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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
UN humanitarian chief in Syria for talks
2013-01-28
DAMASCUS, Syria - The United Nations humanitarian chief was in Damascus on Sunday for talks with Syrian officials about the nation's conflict. Valerie Amos did not make any public remarks upon her arrival in Damascus on Sunday for a two-day visit, but at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, she said world powers had not done enough to lessen Syrian suffering.
The money spent on the Davos Forum might have put a dent in the suffering but that's completely different, of course...
"The humanitarian situation in Syria is already catastrophic and it's clearly getting worse," she said. "What we are seeing now are the consequences of the failure of the international community to unite to resolve the crisis."
Noticed that, did you Valerie? The Russians and Chinese are on one side, the Iranians and their minions are on another, the Lebanese are quaking in fear on another side, the Turks are seething on yet another side, the Israelis are warily watching from their side, the Sunni Arabs are on at least two sides, maybe three, the Euros are on the far, far side a long ways away, and the U.S. is on the side-line hoping not to be called to come into the game. You need those hexadecahedron dice the kids use in Dungeons and Dragons to roll hits for each side. So it's a failure to unite alright. You got it on the first try!
The U.N. says more than 60,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

Living conditions have deteriorated across Syria during the 22-month conflict, which began with political protests that escalated into a civil war with scores of rebel groups battling President Bashar Assad's forces. Entire towns and neighborhoods have been damaged in the fighting, and more than 2 million people are internally displaced, with another 650,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

Some areas face food shortages, and even areas that have been spared large-scale violence like Damascus lack sufficient quantities of gasoline, heating oil and cooking gas.

On Friday, the U.N. announced it was preparing to send $10 million in new U.S. aid to help alleviate hunger in northern Syria.

World powers remain divided on how to solve the crisis.
It's all those sides...
The U.S. and many Arab and European countries have called on Assad to step down, while Russia, China and Iran refuse any pressure from outside that seeks to hasten the regime's fall. On Saturday, Iran made its strongest warning to date that it could intervene militarily to help Assad's regime.

A senior Israeli Cabinet minister warned on Sunday that Israeli could attack sites in Syria if Assad's regime transferred chemical weapons to the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom confirmed to Israel's Army Radio that top security officials held a special meeting last week to discuss Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

"It would be crossing a line that would demand a different approach, including even action," he said. Asked whether this might mean a pre-emptive attack, he said: "We will have to make the decisions."
Posted by:Steve White

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