Editorial
EU embargo on Syria
Positive approach should be thought of
As the international community waffles on the ground situation in Syria, the situation in the country is turning from bad to worse.
The European Union's recent embargo on importing Syrian petroleum is a definite statement of the rising global frustrations against the repressive government of President Bashar al-Assad.
The EU hopes no doubt that this embargo will seriously and effectively impact the current regime. This is so because the EU imports 95% of Syrian petroleum.
Considering that al-Assad's government has engaged in violence and repression against its people since March, 2011, there is a question as to why, unlike the other countries of the Arab Spring, Syria still hangs in limbo in this process. One hypothesis could be that Syria shares a common border with Israel and thus, for reasons of the pretext of defense, al-Assad continues to maintain a tight grip on the military, which has seen little defection to date.
The essential question now is: will the Syrian embargo be efficient in achieving its goals? That is debatable. Primarily, the embargo, when fully operational in ten weeks, is likely to penalize the population more than the regime and the political elite by weakening the economy. We must not forget that Syria had already been the target of economic sanctions placed by the US since 2003.
From the sheer human rights point of view, it shows the weakness of a multilateral policy to defend the Syrian people.
It is worth noting that perhaps more positive measures regarding Syria could be implemented. These include diplomatic initiatives and political and economical support for the opposition in reversing the current political status quo. Or perhaps a speedy resolution by the UN to end this humanitarian crisis. Could a stern but people-friendly approach to Syria be the answer to helping its people achieve its goals?
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments