Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
Forum:
Security Council
Issue:
The Question of Syria, the decommissioning of Syrian chemical weapons and measures to bring the civil conflict to a just and timely conclusion
Student Officer: Shubhavi Arya Position:
Deputy President
Introduction The popular uprisings of the Arab Spring began across Middle- East in Spring 2011. Protests began in a number of Syrian cities asking the President Bashar Assad to resign and for an end to authoritarian rule. In response, the Syrian government used military force against protestors and granted some symbolic concessions.
In the two and a half years since the protests started, the protestors have
attacked against the government officials and supporters, and situation has turned into a civil war. The current conflict in Syria has drawn international attention due to its disturbingly widespread nature of the violence. The uprisings in Syria have now lasted more than a year and have claimed many lives already and will continue to bring new miseries for the citizens of Syria. What can the Security Council do to address these shortcomings in its position on Syria so Syrians can return to their homes and life in the region and in the international community can return to greater peace and security?
Definition of Key Terms Civil War A war between political parties or regions within the same country. Chemical Weapons A chemical weapon is a device that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on human beings. Research Report ◆ Page 1 of 11
Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
Arab League An international organization of independent Arab states formed in 1945 to promote cultural and economic and military and political and social cooperation. Military Intervention The deliberate act of a nation or a group of nations to introduce its military forces into the course of an existing controversy.
History Assad era Hafiz al-Assad, the father of the current president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, claimed control in Syria as a result of a peaceful coup d’état. The Syrian Baath Party’s tenth congress was held in Damascus. The congress lasted two weeks and ended on 12 November 1970. After Hafez died in 2000, the presidency of Syria was taken over by his son, Bashar. Even though the majority of the country’s population is Sunni Muslim, Bashar al-Assad has carried on with his father’s policy of filling Syria’s top government and military positions with family members and people from the minority Alawite (Shiite Muslim) religious group.
The Deraa massacre The Syrian uprising experienced its bloodiest day on 22 April 2011 when 72 protesters were killed by security forces firing on crowds. Stimulated by the 2011 anti-government protests in Tunisia and Egypt, Syrian protests first started in the city of Deraa and quickly spread to other cities. Protestors called for Bashar al-Assad to step down after four decades of family rule and for civil rights, such as freedom of speech. About 100,000 Syrians had took part in protests and 1,500 had been killed by government forces by June 2011. By fall 2011, the fighting between opposition groups and the government’s military forces had increased rapidly to complete civil war, with large numbers of civilians on each side. The Jisr al-Shughour massacre In June of 2011, the Syrian government stated that 120 security workforce had been killed in the town of Jisr al-Shughour. At first, the opposition groups refused that they were behind the brutal killings, but afterwards inspections indicated that when protesters were fired on during a funeral, they attacked the state security forces.
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The Tremesh massacre At least 50 people were killed in Tremesh, according to Syrian government but it blamed “armed terrorist groups.” Mr. Kofi Annan said he was “shocked and appalled” by news of intense fighting, casualties, and the confirmed use of heavy weaponry such as artillery, tanks and helicopters in Tremesh. Taskforce from the UN Stabilization Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) inspected the area on 14 July 2012 and reported proof of a powerful bombardment by government forces.
Intervention by Hezbollah The conflict has been noticeable by a sectarian divide, with the Alawis, Christians, Druze and other Shi’a minority groups supporting the Assad government and Sunnis making up the opposition forces. The appearance of Hezbollah into the revolution in June 2013, to give assistance to the Assad regime’s conquest of Qusayr town, was the first official involvement of an outside force in the conflict and further lead to more sectarian divides both within Syria and within neighboring countries.
Current situation The biggest point at issue facing the Security Council is how to stop the fighting. In the early stages, it was believed that the war might end with the death or overthrowing Bashar al-Assad and the formation of a democratic government. There is no single opposition movement ready to take the government’s place. Instead, there are approximately 1,200 rebel groups, each with a different agenda. Besides, there is an increasing divide between rebels that look for democratic reforms and those who want to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state.
