Syrian President Pleads for Help from Five-Nation Group
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Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Facing increasing isolation from the world community, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made an impassioned plea to five nations on Wednesday to help him in his attempt to retain power after two years of battling a still powerful insurgency.
Al-Assad wrote in a letter to the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that they need to step in and help his government resolve the conflict that has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
The five nations, known as the BRICS group of developing nations, had convened a summit in South Africa when they received a message from the Syrian leader that they must “exert all possible efforts to end the suffering of the Syrian people.”
However, al-Assad’s plea fell on deaf ears, even as Russia and China are considered strong allies of Damascus.
BRICS issued a communiqué saying, “We express our deep concern with the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in Syria and condemn the increasing violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law as a result of continued violence.”
It essentially amounted to a brush-off and, possibly, an indirect condemnation of al-Assad’s conduct of the civil war against opponents who want to see him deposed.
BRICS said that an agreement last year crafted by the United Nations and the Arab League provides “a basis for resolution of the Syrian crisis and reaffirms our opposition to any further militarization of the conflict.” Among the proposals: creating a transitional government, which al-Assad continues to resist.
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