By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

DAMASCUS, Syria – Despite a recent diplomatic trip to Syria taken by four members of the French Parlmement, which included a meeting with Syrian Presidents Bashar Al-Assad, a trip that was not authorized by the Office of the French President, both France and the United Kingdom have definitively stated that renewed diplomatic ties with the Assad regime are not wise or likely, both Paris and London see the recent visit to Syria by French Parliamentarian as country to the official polices of each respective country. With the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in both Syria and Iraq some European Union Leaders have stated that it may be time to re-establish lines of communication with Damascus because so far the four year civil war has failed to lead to the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad’s brutal regime in Syria.

In a column published in Arabic daily Al-Hayat as well as in France’s Le Monde, the French and British foreign criticized leaders who have sought a rapprochement with Assad by saying the regime leaders is using western fears about the advancement of ISIS, which has seized areas of northern and eastern Syria, to win back international support and some degree of legitimacy for his deadly regime. “Some seem sensitive to this argument,” Laurent Fabius and Philip Hammond wrote. “In reality, Bashar represents injustice, chaos and terror. We, France and Britain, say no to all three.” “For our own security, we must defeat Islamic State in Syria. We need a partner that can act against extremists. We need a negotiated political settlement,” Hammond and Fabius said.

“After 220,000 deaths and millions displaced, it is illusory to imagine that a majority of Syrians would accept to be ruled by the one who torments them,” Fabius and Hammond wrote. “To end their hopes of a better future in a Syria without Assad would be to radicalize even more Syrians, push moderates toward extremism and consolidate a jihadi bastion in Syria.”

In a rare show of political unity both current French president Francois Hollande and former President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the trip, Sarkozy going as far as to refer to the MPs who made the trip as “clowns.” On Thursday President Francois Hollande condemned the French lawmakers for meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom he calls a “dictator.” “I condemn this initiative. I condemn it because French lawmakers have taken it upon themselves to meet with a dictator who is the cause of one of the worst civil wars of recent years,” Hollande said while in the Philippines. Hollande argued that France cannot have a dialogue with a “dictator who has bombed his own people and who has used chemical weapons to destroy human lives, Syrian lives — the lives of children, women”.

Earlier French Prime Minister Manuel Valls also “condemned with the greatest strength” the decision by the French lawmakers to meet with Assad, whom he referred to as “a butcher”. “I want to condemn this initiative with the greatest strength,” Valls told French channel BFMTV. “For parliamentarians to go without warning to meet a butcher…. I think it was a moral failing.”

Like many western countries France cut ties with Syria after the regime began its brutal assault on members of the opposition which led to the country’s now four year old conflict. France cut diplomatic ties with Syria in 2012 and supports the moderate Syrian opposition, seeking the removal of Bashar Assad from power.

For more information please see:

The Daily Star: Lebanon – France, U.K. Dismiss Calls to Renew Relations with Assad – 28 February 2015

Reuters – France, Britain Dismiss Calls to Renew Relations with Syria’s Assad – 27 February 2015

The Independent: United Kingdom – Hollande and Sarkozy Round on ‘Clown’ MPs for Visiting Assad – 26 February 2015

The Local: France – Hollande Slams MPs over Talks with Syria’s Assad – 26 February 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

BAGHDAD, Iraq – New video released Thursday appears to show militants loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) destroying Assyrian and Akkadian artifacts, smashing and scraping though artifacts dating back to at least the 7^th century B.C.E. The ISIS supporters who took sledgehammers to ancient artifacts, from some of humanities earliest civilization, claimed they were ordered by the Profit to destroy all symbols of Idolatry. Instead these men are committing unjustifiable mass atrocities taking lives and attempting to destroy the histories of all people in the region who do not share their radical views. I’m totally shocked,” a professor at the University of Mosul’s college of archaeology said of the video, “It’s a catastrophe. With the destruction of these artifacts, we can no longer be proud of Mosul’s civilization.”

The video shows only the latest episode of cultural destruction in a spree of iconoclasm, the destruction of religious artifacts, and outright ethnocide committed by ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq. In May 2014, there were several reports of separate Assyrian artifacts, which have stood for a millennia or more, being excavated and destroyed by ISIS supporters. In July 2014, ISIS supporters destroyed the Tomb of the Prophet Jonah in Nineveh. Earlier this week, reports claimed ISIS burned 100,000 books and manuscripts from the Mosul library. This week ISIS militants in Syria overran Assyrian Christian villages, taking more than 250 Christians hostage and destroying homes and churches in their wake.

Lamia al-Gailani, an Iraqi archaeologist and associate fellow at the London-based Institute of Archaeology, said the militants had wreaked untold damage. “It’s not only Iraq’s heritage: it’s the whole world’s,” she said. “They are priceless, unique. It’s unbelievable. I don’t want to be Iraqi anymore,” she said, comparing the atrocity to the dynamiting of the Bamiyan Buddhas by the Afghan Taliban in 2001.

