Questions to US President Barack Obama from the Syrian people who made the ‘mistake’ of demanding freedom and dignity

WHY are the US and the rest of the world not acting decisively to stop the annihilation of Syria by the Syrian and the Iranian regimes and the militias they control?

WHY is the Iranian regime getting away with war crimes and crimes against humanity again and again in Syria?

YES, ISIS (Daesh) is an extremist terrorist group. It has killed and terrorised thousands of people. But what about the other, bigger atrocities taking place in Syria? The Assad forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah Lebanon are responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of Syrians since 2011. Millions more have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries, where they live in misery.

WHY are the US and its allies ‘focusing’ on ISIS, bombing them a little here and there, but not really stopping them and other extremists from spreading mayhem in Syria and Iraq?

WHY are the US and its allies ignoring all the available evidence of collaboration between ISIS and the Syrian and Iranian regimes?

WHY does the US Foreign Secretary believe that al-Assad should be part of the ‘solution’ in Syria?

WHY is he calling for yet another ‘peace conference’ on Syria in Geneva that everyone knows will lead nowhere?

WHY is US President Barack Obama letting down the Syrian people and allowing the Iranian regime to control Syria, Iraq and Lebanon by brute force?

WHY is the leader of the so-called ‘free world’ not stopping the Syrian and Iranian regimes and their militias from targeting civilians with all kind of weapons for the past four years?

WHY is he ignoring all the available evidence that the Syrian regime is still using chemical weapons against civilians?

WHY is Mr Obama not fulfilling his promises of arming and training moderate Syrian rebels so that they can defeat ISIS and al-Qaeda-linked groups, as well as the troops and militias of the Syrian and Iranian regimes fighting in Syria?

WHY is he so scared of ‘irritating’ the Iranian regime while negotiating a nuclear deal at the expense of Syrians?

Hasn’t time come to act and end the endless bloodshed in Syria? This is why, Mr. President, we ask you to:

• Treat the war in Syria as an international armed conflict involving a foreign occupation by the Iranian regime and its militias and a liberation struggle by the Syrian people against this occupation.
• Refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court to investigate the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria, including Iran’s and Hezbollah’s role.
• Impose no-fly zones to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access throughout Syria, in line with the international ‘responsibility to protect’ norm.
• Fulfill your promises by arming and training enough moderate Syrian rebels, not only to fight ISIS and al-Qaeda-linked groups, but also Syrian and Iranian regime forces and militias.

Mr. President, the people of Syria need to know that they did not make a mistake in March 2011 when they took to the street demanding freedom and dignity.

Stop the war in Syria. Bring justice to the Syrian people.

Naame Shaam

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