For the last six years, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has literally been allowed to get away with murder. This week his forces once again gassed their own people to death, including women and children, demonstrating Assad’s complete disregard for the sanctity of human life.
So far, the international community has been unwilling to take the necessary steps to bring an end to the carnage.
Despite stark warnings by the U.S. not to use chemical weapons, Assad’s government did just that in 2013.
Unfortunately, the Obama administration made a huge strategic error by declining to live up to our word; in essence choosing to look away from Assad’s gross violation of America’s declared "red line."
In total, over 250,000 people have been killed in fighting in Syria, with millions more displaced.
The events have been disturbing at a level that is hard to even comprehend.
Syrian civilians have been summarily executed. The Syrian military has bombed hospitals, clinics, including aid workers trying to bring relief to the injured.
Barrel bombs, designed to inflict maximum casualties, have been dropped wantonly on civilian areas — not by mistake, but by design.
Today, Russia is continuing to empower Assad by blocking diplomatic moves to hold Syria accountable for its actions. Essentially, Assad is being given diplomatic cover at Turtle Bay so that Russia can retain a foothold and influence in the Mideast.
As news began to break of the latest chemical weapon attack, the Russian ambassador to the U.N. put forward a narrative completely divorced from reality, one suggesting that Syrian airstrikes of rebel weapons on the ground released the chemicals that caused the massacre.
Such a ridiculous assertion has been widely rejected by experts who contend that the rebels, with their limited military capabilities, certainly do not have access to chemical weapons.
The U.N. and its ability to act against Syria is being cynically stymied by continuous Russian intransigence. The U.S. is correctly calling for collective action by our allies to address the murder and mayhem that continues to be a part of daily life in Syria.
Nikki Haley, the excellent U.S. ambassador to the U.N., deserves credit for speaking bluntly — delivering the truth about the situation.
Haley's scathing critique of Russia following this latest outrage was on point.
Her decision to hold aloft actual pictures of children gassed to death by Assad and his military murder machine were theatrical, but stunningly effective at bringing attention to the gravity of the war and the heinous nature of Syria’s crimes. Ambassador Haley asked, "How many more children have to die before Russia cares?"
Haley was right when she asserted that sometimes states have to act in their best interests without waiting for the U.N.
Time and again, the U.N. has proven itself to be completely ineffective — especially at those times when it is needed the most.
Video footage taken at the scene of the latest chemical weapons attack shows women and children foaming at the mouth and writhing in agony.
Yes, it is very hard to look at, but we do not have the luxury of continuing to look away.
Russia should be ashamed of its support for a maniacal dictator whose depravity appears to know no depths.
How many more innocents have to die before the world demands that Russia stop covering for the Assad regime?
What will it take to bring a final end to this horror?
That remains to be seen. However, continuing on our present course without trying new ways to stop the killing will yield the same result— more destruction, bloodshed, and murder.
Armstrong Williams is the author of "Reawakening Virtues." He is a political commentator who writes a conservative newspaper column, hosts a nationally syndicated TV program called "The Right Side," and hosts a daily radio show on Sirius/XM Power 128 (6-7 p.m. and 5-6 a.m.) Monday through Friday. He also is owner of Howard Stirk Holdings Broadcast TV stations. Read more reports from Armstrong Williams — Click Here Now.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.