In the video published by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Thursday which showed men destroying artifacts with sledgehammers and drills, saying they were symbols of idolatry. The men claimed they were ordered by the Profit to commit these acts of Iconoclasm saying, “the Prophet ordered us to get rid of statues and relics, and his companions did the same when they conquered countries after him.” While the militants claim their actions were motivated by a desire to destroy idolatry it seems the real motive for releasing this video was mere propaganda. ISIS itself does not destroy all artifacts its encounters, instead the illegal looting and selling of antiquities is a primary source of ISIS funding.

Acts of iconoclasm are not uncommon throughout history.  According to legend Abraham, the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, destroyed idols and there was a long history of icon-destruction in early Christianity. However, iconoclasm is now considered a crime against humanity in modern civilization, an act that destroys not only the culture and history of a single people but the collective history of humanity itself.

For more information please see:

The Atlantic – Erased: ISIS and the Destruction of Ancient Artifacts – 26 February 2015

The Guardian – Isis Destroys Thousands of Books and Manuscripts in Mosul Libraries – 26 February 2015

International Business Times UK – Iraq: Isis Take Sledgehammers to Priceless Assyrian Artefacts at Mosul Museum [VIDEO] – 26 February 2015

Reuters – With Sledgehammer, Islamic State Smashes Iraqi History – 26 February 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

DAMASCUS, Syria – Militants fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) have reportedly abducted as many as 250 people from Syria’s Assyrian Christian communities including women and children. The victims were seized from nearly a dozen villages in northeastern Syria as the area was raided by ISIS fighters, Christian Syrian activists reported. On Tuesday, a Syrian Christian group representing several NGO both inside and outside of Syria claims it had verified at least 150 people were missing, including women and elderly, who had been kidnapped by the militants. “We have verified at least 150 people who have been abducted from sources on the ground,” Bassam Ishak, President of the Syriac National Council of Syria, whose family is from Hasaka.

Earlier the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 90 members of the Assyrian Christian population were abducted when the militants carried out early morning raids on rural villages of the Assyrian Christians who have ancient roots in the community, dating back thousands of years. The villages were located west of Hasaka, a city mainly held by the Kurds.

Wednesday, the United States condemned the recent attacks by ISIS on the Assyrian Christian community, which it said included not only the abduction of hundreds of civilians but the burning of homes and Christian churches in the community. “This is but the latest round of atrocities perpetrated by ISIL [ISIS] against the innocent people of the region,” the White House said of the reported atrocities in a statement.

ISIS has not confirmed the abductions. However, ISIS has posted photos of its militants in camouflage, carrying weapons, on its website. The website said the photos were taken in Tel Tamr, a nearby town where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the abductions occurred. National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said, “The international community stands united and undeterred in its resolve to bring an end to ISIL’s depravity. The United States will continue to lead the fight to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL.”

Many Assyrian Christians have fled Syria since the Syrian Civil War has threatened the stability of their homeland. The Syrian Civil War has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people over the past four years. Last year, ISIS fighters abducted several Assyrians Christians in retaliation for some members of the Assyrian community taking up arms and fighting alongside the Kurdish fighting forces known as the YPG. Most of the abducted were released after long negotiations.

Before the arrival of Kurds and Arab nomadic tribes at the end of the 19th Century, Assyrian Christians were the majority in Syria’s Jazeera area, which includes the city of Hasaka. However, the now minority Christians have faced historic marginalization and now horrific attacks from extremist groups like ISIS. In recent weeks, ISIS has carried out horrific attacks on Christians, including the brutal murder of Coptic Christians in Libya, as well as other religious minorities and fellow Muslims who do not share their distorted and medieval interpretation of Islam.

For more information, please see:

Haaretz – Middle East Updates / Lebanese Army Captures 2 Border Outposts from Islamists – 26 February 2015

Al Arabiya – U.S. Condemns Abduction of Christians in Syria – 25 February 2015

Al Jazeera America – ISIL Kidnapping Underlines ‘Grave Peril’ Of Assyrian Christians – 25 February

Reuters – Islamic State in Syria Abducts At Least 150 Christians – 24 February 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

DAMASCUS, Syria – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met on Wednesday with four members of the French Parliament in the first such meeting since France closed its embassy in Syria in 2012 saying that the Assad regime had lost its legitimacy. The visit was not approved by the French Parlmement and the Foreign Ministry of France said it did not support the trip. The delegation was led by Gerard Bapt of the ruling Socialist Party and included members of the lower and upper houses of parliament. While the west has essentially cut off ties with the meeting seems to counter Paris’ official opinion on the Assad regime, having cut off ties in 2012 the regime has been a supporter of the opposition in Syria. Damascus Many European diplomats are saying privately it is time for direct communication with the Assad regime after four years of the regimes violent assault on the opposition and an ongoing civil war.

