Christians, other minorities in Syria fear 'ethnic cleansing'

[MNBrewer]

http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/christians-other-minorities-in-syria-fear-ethnic-cleansing-1.236246

Syrian rebels, who are mostly Sunni Muslims, have repeatedly shelled Christian neighborhoods in the city, including Kasaa, with its wide avenues, apartment blocks and leafy parks. The opposition Free Syrian Army claims it strikes only government targets, but constant shelling of the civilian quarter suggests otherwise.

Over the past year, many Christians have fled the neighborhood, moving to other areas of the capital or into neighboring Lebanon. Some who remain say they fear the rebels are aiming to achieve “ethnic cleansing” — the policy of eliminating unwanted ethnic or religious groups by terror that gained international notoriety during the Bosnian war 20 years ago.

Many Syrian Christians say they fear becoming victims of the same kind of targeted anti-Christian violence that resulted from the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. This persecution, known here as the “American solution,” caused a massive exodus — of the 1.5 million Christians who lived in Iraq in 2000, less than 300,000 remain today.

“The terrorists are trying to push the Christians out of this area,” said Isan Bahri, the 44-year-old owner of a mechanical shop in the Kasaa district of eastern Damascus that the rebels have been trying to capture. “They are not shooting at the army, they are intentionally aiming for civilians.”

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Ethnic cleansing, remember that blast from the past? It's what drew us into action in Serbia. It is at least as much a crime against humanity as the use of chemical weapons. We had better be ready to respond to this crime when it happens.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

1. Respond how?

I don't claim any expertise, but my guess is that the least worst response to ethnic cleansing by the Syrian rebels, like the least worst response to atrocities by Assad, will be to wring our hands futilely and say "we're sorry, but we can't do anything without making the situation worse".

[cali]

2. Peter Galbraith predict full scale genocide against the Alawites

He made that prediction about a year ago.

here's more about that:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/foreign-affairs-defense/syria-behind-the-lines/does-syria-face-a-genocidal-future/

[MNBrewer]

4. It's been clear that genocide and ethnic cleansing will be the path taken by the "rebels"

for quite some time.

[sabrina 1]

5. The rebels are also driving out the Kurds by the tens of thousands. Al Queda rebels

They Kurds have been leaving after these attacks and going to Jordon or Iraq where Al Queda now has a strong presence also.

So why on earth would this country, which claims to be fighting Al Queda, who everyone aknowledges are a large part of the Syrian Rebels, now go help them in Syria and since they've made their mission clear, Al Queda I mean, to drive the Kurds (the largest ethnic group in Syria and 10% of the population there) that they intend to drive the Kurds out of Northern Iraq and Syria and establish a state of their own there.

The Kurds need help, but once again it appears, we are about to betray them again if this insane war goes forward.

[MNBrewer]

8. Yep.

Personally I'm in favor of an independent Kurdistan, but that'll never happen (at least peacefully)

[geek tragedy]

6. Eh, so be it. The fate of the Allawites isn't

our problem to solve. We have no national interest in protecting them.

[Comrade Grumpy]

33. They understand they face an existential threat and are acting accordingly.

[geek tragedy]

37. They face an existential threat of their own creation.

The Russians can bail them out when the time comes.

[MNBrewer]

3. What did we do in Serbia?

That response may not be viable in Syria. I fear the worst for the minorities there. But if we're going to pretend (and that's just what it is, pretending) that we care about crimes against humanity in Syria, we had better be prepared to deal with them all.

[geek tragedy]

7. Conversely, if we're not going to intervene against the Allawites,

we should rule out intervening on their behalf.

[MNBrewer]

9. I disagree with you on that

I take ethnic cleansing as far more of a crime than a few gas attacks.

[geek tragedy]

10. Same difference. Not our job to protect the

Allawites from the consequences of their actions. They can ask the Russians to bail out-not worth American blood, treasure, and credibility.

[MNBrewer]

11. Their actions?

[geek tragedy]

12. They rule Syria and back Assad.

If we're not going to intervene when they seem to be winning, we sure as hell shouldn't intervene when they start losing.

[MNBrewer]

13. They rule Syria??

Are you trolling? You're trolling, aren't you.

[geek tragedy]

14. That's Assad's political and military

power base.

[MNBrewer]

16. All of them

Every Alawite...every single man, woman and child.

You realize that Assad also has support from other vulnerable minorities within the Syrian polity, don't you? Christians, Kurds, for example.

All the Christians. All the Kurds. They're going to get what's coming to them?

