THE Western media has put forward a number of arguments why the Russian air strikes will make things worse. But every argument against the Russian bombing of Syria could be used against the US bombing which has gone on in Afghanistan, besides the use of drones in Pakistan’s tribal areas for years.

The West cries itself hoarse about Russian strikes but keeps quiet about the latest bombing in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Dozens of medical staff and patients in a hospital run by the international agency Medecins sans Frontiers were killed or injured, victims of a US air-raid which continued long after the authorities had been notified, and despite all sides being aware of its GPS coordinates. For days, civilian reports from Kunduz have talked of intense air bombardment.

The events in Kunduz show that the Taliban have gained ground while the Afghan government only controls parts of the country, and is totally reliant on US and other Western air (and some ground) forces for its survival. It also demonstrates that more than a decade of bombing, invasion, and occupation has been a failure.

Mohsin Ali Turabi

Skardu

(2)

THE civil war that erupted in Syria in 2011 has been transformed into a regional conflict by the prompt involvement of the US, its Arab allies and Iran. The entry of the Russians in Syria has astounded everyone, particularly the US, Nato and its allies.

The Russian support to the Asad regime would transform this crisis into an international conflict. This war of vested interests has affected the common Syrians and has forced them to flee their country. The influx of an enormous number of refugees in Europe has caused panic and discomfort in the EU. The lethal and merciless IS is continuously annihilating people in Syria in the name of faith.

The US and its allies have failed in their policy of smooth transition of power in Syria. How can the Russian involvement be justified in such circumstances, when too much water has already flowed under the bridge?

Fateh Ullah

Lahore

Published in Dawn, October 8th , 2015

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