Syria’s state run news agency confirmed the meeting took place on Monday saying it focused on “challenges facing Arab and European regions, particularly with regard to terrorism.” State Media paraphrased President Assad as saying Syria “always encourages cooperation between states as the most effective way to stop the expansion of terrorism and eliminate it.” Sate media again quoted Assad saying “Coming here does not mean we back what’s happened,” he told BFM TV. “The objective is to understand Assad’s regime better, because we don’t believe we can fight Islamic State without Syria.” Since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011 more than 200,000 people have been killed.

The Syrian state news agency reported that the meeting focused on the “developments and challenges facing the Arab and European areas, especially those pertaining to terrorism.” Also Wednesday, Syrian judicial officials reportedly agreed to release Louay Hussein, a leading opposition figure on bail. Hussein’s political movement claimed in a statement posted on its Facebook page. Hussein still faces charges of “weakening national sentiment and weakening the morale of the nation.” Hussein is a prominent Damascus-based writer and dissident. He spent years in jail in the 1980s. He was detained in November at the Syria-Lebanon border as he was attempting to leave the county to visit his family in Europe. It was the second time he was arrested since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.

Human rights groups say the regime has detained tens of thousands of Syrians, even children, many of whom are likely killed in custody and are never to be seen again. Last year a United Nations Panel accused the Assad Regime of committing a crime against humanity though the systematic disappearing of Syrian civilians.

For more information please see:

Al Arabiya – Our French Lawmakers Meet Assad In Syria – 25 February 2015

ABC News – Syria’s Assad Meets With 4 French Lawmakers In Damascus – 25 February 2015

The Daily Star: Lebanon – French Lawmakers Hold Talks With Assad In Syria – 25 February 2015

Reuters – Syria’s Assad Meets French Lawmakers – 25 February 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

DAMASCUS, Syria – The United Nations Security Council passed a number of resolutions last year intended to broaden the reach of aid access to millions of Syrians in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. The most recent Security Council resolution was unanimously approved in December and extended cross-border aid deliveries to Syrians in rebel-held areas without approval from the Assad Regime in Damascus. However, on Wednesday, Norwegian Refugee Council secretary general Jan Egeland said the resolutions “have had no impact” and the international community is “not able to do what we should be able to do” to ensure Syrians in need receive vital assistance. “We’re failing the Syrians — that’s the honest truth here,” Egeland, who served as U.N. humanitarian chief from 2003 to 2006, said adding that the “Security Council has failed in enforcing their own resolution.” According to the United Nations, The U.N. approximately 4.5 million people in Syria are in need of assistance and are in hard-to-reach areas, including approximately 200,000 who live in besieged communities where reaching aid has become nearly impossible.

After almost four years of civil war inside Syria an estimated 12.2 million Syrians inside the country are in need of assistance while another 3.8 million have fled the country and are now living as refugees in neighboring countries Aid is desperately needed by displaced Syrians living both inside the conflict zone in Syria and as refugees in neighboring countries, especially during the winter months when families are most at risk of become victims of natural disasters and bitter cold weather. Recent assessments conducted by The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have found that more than half of all Syrian refugees live in sub-standard housing which become particularly challenging for refugee families during the winter months when poor shelters cannot adequately protect them from freezing rain, flooding, snow and bitter cold. This winter is the fourth year that UNHCR and its partners have provided winter assistance to Syrian refugees,

UNHCR launched massive operation in Lebanon to provide assistance to refugees during the winter months. According to the UNHCR, the planning and budgeting for the winter months, which begin in November, began months in advance to ensure that the needs of refugees could be met as best as possible despite funding and logistical changes. Providing assistance to refugees is not only a problem for aid organizations like UNHCR. Receiving states who have allowed refugees to cross their border from Syria since the conflict began in 2011 have seen increasing restrains as the refugee population grows and the protracted civil war continues seemingly indifferently. According to the UNHCR representative in Lebanon Ninette Kelley, “Lebanon today faces an unprecedented challenge to manage both its own population and Syrian refugees. It has the highest per capita concentration of refugees in the world and more global support, including for long-term development, is urgently needed.”

For more information please see:

ABC News – Aid Group Chief: UN Efforts Haven’t Boosted Syria Aid Access – 25 February 2015

The Daily Star, Lebanon – Aid Group Chief: UN Efforts Haven’t Boosted Syria Aid Access – 25 February 2015

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – Humanity, Hope and Thoughts of Home: Syrian Refugees in Southern Lebanon – 25 February 2015

United Nations News Centre – Security Council Renews Cross-Border Aid Delivery to Syria – 17 December 2014