Israel Matzav

Mrs. Clinton's reformer and Hamza Ali al-Khateeb

In March, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explained that the United States was not intervening militarily in Syria, while it is intervening in Libya, because 'many members of Congress from both parties' consider Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a 'reformer.' In fact, it's not Congress that considers Bashar a 'reformer,' but the morally bankrupt Obama administration which Clinton represents. With the release of a video showing the results of the brutal torture and death of 13-year old Hamza Ali al-Khateeb (pictured - seeing one picture of his body in London's Daily Mail was enough to convince me not to watch the video), Mrs. Clinton and the administration she represents look more than ever like a cabal that has totally lost its moral bearings.

Video posted online shows his battered, purple face. His skin is scrawled with cuts, gashes, deep burns and bullet wounds that would probably have injured but not killed. His jaw and kneecaps are shattered, according to an unidentified narrator, and his penis chopped off.

“These are the reforms of the treacherous Bashar,” the narrator says. “Where are human rights? Where are the international criminal tribunals?”

In Syria and beyond, the youth’s battered body has cast into shocking relief the terrors wielded by the Syrian state against its people.

...

The video pans slowly over the boy’s swollen and disfigured corpse as it lies on a plastic sheet. The narrator’s somber voice intones in formal Arabic that he is “the latest martyr of freedom” and recounts his wounds one by one.

Mr. Ziadeh said he had been in touch with the boy’s family. He said they stopped speaking to journalists after their part in producing the video, an act of defiance that may have cost them dearly. Hamza’s father was detained after the release of the video, Mr. Ziadeh said.

And the Obama administration's reaction? The New York Times is apparently too embarrassed to even discuss it. But the Jerusalem Post does. This is what the same Hillary Clinton had to say in response to a call by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to refer Assad to the UN.

Rudd's comments come after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said the reported torture of a Syrian boy shows the "total collapse" of Syrian authorities' willingness to listen to anti-government protesters.

In some of her harshest comments about Syria's crackdown on the protests, Clinton suggested the Assad government's hold on power was weakening, while a US spokesman described the 13-year-old boy's reported treatment as "horrifying" and "appalling."

"Every day that goes by the position of the government becomes less tenable and the demands of the Syrian people for change only grow stronger," Clinton said.

But still no calls for Bashar to resign. Clinton and Obama still won't abandon this brutal Syrian dictator. He is a 'reformer.' He is capable of change. He is one of them.

Can you imagine what Bashar or any other Arab leader (for most of them regard this sort of behavior as 'normal') would do to a Jewish Hamza Ali al-Khateeb if God forbid they were given the chance?

But the Syrian uprising merited barely a mention at the G8 meeting at Deauville, France over the weekend. The final communique at Deauville had far more to say about the imaginary 'people' called 'Palestinians' (who are really no different than any other Arabs) than it had to say about Syria and Hamza Ali al-Khateeb. Here's the sum total of what was said about Syria:

10. We demand the immediate cessation of the use of force against civilians by the Libyan regime forces and support a political solution that reflects the will of the Libyan people. We call on the Syrian leadership to stop using force and intimidation against the Syrian people and to engage in dialogue and fundamental reforms in response to the legitimate expression of the demands of the Syrian people. We are convinced that the historic changes throughout the region make the solution of the Israeli-Palestine conflict through negotiations more important, not less. We urge both parties to engage without delay in substantive talks with a view to concluding a framework agreement on all final status issues.

...

66. We are appalled by the deaths of many peaceful protesters as a result of the sweeping use of violence in Syria as well as by repeated and serious violations of human rights. We call on the Syrian leadership to immediately stop using force and intimidation against the Syrian people and to respond to their legitimate demands for freedom of expression and universal rights and aspirations. We also call for the release of all political prisoners in Syria. Only the path of dialogue and fundamental reforms will lead to democracy, and thus to long-term security and prosperity in Syria. Should the Syrian authorities not heed this call, we will consider further measures. We are convinced that only by implementing meaningful reforms will a democratic Syria be able to play a positive role in the region. [Followed by a paragraph with five very specific points on the 'Palestinians' rather than the vague rubbish about Syria. CiJ]

...

74. We note with deep concern the lack of cooperation by Syria reflected in the most recent IAEA report. We urge Syria to fulfil its obligations and fully cooperate with the Agency and respond to the IAEA Director-General's requests for access and information in order to clarify all outstanding issues. We look forward to the IAEA Board of Governors addressing the seriousness of the issue.

That's the world under Obama and Clinton. Their only response to the brutal torture and death of a 13-year old boy is expressions of concern and empty platitudes. What could go wrong?

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Hillary Clinton

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:21 PM