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(Image source: Examiner)
BY KERRY LEARY
ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE
The conflict in Syria is officially a civil war, according to the International Committee
of the Red Cross. The BBC reports.
“The Syrian government has denied accusations by United Nations observers that heavy weaponry
was used in an attack on the village of Tremseh. The International Committee of the Red Cross
says it now considers the conflict in Syria a civil war.”
The technical term for the civil-war declaration is an “internal armed conflict.” The Red
Cross announcement comes the same day as a bus carrying security forces exploded in Damascus.
Sky News reports this decision isn’t because of one specific incident.
“We’re not saying that the fighting has suddenly intensified or suddenly gotten worse.
We have been saying for some time now that there’s a real obligation on the part of
the people fighting to protect the civilians and to protect the wounded.”
A civil war means international humanitarian laws apply in Syria. So, any abuse or ***
of detainees or civilians can constitute future war crimes. A writer for the Examiner thinks
lack of media access has confused the issue.
“The conventional wisdom has it that President Bashar Assad is simply slaughtering his own
people en masse, but other voices have come forth to claim the opposition has been just
as guilty of human rights abuses with some even suggesting the rebels have staged mass
killings to tug at the collective heartstrings of and persuade the international community
to intervene militarily.”
A writer for the Atlantic Wire predicts what the civil war declaration means for Syria’s
leader.
“Al-Assad has generally behaved as if he was untouchable up until this point ... It'll
be interesting if, now that the Red Cross added potential war crimes whether he'll change
his strategy. It could happen, but we're not holding our breath.”