[geek tragedy]

17. We're supposed to pick and choose which Syrian civilians

are our concern and which aren't?


If intervention is wrong, it's wrong. No air strikes now, no boots on the ground later.

[MNBrewer]

19. Ok. I definitely smell it now

[geek tragedy]

21. What's your criteria for the US attacking people

overseas?

[KittyWampus]

15. well, at least you are officially on the record for supporting military intervention in Syria.

[Ohio Joe]

18. ahhh... The 'christian persecution' justification for war...

Fuck the christians, let them go fight their own wars.

[MNBrewer]

20. did you even read that article? I think not.

I'm an atheist. I loathe christianity, but I don't think christians should be massacred.

[KittyWampus]

24. Considering the Christian Zionist movement and its links to PNAC… I guess we know where you stand.

See how easy it is to make someone look like a PNAC'er?

[Ohio Joe]

36. Then the christians should go fight

Send in the vatican, let them fight their own wars.

[Douglas Carpenter]

25. I think you misunderstand. Most Syrian Christians support President Assad and are a major part of

his political base. If American intervention results in the collapse of the Assad regime - retaliation against the Christian minority is quite likely - One of the popular slogans of the rebels is, "Christians to Beirut - Alawites to the grave." - In other words a collapse of the Assad regime will likely mean the ethnic cleansing of one of the oldest Christian communities in the world and extreme violence with a threat of genocide against the Alawite minority.

[MNBrewer]

26. Does it bother you to prevent the ethnic cleansing of the Alawites because Christians might be saved

?

[Douglas Carpenter]

30. I don't why you are asking me that

[MNBrewer]

31. I apologize sincerely

I erroneously connected you with #18. I humbly ask your pardon.

Thanks for being patient with my bumbling.

[Douglas Carpenter]

32. oh that's okay. I wondered if you misunderstood my points. people do sometimes

[MNBrewer]

34. I was confused, as they seemed contradictory... but that's my fault for combining yours with #18

Sorry again.

[Harmony Blue]

22. The Syrian Kurds will flee to Kurdistan and the Syrian Christians to Lebanon

The Alawites will put up a spectacular fight though regardless of what happens though.

We should stay out of this and ironically these groups will turn on AQ fairly quickly once Assad is out of power. The Kurds don't like AQ, FSA does not like AQ, Lebanese Christians don't like AQ and even Hezebollah doesn't like AQ.

This will sort out if the U.S. does not intervene.

[MNBrewer]

23. I have a hard time locating "Kurdistan" on my globe

where is it, exactly?

[Harmony Blue]

27. From the Kurds point of view that is northern Iraq

and much more. Realistically they control northern Iraq which is why the Iraqi government had to ask permission to pursue AQ agents that fled into Northern Iraq (a.k.a. Kurdistan). The regional authority of the Kurds were too late to give the permission to continue the pursuit of AQ agents and the Iraqi government had to give up many times. Now, that AQ has directly attacked Iraqi Kurds, an uneasy alliance between the Iraqi Kurds and the Iraqi government has been forged.

Enemies are now becoming friends to fight a common foe. This is how this will unfold.

There are a lot of foreign religious fighters in Syria currently (eg Chechnyans) and most Syrians regardless of of ethnic or religious background look down on religious extremism. So, while if the Assad regime does topple due to AQ, Al Nursa Front and these foreign religious fighters they will quickly be met with resistance by Syrians themselves.

This conflict is multi faceted, very dynamic and will not end anytime soon.

[Glassunion]

29. It's north of Elbownia, and south of Neckistan.

[Douglas Carpenter]

28. I doubt that Lebanon with a total population of 4.259 million could absorb 2 to 3 million Syrian

Christians. If there is a Kurdish state somewhere for the Kurds can flee to - that is news for everyone especially the Kurds.

[Comrade Grumpy]

35. Kurdish refugees are pouring into the Kurdish areas of Iraq.

Which is pretty much a Kurdish state at this point. So there is that.

I mean the Kurdish-controlled areas of Iraq pretty much constitute a nascent Kurdish state.

[Douglas Carpenter]

38. there are roughly 2 million Syrian Kurds - Iraqi Kurdistan's population is roughly 4.7 million

so yes - Kurdish refugees from Syria are pouring in - I read somewhere like 40,000 over the last several months. If full scale ethnic cleansing were to be enacted should the rebels win control of Syria - I can't see Iraqi Kurdistan being able to cope with potentially as many as 2 million refugees.