People’s choice, alone

About three years ago, Syrians wanted more freedom, and so the crisis started.

With other countries taking sides, the conflict soon became a civil war. Outside interference may have intended to help the Syrian people, but utterly failed.

If the Syrian people are to be helped, the flow of weapons into the country should stop.

The world must agree that a political solution is the best option for the Syrians.

The way to reach it is by asking every party in the conflict if it wants the Syrian people to choose their future or not. The party that does not agree, but rather wants to seek power by force, should face strikes under a UN resolution.

The parties that will respect the choice of the Syrian people should start a ceasefire. The heads of those parties should take a temporary leave from office, until election results come up, and the official government should continue carrying out its own civilian duties.

The choice of the Syrians should be determined by UN- supervised elections.

Elections should offer the possibility to determine the party and specific individuals that will run the country.

No country should interfere in the choice of who runs Syria, no matter how rich, strong, close or influential.

It should be Syrians only who determine their path peacefully.

The destruction of Syria and the suffering of its people must stop immediately.

I always wondered who, apart from weapon manufacturers, stood to gain from the Lebanese civil war.
 

Nizar Sawalha,
Amman