In the Grip of
War and Sanctions
| by Franklin Lamb
( October 21,
2012, Damascus, Sri Lanka Guardian) The half hour drive from the Lebanese
border at Maznaa to Damascus is always pleasant with the wide, well paved and
maintained highway, cutting through rolling hills often with large herds of
goats and sheep lazily watching the traffic below. As this observer watched
some of the herds the other day when traveling to Damascus, I noticed that
there appeared to be an unusually large number of shepherds above us tending
their herds. On second look, the
shepherds turned out to be soldiers peering down on the main highway from among
and behind the vegetation nibbling animals.
The increased
security in Damascus has brought hundreds of shabab (youths), shahiba (“ghosts”
in Arabic, but in the vernacular, “thugs”), popular committees, neighborhoods
watch types and one presumes various security agency personnel from their early 20’s to middle age to control
literally hundreds of checkpoints in central Damascus and the suburbs.
Sometimes it appears that every fifty yards or so one encounters yet another
checkpoint.
Damascus is currently
calm with a few exceptions such as the the Tadamon, Al-Qadam and Al-Asali
neighborhoods where sporadic clashes are being discussed by friends the past
two days. As with Libya last summer, many media reports are not at all accurate
in depicting this city as on the edge and a panicked population. Last night
this observer was up until almost 1 a.m. with friends in the old city at a
restaurant and then driving around Damascus with still some cafes open,
although according to local residents not as late as before the crisis began.
There are also
plenty of security measures being
strictly imposed around many governmental building including erected cement
walls and the closure of nearly streets that cause traffic problems.
The Syrians are
very serious about security. One government official told this observer, “Look,
if someone is intending to become a suicide bomber, it is very difficult for us
to stop them. But we are doing our best and we conduct many random vehicle
searches.” A checkpoint experience here is not like in Lebanon where typically
an approaching driver will simply roll down his window with a quick salute and
a grinned “kefack habibi?” (“How are you dear?”) as the frequently sleepy
soldier often just waves through the
vehicle. In contrast, Syrian checkpoints
employ hi-tech weapons and explosive devices and search most cars, from
underneath-up. Near government buildings or certain streets where high ranking
officials have homes or offices metal detectors are also used.
This observer
had an experience with a metal detector yesterday and with half a dozen or so
security guys. Passing thorough the airport style device, having emptied my
pockets of any metal and my phone, the loud alarm still went off. I was asked
to pass through a second time. I did
with the same result. As three guys came close with new model hand held devices
now being used, I also set off their alarms.
It finally
dawned on me what the problem was.
I have recently
had a state of the art pacemaker implanted a few inches above my left nipple. I
suddenly remembered that my cardiologist in Beirut warned me against passing
thru a metal detector or allowing a hand held scanning device to come within
two feet of me my pacemaker due to potential electronic problems.
Too late for that
precaution, I opened my shirt and pointed to the four inch square lump in my
chest and said “batterie.” Not being understood, two of the guys cocked their
Kalashnikovs and things got tense. Later I was informed that they were pretty
sure I was another of the recent suicide bombers plaguing Damascus and the lump
was a bomb and they were edgy.
The situation
was diffused by middle age fellow who apparently was the squad’s
commander. When he approached me, by now
I had my hands up, I said, “batterie, batterie, Dr.” He stared at my chest and replied, “Yalla,
batterie, cardio, nam?” (“Ah, for your heart yes?”) After a little more discussion and checking
my passport and visa I was on my way. This morning the young lady at the guest
relations desk in my hotel kindly wrote me a card in Arabic, for future use if
necessary, that I had a pacemaker and would very likely set off metal
detectors. So as long as no one tips off my dream doctor at Hezbollah’s Cardiac
Center she won’t shout at me during our next appointment.
Sanctions as
indiscriminate weapons against non-combatants
The legality of
the western imposed sanctions on Syria and Iran are being discussed at the
University of Damascus as well as among some officials and NGO’s here. A fairly
cogent argument can be made that the type of sanctions being imposed on Syria
and Iran are illegal under international customary law and, as with the banning
of cluster bombs in 2008, should also be outlawed by an international
convention. This is because the sanctions are political, rather obviously
designed to achieve regime changes. They are also fundamentally indiscriminate
and target and endanger the civilian non-combatants population particularly the
poor, young, infirm and senior citizens.
Claims are made in Washington and Europe that they target only the
regime’s policies. This is nonsense.
The sanctions,
as designed for application to both Syria and Iran also violate Art. 2 (4) of
the UN Charter which commands that all Members shall refrain in their
international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial
integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner
inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.
In discussions
with officials as well as a rough cross-section of the citizenry of Damascus,
including shoppers and clerk at a central
Damascus supermarket, as well as students, it is possible to get a fairly good
idea how the Western imposed sanctions are affecting families here.
A progressive Syrian journalist who works part
time an American NGO, who is critical of
the Assad government but even more so of the desperate rebel groups, shared a
fairly representative analysis regarding
what is the current situation in Damascus regarding the Western sanctions:
“I think the sanctions being imposed on our
country have a tremendous effect on current crisis. Prices on average have
risen at least 40 percent, especially consumer goods and basic food, like meat,
milk bread, vegetables, fruit etc. Eggs and chicken have doubled in price and
are unavailable in some small shops. Lines are getting longer at some gas
stations in some parts of Damascus. The sanctions have also forced many people
to close down their factories in Damascus and Aleppo because of lack of raw
materials, and the spiral increase in their prices. My daughter works in an accessory household
company. They need to import materials from Turkey. Clothing is more expensive
since Turkish goods are not entering. I believe her company will close down
soon. You can talk to her about it if interested. My son is considering travelling
because of the lack of job opportunities. Young men his age are very frustrated
here and some of the idle young are joining gangs and being recruited by
jihadist groups offering cash and weapons along with indoctrination.
As a mother I worry about him staying out
of trouble but young people don’t seem to listen. The crisis has also forced
employers to discharge people to cut down expenses. Many merchants have already
left the country and transferred their money elsewhere. Others, such as warmongers,
have benefitted from the crisis. Smuggled goods are expensive if available. The
sanctions have hurt the ordinary people more than the regime by far.”
What worries
this observer a bit is that last night a businessman close to the leadership
assured me that “We can fight ten years to retain control of Damascus. Do not worry my friend.”
Worried? I was
speechless. Because on exactly August 12, 2011, these were the exact
words spoken to me by a friend, Mr Khaled Kane, good man and at the time Deputy
Foreign Minister for Libya. Ten days, not ten years, Tripoli fell to the rebels
and following arrest, torture, and now ill health, Khaled languishes in a
Misrata jail.
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