The Responsibility to Protect the Syrian People

In the midst of continued violence in the Syrian conflict, has the time finally come for international intervention?
The Arab Spring began a year and a half ago when Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation inspired democratic movements throughout the Middle East. Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen forced their leaders to step down after weeks of mostly peaceful protests. In Libya, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi attempted to end protests with military force until international support for the resistance movement forced him from power and ultimately led to his death.Among the states involved in the Arab Spring, Syria remains the outlier: protests have not removed President Bashar al-Assad, nor have they diminished over time. The time has now come for the international community to intervene in Syria to protect its people from its leader.Although peaceful protests began in Syria around the same time as other Arab states, they have not succeeded in removing Assad from power. Indeed, the Assad regime has responded more harshly to the Arab Spring than other regional leaders. According to the UN, the Assad regime has killed more than 9,000 people since the beginning of the uprising. There are also widespread reports of police torturing opposition members and even evidence of Assad’s forces mutilating children.In 2006, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1674, commonly known as the Responsibility to Protect (“RtoP”). This resolution requires states to protect their civilian population from atrocities and, if they fail to do so, requires the international community to intervene. While most UN member states acknowledge RtoP, not all agree it can justify use of military force against a sovereign state.RtoP was first used in 2011 against Gaddafi, when peaceful protests developed into an armed resistance against his regime. After Gaddafi threatened to go door-to-door executing protesters, the UN intervened with Security Council Resolution 1973 authorizing “all necessary measures to protect civilians.” Soon after, NATO and the Arab League established a no-fly zone and began an air campaign against Gaddafi’s forces. Although some criticized the NATO campaign, it was successful in preventing a massacre and replacing Gaddafi with a democratic transitional government.The current situation in Syria is more dangerous than that of Libya in 2011. The opposition is weaker, more disorganized, and more geographically dispersed. Assad’s forces are less concentrated and harder to target than Gaddafi’s were. Both China and Russia have resisted calls for international intervention in Syria, vetoing a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Assad regime. Syria’s central location in the Middle East risks spreading the conflict beyond its borders.The international community has a responsibility to protect Syrians and minimize citizen casualties under the Assad regime. A no-fly zone must be established in Syria, as well as safe havens near the Turkish and Jordanian borders where civilians can be sheltered from attacks by Assad’s forces. As the most powerful and advanced force in the region, NATO should lead a military operation authorized by the UN Security Council. The United States, European Union, and Arab League should pressure the Security Council, especially China and Russia, to support military intervention. President Assad is threatening to kill more civilians—the UN has a responsibility to protect them.

Image courtesy of Freedom House via Flickr.