nature of these societies, rebuilding has gone very slowly, leaving people in the cold and alone. Many thing sRead MoreThe Syrian Refugee Crisis For Syrian Refugees2434 Words   |  10 Pages The Syrian Refugee Crisis Whether or not the United States should be admitting more Syrian refugees into the country is a constant debate among people. Syrian refugee lives are just as important as American citizens lives and for this reason, the United States has a responsibility to help. The U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and can contribute by providing sizable financial, humanitarian, and medical aid for Syrian refugees. While Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, andRead MoreThe Syrian Refugee Crisis1776 Words   |  8 Pagescommunity is the Syrian Refugee Crisis. The situation has only escalated since its start in 2011, and as the number of displaced Syrians reaches over 9 million, countries around the world, not just the ones in the Middle East, are increasing efforts to offer asylum and aid for these people. The Syrian Refugee Crisis began with peaceful anti-government protests in March of 2011, but after the violent response of the government, rebels, army defectors, and many civilian s formed the Free Syrian Army by JulyRead MoreThe And The Syrian Migrant Crisis Essay1592 Words   |  7 Pagesunforeseen complications that would unveil themselves when the World’s overall security was questioned. Within the last few years, the European Union has been faced with the unique challenge of determining how each nation should be handling the Syrian Migrant Crisis. Being on the border of the EU, Hungary has been bombarded with migrants seeking asylum in the EU’s member states. Brussels saw the large influx of migrants and proposed quotas, which in a very recent referendum, the Hungarian citizens rejectedRead MoreThe Syrian Civil War Crisis1736 Words   |  7 Pagesstate for the Syrian civil war is to end the conflict and stop civilian casualties and to restore peace and stability in the region. Moreover, the objective of the U.S. is to protect its national interest and to deny terrorist safe havens on Syrian territory, limit Iran’s influence while maintaining U.S. influence in the region. This policy supports the creation of a new, tolerant Syrian state that includes all minorities in a liberal democracy government. The complex Syrian civil war crisis involves