Another story of Syria

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

Jon Stewart returned last night, and the talk of the day was, of course, Syria (and he, of course, tried to inject a little humor into the situation.) However, the interview segment with which he closed out the show was anything but humorous, bringing in Andrew Harper, the head of the United Nations Refugee Agency in Jordan. This is the important story, in my opinion: the story of millions of people displaced from their homes, many of them women and children. It's also the story of nations such as Jordan who are doing what they can to provide a safe haven for some of these people, and the incredible work being done by the UN, an organization that is so often derided by folks here in the U.S., but which does certain things very well; this is one of them.

Any discussion of our response to the situation in Syria should involve the discussion of how we can help these people. While we're talking about what message we should send to the Assad regime, or whether or not we should act militarily, and in which way, here is an obvious human crisis where we could all put our money where our mouths are. I'd prefer to see this story given the lion's share of airtime on our cable news stations, over constant redundant talking heads debating back and forth on questions of chemical weapons and factions and military responses and political calculus.

Here's the interview, in two parts:

If the embedding doesn't work for some reason, here are direct links:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-3-2013/exclusive---andrew-harper-extended-interview-pt--1

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-3-2013/exclusive---andrew-harper-extended-interview-pt--2

Comments

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Harper points out that this is not just a civil war. He does not mention the role that regional power centers have played. Assad and his security people are not solely responsible for the violence of the situation. I would like to see more humanitarian assistance coming from Riyadh and Tel Aviv.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

I don't know what you did, but BOTH videos simultaneously play as soon as I load my friends page.

Put behind LJ-cut or something, please.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

agh! autoplay!

[dwer.livejournal.com]

Having watched... yes. We should be helping with this as well. Absolutely.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

When you say to yourself, "Let's move our family to Iraq, its safer than where we are now", you are in a fucked situation.

Absolutely we should help with the refugees above and beyond any military actions.

Here:

Displaced but finding new purpose in Jordan's Zaatari camp (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/Olive-Press/2013/0903/Displaced-but-finding-new-purpose-in-Jordan-s-Zaatari-camp)

Syria's refugee crisis 'a humanitarian calamity' (http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/syrias-refugee-crisis-a-humanitarian-calamity)

As Syrian refugees flood Lebanon, security worries grow (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/09/03/201098/as-syrian-refugees-flood-lebanon.html)

Syrian neighbours brace for refugees fleeing US strike (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\09\04\story_4-9-2013_pg4_7)

Fearing US missiles, Syrians escape to Lebanon (http://news.yahoo.com/fearing-us-missiles-syrians-escape-lebanon-150606270.html)

Syrians fearful of attacks, face tight Lebanese border controls (http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Aug-30/229262-syrians-fearful-of-attacks-face-tight-lebanese-border-controls.ashx)

With Focus on U.S.-Led Strikes, Global Failure to Meet Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis Goes Unnoticed (http://www.democracynow.org/2013/9/4/with_focus_on_us_led_strikes):

"The United Nations has revealed the number of refugees who have fled Syria has topped two million. The tide of children, women and men leaving Syria has risen almost tenfold over the past 12 months. On average, almost 5,000 people take refuge in Syria’s neighboring countries every day. The U.N. warned last month the war is fueling the worst refugee crisis since the Rwanda genocide in ’94. Two million refugees have fled Syria, half of them to neighboring Lebanon. Jordan hosts over 500,000, and there are tens of thousands in Turkey. Overall, the fighting in Syria has killed more than 100,000 people since 2011. More than 7,000 children have died."

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

The issue with military action, and this pertains to Syrian refugees, is how to not create many more refugees by widening (http://news.yahoo.com/-obama-puts-twin-syria-sales-pitches-into-high-gear--152634247.html) and prolonging (http://www.juancole.com/2013/09/attack-syria-prolong.html) the conflict. What do we do (http://www.stripes.com/news/limiting-action-to-missile-strikes-in-syria-could-prove-difficult-analysts-say-1.238355) when we create a power vacuum (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/08/31/uk-syria-crisis-rebels-strike-idUKBRE97U06520130831) that ends up being worse for the Syrian people (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/27/the-one-map-that-shows-why-syria-is-so-complicated/). Limited strikes are likely to be absorbed and the martyrs will embolden Assad (http://abcnews.go.com/International/syrian-rebels-us-hit-hard/story?id=20142137), and then regime change will be next choice (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/03/obama-strategy-assad-republicans-syria).

And worse for the refugees, why have we abandoned diplomacy (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-source-us-russia-meeting-syria-canceled-20076820)? Now is the time for talks (http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/jimmy-carter-syria-peace-summit-96087.html), not silence.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

This is the only thing we should be doing with regards to Syria.

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

It's such a difficult thing because, no we are not ready to go to war with yet another region in this half of the world. No, bombing is not going to help anyone. But at the same time it's difficult as hell to ignore what's going on over there... It really puts things in perspective that if Jordan can accept more refugees when they're still having to take care of other neighbors, surely Americans can sacrifice something of our money and resources to help the Syrian people.

[brother-dour.livejournal.com]

The UN is great at responding to humanitarian crises. It is terrible at preventing said crises from occurring.

I think the UN would work perfectly if it were disbanded and reformed- but next time, let's not invite China and Russia.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Our allies:

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

I sincerely hope that this all part of some elaborate joke that progressives have decided to pull on the rest of the world and that they are only acting like neo-cons to be Ironic.

If not I think they owe GWB an apology.

[papasha-mueller.livejournal.com]

Helping refugees is somewhat like curing the sympthoms, not the illness itself.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

We're doing our best (http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=153370).