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LucasKjeldsen
Ms.Gardner
English10H,Period4
30April2015
UnethicalObserving:
NationsMustInterveneinSyriasCivilWar
Anongoingfiveyearcivilwarwithestimationsashighas300,000deathshasnooutside
helptosettletheconflict.TheSyriancivilwarisbetweenthecorruptPresidentBashar
alAssadsarmyandabroadrangeofopposinggroupsincludingtheFreeSyrianArmy,thefirst
toopposethegovernmentin2011,andtheIslamicFront,whichwasformedin2013.Itbeganin
spring2011withArabprotestsagainstthepresidentsgovernment,whoseforces,inturn,
respondedwithviolence.Manyinnocentliveshavebeentakeninthecivilwar,includingsome
byillegalchemicalweapons.TheSyriangovernmentisresponsibleformostofthesecivilian
casualtiesprimarilythroughbombings.Eventhoughthisconflictisseemsirrelevanttoourdaily
lives,itstillaffectsus.ThedifferentimpactsincluderaisedoilpricesbecauseSyriaisa
dominantoilprovider,nationsglobalreputationbecausenotinterveningmayintheendlook
bad,othersurroundingnationsbecauseviolenceinSyriacouldleakintonearbycountries(Iraq
wouldbetheworstcasescenario),andtheexpansionofISISbecauseevennowtheyareusing
thewarasadistractiontospreadlikeavirusthroughoutSyria.Powerfuloutsidemilitaryforces
shouldgivemoreattentiontotheSyrianconflictbecauseofthedeathsofinnocentlives,useof
chemicalweapons,andtheunethicalityofidlywaiting.
Initially,somepeoplemaybelievethatnationsshouldnotinterveneinSyriabecauseof


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someofthepossibleconsequences.Forexample,onlookersonthewarthinkthatitisnotother
nationsplaceandresponsibilitytoaidtherebelssinceitisacivilwaranditmightbecome
worse.Furthermore,civiliansbelievethatthereisnotamassiveamountoftrustworthyproofthat
therehasbeenuseofchemicalweapons.Theintelligenceisassumedbysometobeflawed.
SendingsoldiersintoSyriamayalsoresultinmanymoredeaths.Othersfeartheeconomic
repercussions.AccordingtoCNN,it'simportantnottoforgetthatwarcostanestimated$1
trillion.WhetheronesupportsoropposesmilitaryinterventioninSyria,thecostsincurredbyany
approachwillaffecttheAmericaneconomy.Tosummarize,oppositiontointerveningbelieve
thatitisnotwisetosendsoldiersintoSyria.Manymaybelievethatweshouldstayoutofthe
conflict.However,itcannotbedeniedthattherehavebeencrimesagainsthumanitycommitted
inSyriaandnationscannotmerelystandbyandwatchthishappen.Therearepicturesonthe
internetofpeoplethathaveperishedbecauseofthechemicalweaponsbeingusedinSyria.On
topofthis,ithasbeenconfirmedthroughtestsbytheUnitedNationsthattherehavebeen
multipleusesofthehighlyillegalsaringas.Doyoureallythinkthatitisnotworthspending
somemoneyinordertoendandgetjusticeforthehumanitariancrisesoccurringrightnow?
Admittedly,itispossiblethatsendingmilitaryforcescouldendupbackfiringand
resultinginawarworseoffthanitalreadywas.Nevertheless,afterobservingthenumbersof
innocentlivesbeingkilled,nationscannotjustifysittingbyandwatchingthisfiveyearconflict
continueon.ItwasestimatedinMarch2015bytheSyrianNetworkforHumanRightsthatthere
havebeen220,000casualties.Thiswarhashadamassiveamountofdeaths,andthisisjustfrom
estimations.Theextentofthedamagedonemayneverbeknown.Themosthorrificpartabout
thisapproximationisthathalfofthedeathsareresidents.Additionally,4millionunfortunate


