We join the world in condemnation of the massacre of 81 civilians, using chemical weapons, by the totalitarian regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.  Those weapons had been forbidden as instruments of war for nearly 120 years. His resort to chemical weapons is not his first, but it was probably an act of desperation to seize the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib, a province in Northern Syria controlled by rebel forces.

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It demonstrates the weakness of his forces that in spite of the massive assistance he has received in the past two years from Russia, he still needed the desperate measure which killed his own people, mostly innocent civilian men, women and children.
It is regrettable that a major world power, Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, saddled with the responsibility of helping out in maintaining international peace and security, is providing excuses for the Assad regime to break international law in the most despicable fashion. The Russian veto cast in the Security Council to prevent the condemnation of the Assad regime is utterly irresponsible.
Before the April 4 unleashing of chemical weapons by Assad’s forces, at least 460,000 Syrians had been killed in the six-year war, whose sole aim is to satisfy the obsession of President Assad to remain in power in Syria.  The genesis of the war must be placed squarely on the laps of Assad who, in 2011, began a systematic slaughter of innocent Syrians who were peacefully protesting his tyrannical rule.
The protest was part of what is now known as the Arab Springs, which was based on Arab youths’ realisation that their problem was the backward, corrupt, tyrannical leadership which had been the lot of their countries for decades.  Assad is one of such leaders whose only claim to power is their ability to coerce obedience through force of arms, having lost all claims to legitimacy.
The television footage of the chemical attacks is horrific and it is not for nothing that international law, under the 1899 Hague Convention Article 23 of the Regulations Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, “especially prohibited employing poison and poisoned arms.”  The law was further strengthened by the Geneva Protocols of 1925 which proclaims that the use in war of asphyxiating poisons or gases, all dangerous liquids or materials or devices, have been justly condemned by the civilised world.
It was easy for the world to support the US cruise missile attacks on Syria last week because President Assad is a serial violator of international law.  The world cannot easily forget that the chemical attack on the Ghouta Area of Damascus on August 21, 2013 nearly brought down American wrath on Syria and, indeed, former US President Barack Obama regarded that attack as crossing the American “red line.”
Now, the Ghouta chemical attack by Assad killed between 281 to 1,729 innocent Syrian citizens, many of them, like in Idlib last week, women and children.  Assad was spared in 2013 when the US Congress demurred, and the House of Commons voted down Prime Minister Cameron’s request for the use of force by 285-272.  Above all, President Obama was mollified by the September 14, 2013 “Framework for the Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons”, an international agreement guaranteed by Russia, leading to the elimination of thousands of tonnes of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles. It was supervised by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations.
Although Assad has denied responsibility for the latest attack, we think he should be investigated by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, grave acts of bad faith and the murder of hundreds of thousands of Syrians.
In his desperation to remain in power, he has endangered Syria so much that no one is sure of the future of the country.  It is glaring that the days of the Islamic State of Syria and the Levante (ISIL) are numbered, as its capital, Raqqa, is now under imminent assault.  But the contending interests of the Turks, the Kurds, the rebels, even after ISIL would have been defeated, are enough trouble to keep Syria in turmoil for years.
Since the international community, especially the Security Council permanent members cannot agree on the way forward, President Assad should do Syria a favour and leave the country with his family.  We have no doubt that the Kremlin would welcome and protect him.  He has done more than enough damage to Syria.