This will be my last offering with regard to the tragedy better known as 'Aleppo'.
Note: An update. Alleppo is Syria's largest city composed mostly of Sunni Muslims (al-Assad is Shia). This city was the base of Syrian Rebel Forces trying to wrest government from al-Assad and since their civil war began in 2013, some half million Syrians have been killed and millions more displaced. Of telling interest, in the dying days of Aleppo, US President Barack Obama was shepherding motions through the United Nations - motions critical of its one time ally Israel while remaining silent on Aleppo. Obama was not alone in this, other Western - so-called 'freedom loving' leaders were equally mute including Canada's own Young Trudeau. As the so-called leader of the Free World though Obama has left himself open to singular criticism for his sorry and cowardly inaction. History will not be kind to the little guy who is about to leave the White House.
Last week saw it fall to Russian and Syrian forces despite the best efforts of United Nations' officials in their attempt to save it from final destruction.
In calling it the "failure of our generation", the following is a picture painted for the Security Council by the UN's Humanitarian Chief Stephen O'Brien:
“Let me take you to east Aleppo this afternoon,” O’Brien said. “In a deep basement, huddled with your children and elderly parents the stench of urine and the vomit caused by unrelieved fear never leaving your nostrils, waiting for the bunker-busting bomb you know may kill you in this, the only sanctuary left to you but like the one that took your neighbour and their house out last night; or scrabbling with your bare hands in the street above to reach under concrete rubble, lethal steel reinforcing bars jutting at you as you hysterically try to reach your young child screaming unseen in the dust and dirt below your feet, you choking to catch your breath in the toxic dust and the smell of gas ever-ready to ignite and explode over you.”
These were innocent Muslims being slaughtered at the hands of their fellow Muslims.
And the world stood silent.
Indeed, I nearly choked when our own Minister of Defence, Harjit Sajjan, defended his Government's position to focus on peace-keeping when explaining why Canada would not become involved in any military effort to protect the defenceless in that doomed city.
Memo to Sajjan...you cannot have peace-keeping without first attaining peace.
And this from a guy who distinguished himself in fighting for the Allied Forces in Afghanistan. He cannot claim that he is a novice like many of his fellow cabinet members.
And speaking of peace-keeping, we in this Country have a Leadership Race underway to become the new Head of the Conservative Party. One of the major candidates, even though he has yet to officially register, spoke the other day about awaiting Aleppo's fall and then stepping forward at some future date .. say 6 months down the road, to offer Canada's services at peace-keeping.
What utter nonsense. Does he really think the coalition of Russia, Syria and Iran is going to allow any other country in under any pretenses into their turf - most especially a boy scout as Canada has become under the ruling Liberals?
I mention this one candidate in particular because he is Trump-like in his thinking and when he deals with issues related to finance, the guy makes some sense but when he drifts away from that topic...he is very much out of his league.
And speaking of Trump.
He has made it clear that he too favours such an isolationist role for his country.
Thankfully, I do not think he will be able to hang on to that point of view for long. His temperament would seem to work against it.
If he does though ... the Free World is in Big Trouble and we will be experiencing many more Aleppo's
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
