Aiding Syrian Rebels:

Where the UN Went Wrong

The recent military gains by the Syrian Army and Iranian-Russian allies in Aleppo has engendered a great deal of teeth-gnashing at the United Nations, particularly about international aid and future reconstruction efforts.

News ID: 425438

Date: 01 December 2016 - 22:37

RNA - No matter which of the conflict parties you might have thought was the winner in the besieged city, the widespread disrespect for international law as well as politicization of UN aid is troubling. The willingness of some member states to embrace "moderate" rebels who continue to exploit UN aid is enough to induce many to despair of the future of the soon-to-be fully liberated city.

The same can be said about the media and official attacks in the West on the legitimacy of the military campaign and efforts to provide aid to civilians fleeing Eastern Aleppo to undermine the Syrian-Iranian-Russian alliance. Some of this angst is deliberate in nature - the United States and its allies don't like to lose the war on Syria. But new moves at the UN that show much of their willingness to trade bedrock international principles in return for getting their way on the issue of aid to the so-called “moderates” is profoundly troubling. If such trends continue, the problem will be bigger than disappointment when post-war Syria decides to rebuild itself with international aid.

If Americans have truly discarded international principles by directing UN aid to their “moderate” proxies that were once considered key to imposing regime change in Damascus, then future “aid” to rebuild Syria - with a helping hand from other UN member states - truly is in danger. If any, it might come but with many political strings attached.

The Russian Foreign Ministry is complaining that the UN’s humanitarian aid to Syria is becoming increasingly politicized, and that the vast majority of the shipments being made are going into rebel territory, leaving the government-held areas under siege short on aid. If that is the case, then there are no international guarantees that UN’s future efforts to help reconstruct Syria won't be targeted and politicised.

As an example, the US and Arab-Israeli allies might force the UN to only help rebuild the cities and areas that were once anti-government strongholds, without sending any aid to Syrians in government-held areas, and in need of supplies. We now know only about 1% of the UN’s overall aid to the country is actually going there at this particular moment. Instead, the UN deliveries are mostly going into places held by Al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front and other “moderate” zealots. This does in no way advance the cause of peace.

To be sure, much is wrong with the United Nations in 2016; an international system that failed miserably to inculcate support for a nation struggling with foreign-backed terrorism and war. Tragic enough, this is not the first time the UN has refused to hold on to its “bedrock principles.”

It is surely revealing that despite international aid pledges and donations, war-torn Afghanistan is still in ruins. The same problem exists in Libya, Iraq and Yemen, where it seems the UN has no answers for people dealing with violence and reconstruction efforts - problems that the US-led regime changers refused to foresee.

This is one thing that simply cannot be ignored. What the UN aid deliveries have done - and will do - to Syria are not only largely politicised, but frightening in themselves. If the Syrian government buys into UN’s politicised reconstruction programs in the future, it will have a serious impact on the security of the country and the region.

A reminder that in its current shape and form, the UN aid is not working. The UN is in violation by advancing the cause of terrorists. The only reason it does not suffer consequences is because Washington and Arab vassal allies place their egos and regime change legacies above regional and international security. It is time to stop politicising the UN aid, to cease sending aid deliveries to terror areas, and to stop treating the world public for fools.

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