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In reply to the discussion: Syria: nearly half rebel fighters are jihadists or hardline Islamists, says IHS Jane's report [View all]pampango
(24,692 posts)11. If you are conceding that government forces committed the "vast majority" of war crimes in the first
two years of the conflict, I will grant that the AI report is 6 months old.
Here's an AI report from August 29, 2013:
In the absence of an international arms embargo, and because widespread and systematic armed attacks by the Syrian armed forces and allied militias with a wide range of conventional arms have resulted in crimes against humanity, any states supplying arms to the Syrian government should halt such transfers immediately. This includes all weapons, munitions, military, security, and policing equipment, training and personnel.
In addition, no arms transfer should be made to an armed opposition group in Syria where there is a substantial risk of the group committing serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The onus should be on states considering military transfers to armed opposition groups to first ensure the establishment of concrete, enforceable and verifiable mechanisms so as to remove all substantial risks that any military equipment supplied is not misused or diverted to commit or facilitate grave human rights abuses or violations of international humanitarian law.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/syria-possible-international-armed-intervention-after-alleged-chemical-weapons-attack-2013-08-3
In addition, no arms transfer should be made to an armed opposition group in Syria where there is a substantial risk of the group committing serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The onus should be on states considering military transfers to armed opposition groups to first ensure the establishment of concrete, enforceable and verifiable mechanisms so as to remove all substantial risks that any military equipment supplied is not misused or diverted to commit or facilitate grave human rights abuses or violations of international humanitarian law.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/syria-possible-international-armed-intervention-after-alleged-chemical-weapons-attack-2013-08-3
Still sounds harsher on the government forces than the rebels.
Here's excerpts from the August 16, 2013 report from the UN Commission of Inquiry on SyriaUnlawful killing was perpetrated by government forces as part of widespread attacks directed against the civilian population. The attacks included widespread shelling of villages, the burning of civilian objects, sniper attacks and systematic executions (see annex II). The coordination and active participation of Government institutions indicated the attacks were institutionalized and conducted as a matter of policy. Unlawful killing occurring during such attacks were crimes against humanity. Government forces also committed the war crime of murder, carried out executions without affording due process and arbitrarily deprived the right to life.
Instances of enforced disappearance have risen exponentially since the conflict began. By placing victims outside the protection of the law, government forces sewed terror among the civilian population. ... Enforced disappearance is used by government and pro-government forces as a strategy of war, to stifle dissent and to spread terror within society. It is committed as part of a widespread attack against a civilian population, with knowledge of the attack, and constitutes a crime against humanity.
Torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment were perpetrated by government forces as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against a civilian population, pursuant to or in furtherance of an organizational policy. The involvement and active participation of government institutions indicated that torture was institutionalized and employed as a matter of policy. The crime against humanity of torture and cruel treatment was perpetrated with impunity by Syrian intelligence agencies, in particular Military and Air Force Intelligence, as well as the Military Security services. Such conduct is also prosecutable as a war crime.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session24/Documents/A_HRC_24_46_en.DOC
There is much more at the link to the UN agency's report on Syria.
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Syria: nearly half rebel fighters are jihadists or hardline Islamists, says IHS Jane's report [View all]
Jefferson23
Sep 2013
OP
Yea, and we're arming a select group..their choice of words is interesting. n/t
Jefferson23
Sep 2013
#3
Yet this collection of "marauders and militia" commit far fewer war crimes than the "professional"
pampango
Sep 2013
#4
If you are conceding that government forces committed the "vast majority" of war crimes in the first
pampango
Sep 2013
#11
Don't misunderstand, Assad is clearly responsible for a great deal of planned murder. What I find
Jefferson23
Sep 2013
#13
Sorry for not making myself clear. It is not a "bonus" for the Syrian people to have the brutality
pampango
Sep 2013
#14
I would agree, they're screwed no matter how you look at it. Yet it is more than
Jefferson23
Sep 2013
#15
That may be, but the government deserves no credit for using its firepower (wherewithal) to commit
pampango
Sep 2013
#9
If you would like a response, link the orginal OP and avoid linking to other threads
Jefferson23
Sep 2013
#12