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10 October 2013
Putin’s Plea to America: Patronizing Ramblings and Hypocrisy, or Well Written Advice?
The US and Russia have, for what is nearly 70 years, not been on the best of terms. While being the best of pals during the Second World War, things turned frosty; as most Americans are well aware of. Currently, the main source of contention is (which I’m also sure you’ll also be aware of if you watch the news, which you should) of course, Syria. Obama wants to go in all missiles blazing, Cameron wanted to but can’t, Holland is game for a fight, Merkel is dubious. And then there’s Putin…
Early last month, President Putin released an Op-Ed in the New York Times, pleading America of why it should not be involved in the hell-bound civil war in Syria. The US has been adamant on Syria to not, under any circumstances, use chemical weapons in an attempt to quell the rebels and citizens, being a cruel and unusual act of killing; besides bullets and general explosives of course, but that’s beside the point. By now, it is a sure thing that chemical weapons, specifically Sarin Gas, have been used. But in terms of legality, Putin raises the point that many people have previously been making: sure Chemical Weapons are now definitely considered to have been used, but by who? There is evidence, certainly, but much is circumstantial. What do we know for sure? That chemical weapons were used to attack territory held by the opposition. That is, by and large, the extent of confirmed fact. As far as intervention goes, we’re going to need a lot more substantial proof than mere conjecture and assumption. The US has claimed that it has evidence that it was definitely the Syrian army, but is rather reluctant to show it; not really the sort of thing that would stand up in court is it? Whilst it does border on the conspiratorial, Putin puts forward the suggestion that others have previously suggested, that it was the Opposition in Syria that committed the chemical...