January 11, 2016

"The town, Madaya, is controlled by rebels and encircled by pro-government forces with barbed wire, land mines and snipers."

"People there make soups of grass, spices and olive leaves. They eat donkeys and cats. They arrive, collapsing, at a clinic that offers little but rehydration salts. Neighbors fail to recognize neighbors in the streets because their faces are so sunken...."
[I]n Madaya and neighboring Zabadani, once popular mountain resorts, thoughts of political change have receded in the face of hunger. Hamoudi, 27, a business-school graduate who took up arms after the government’s crackdown on protests in 2011, said many people would surrender in order to eat, even though they expected arrests and retribution to follow.

“In the revolution I was dreaming of democracy, freedom,” Hamoudi said slowly in an interview via Skype, exhaustion evident in his voice. “Today all my dreams are food. I want to eat. I don’t want to die from starvation.”


Oso Negro said...

Ahh....clarifying violence again has its day.

David said...

Erase a red line and what do you get?

This article tells you.

That plus the destruction of American credibility.

And greater costs still unbilled.

Sebastian said...

So you think O will lose any sleep and Hillary! any votes over this? Prog don't care-- correction: Progs care only if the starving hordes get out and give them an opportunity for moral preening in Europe--and cons only a little.

n.n said...

With the large-scale and progressive uprooting of native people, you would think that the Islamic State had an ability superior to socialist Germany, communist China, and imperial Japan to project power capable of defeating the combined resources of The United States of America, France, Germany, etc. Even the effete forces deployed by the UN are capable of standing their ground and preventing or mitigating a global humanitarian disaster.

That said, the combination of anti-native policies in Syria, the selective-child policies in America and Europe, and the directed paralysis of the combined military in America and Europe are overwhelming evidence of ulterior motives.

Good luck to the Russian coalition to aid Syrians and Iraqis to keep their homes and lives; to save Americans and Europeans from the worst consequences of good intentions; and to generally prevent the progress of a global humanitarian disaster that began with an opportunistic abandoning of friends and allies; progressed to a social justice movement that included murder, rape, and assassinations; and culminated with a renewed interest by formerly local powers to provide active global oversight.

coupe said...

"Their plight represents a stark failure of international powers..."

Their plight is based on their failed revolution.

Lyle Smith said...

We the people don't give a damn. The Islamic State isn't even doing this. Nevertheless, because of the words and deeds of our government, we are morally obligated to help these people.

Paddy O said...

Happened to again read Josephus's telling of the siege of Jerusalem.