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ordinarycitizenshavefledtheirhomes.ActressAngelinaJoliehastakenastandandattempted
toconvincenationstohelpthoserefugeesinSyria.ShehasvisitedSyriaeleventimessincethe
warstartedandisconsideringadoptingachildfromthere(AndresJauregui).Thiswillbethe
Rwandangenocideofourtime,assertsformertopStateDepartmentofficial,AnneMarie
Slaughter,wherecountriescouldhavepreventedaslaughter,theydidntanddecidedtostand
byanddonothing.Wecannotletthesecasualtiescontinueintothefutureandletmoreinnocent
peopledie.Iftherehavebeensomanydeathsinthepastfewyears,whatisgoingtostopthem
fromcontinuinguntiltheconflictisresolved.
Furthermore,theSyrianrulerhasusedchemicalweapons,whichdirectlyviolatesthe
Genevaconvention.TheUnitedNationsconfirmedthatchemicalweaponshavebeenusedin
Syriaatleastfourtimes.ThedeadliestattackssofarweretheGhoutaattackinthesuburbsof
DamascusinAugust2013andtheKhanalAssalattackinthesuburbsofAleppoinMarch2013.
Deathbychemicalweaponsisahorriblewaytodie.PresidentObamaclaimedthat,
WehavebeenverycleartotheAssadregime,butalsotootherplayersonthe
ground,thataredlineforusiswestartseeingawholebunchofchemical
weaponsmovingaroundorbeingutilized.Thatwouldchangemycalculus.That
wouldchangemyequation.
Itappearsthatthepresident'scalculusisunwavered,evenaftertherehavebeenseveralplanned
attacksinSyriausingthesehorribletoxicgases.Nationshavemadepromisestointervenewhen
thereisuseofchemicalweaponsandhavenotfulfilledthem.Thisreflectspoorlyontheir
integrityandmaycomebacktohauntthemintheirfuture.EvenaftertheSyriangovernmentwas
confirmedtohaveusedchemicalweapons,theyhavenotstopped.Therehavebeenveryrecent


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attacksontownsfullofcivilians.MerelytheuseofchemicalweaponsinSyriaisreasonenough
fornationstostepinandtakecontroloftheissue.
Ultimately,thedeathsandcrimesagainsthumanitywillcontinuetooccurbecausesimply
standingby,waitingforittofinish,hasbeengoingonfornearlyfiveyears.Sincethewarbegan,
therehavebeenhundredsofthousandsofdeaths,millionsofpeopleleftwithnohomes,and
recurringuseofillegalnervegas.Itwouldbeimmoraltostandbyandwaitanylonger.A
collaborative,groundattackcanandwillputanendtotheconflict.Airattacksaretooriskyand
haveahighchanceofharmingcitizens.TheSyriangovernmentislikeabully,thepeoplearethe
childbeingbullied,andthenationsoftheworldarethosewhojuststandbyandwatch.Thechild
cannotdefenditselfaloneandneedsthoseonlookerstostepinandhelp.Thosewhostand,
watch,anddonothingarecowardsbecausetheymakenoefforttowardsjustice.AsDwightD.
Eisenhowersaid,Wearegoingtohavepeaceevenifwehavetofightforit.Inthiscase,we
mustjointhefightforpeacethatisalreadyhappening.Thecivilwarisbeginningtogetoutof
hand,andnobodyismakinganyefforttostopit.Nationscannolongerwaitforthiswartoend
becausewaitinganylongerwillresultinmoredeathsofinnocentlives.Allthatwillresultfrom
remaininginactivewillbemorechemicalweapons,moredeaths,andmorepeopleleftwithout
homes.
PowerfulmilitaryforcesmustinterveneinSyriascivilwarbecauseofallthedeaths
occurring,illegalnervegasbeingused,andthefactthatwaitingaroundhasresultedin
absolutelynothing.TherepercussionsoftheSyriancivilwarcontinuingwouldinvolvemoreof
whathasalreadyoccurred,andeventuallywouldreflectbadlyoncountriesiftheydidnt
intervene.Thereisahumanitariancriseshappeningandcountriesaremakingnoefforttostopit.


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ThewarinSyriawillendwithappallingSyriancasualtiesandconsequencesfornationsthatdo
notstepinandusetheresourcesthattheyhavetoputastoptotheseeminglyendlessdeaths.
Nations,willyoujointogethertoendtheRwandanmassacreofourtime?


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