President Assad’s recent (and rare) public speech blamed almost everyone around the globe, except himself, for the ‘terrorists’ undermining his regime. Claiming that his rule was based on the will of the people and that he would only step down through the same means, seems a little thin in light of the recent exposure of his policies towards his citizens. His father ruled Syria for three decades before giving his son power.
President Assad has felt his sovereignty increasingly threatened, not just from the usual suspects, but from the Arab League nations. He feels sovereignty has been undermined throughout the League from western nations and his surprise that these countries did not stand by Syria throughout these protests (including the monitors who toured the country) is apparent.
Sovereignty has been a fallback excuse for bad behavior as well as human rights violations throughout history. These new claims that Assad has presented, have nothing to do with respect for sovereignty. The definition from 1648 has long since become conditional on the actions a government takes to deserve it. It is becoming clearer and clearer, with technology and information leaks, that some leaders do not deserve the power that comes with the responsibility and their claims to protection and defense of their actions through ‘sovereignty’ should be null and void.
5,000 dead since last March, does not translate into a responsible government that should be left alone. It does however, beg the question, what should we do now to help?