MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : UN Report Details Rights Abuses, War Crimes in Syria / TOP OF THE AGENDA ​

July 8, 2020
Civilians in Syria endured “unfathomable suffering” during an offensive launched late last year by pro-government forces in the Idlib Governorate, a UN-mandated Commission of Inquiry said in a report. It alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The report documents fifty-two attacks by all parties that killed civilians or damaged civilian infrastructure between November and June, including attacks on hospitals, schools, markets, and homes. Russian airplanes carried out two of the attacks (Reuters), the report says; other attacks were launched by regime forces, pro-government forces, and a militant group. Russia, which backs the Syrian government, joined China in vetoing a UN Security Council resolution (Al Jazeera) to extend crucial aid deliveries to Syria via Turkey, the authorization for which ends on Friday. Russia’s rival proposal includes approving six months of aid access at only one Turkish crossing.
Analysis
“If a political resolution is not found, the regime will likely kill, wound, or displace hundreds of thousands of civilians as it seizes control over the rest of the province. Although the U.S. military has begun to pull back from the region, the outcome of the fight for Idlib should be a national security concern,” CFR’s Amir Asmar and Jacob Ware write.
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“A Syrian-Russian victory in Idlib is not far off, and millions of civilians have nowhere to go except to try to escape to Europe. Washington needs to start laying the groundwork for a safe zone now,” Robert S. Ford writes in Foreign Affairs.