Key Issues Refugee situation The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday 20 July 2012 that up to 30,000 Syrian refugees had crossed into Lebanon in a duration of 48 hours. Syrian borders with Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq remain open, and Syrians are constantly flooding into these countries, especially Lebanon where no legal documents are required to cross, even during times of peace. In all,
120,000 Syrian refugees running away from the conflict have registered with the agency in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey according to the UNHCR. Many more Syrians have entered in these four neighboring countries without applying for international protection. Another big issue is that the refugees Research Report ◆ Page 3 of 11
Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations ◆ Fifth Annual Session
in Syria are also increasingly caught up in the violence. Opposition’s victory and government reaction On Wednesday 18 July 2012, a deadly attack delivered the harshest blow to President Bashar al Assad’s regime, taking the bloodshed into his inner circle of trustees. Three top officials were killed and a number of others were wounded in an explosion at a national security building in Damascus, state TV reported. Chemical weapons and military use In response to this attack, the Syrian Foreign Ministry declared that Syria had chemical or biological weapons, shocking the entire global community. Syrian officials threatened that they would deploy chemical weapons against any foreign intervention. This threat was intended to fend off an attack by Western nations and was seen by officials in Washington as a clear confirmation of possession of unusual weaponry by Syria.
Major Parties Involved and Their Views 3 Union for the Mediterranean (UFM) and Syria The Government of Syria has decided to adjourn its membership in the UFM because of the European Union’s measures against the nation. Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Syria Last year, in August 2012, at a meeting in Saudi Arabia, foreign ministers of Islamic countries agreed to eliminate Syria from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. This was to a certain extent a reaction to the Syrian army’s new air bombardment campaign.
The United States of America USA is against military intervention but pressed for sanctions against the Assad’s regime.
The Russian Federation Russia is reluctant to end the regime. It has a naval base in Syria and plays a major role in supplying weapons to Damascus As a result, Russia is vetoing all the resolutions against Abbas’s Research Report ◆ Page 4 of 11
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government in favor of sanctions and supplying help to the rebels. The European Union Member states of European Union imported 90% of Syria’s oil before imposing sanctions against the nation. Its important members: France, Germany and the United Kingdom support Syrian rebel coalition with political support.
Arab League Arab League attempted to monitor the conflict in Syria although they didn’t succeed. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are making attempts to separate the Syrian government and to finance the Syrian rebel army. Turkey Turkey has already imposed various economic sanctions against Syria, and since the attacks by Syria on its borders, Turkey has taken the path of progressive military actions. Even more, the Free Syrian Army, an armed opposition group, is based in Turkey. Israel Israel is in a war against the Hezbollah organization, though it is unwilling to play a role in the Syrian conflict at its borders. However, it is now obligatory for Israel to be involved in the civil war because of its airstrike into Syria deliberated to refuse weapons to Hezbollah’s activists in Lebanon. China Beijing is strongly against any sort of military intervention in Syria. China has vetoed all the UN resolutions that could result into a fall of the regime. Iran Iran is a critical supporter of the Assad’s regime. Iran is involved in supplying the Syrian army with soldiers and weapons from the very starting of the uprisings.
UN Involvement There is a large amount of UN involvement in the conflict in Syria. The U.S. Government recalled its ambassador to Syria in February 2005, after the Lebanese Prime Minister assassination. Before that
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assassination, France and the U.S. in 2004 had co-authored UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559 calling for “All remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon.”
Timeline of Relevant Resolutions, Treaties and Events1, 2 DATES
EVENTS
March 2011
Demonstrators demand the release of political prisoners, but some are shot
Deera 22 April 2011 Deera
dead by security forces.
The Syrian uprising experiences its bloodiest day as security forces firing on crowds kill 72 protesters.
Damascus 3-6 June 2011
120 security taskforce got killed in town of Jisr Al-Shughour.
Jisr Al-Shughour October 2011
Russia and China veto UN resolution condemning Syria.
New York 3 October 2011
Opposition groups form the Syrian National Council and pledge to overthrow
Turkey
president Bashar Al-Assad.
12 November 2011
The Arab League votes to remove Syria, charging it of failing to execute an
Arab League
Arab peace plan, and imposes sanctions.
19-20 December 2011
Villages in the area of Jabal Al Zawaiya in Idlib province are the sites of
Jabal Al Zawiya
massacres of army defectors. About 70 soldiers were cut down by machine guns. Many soldiers fled to the villages of Kafrouaid and Kansafra.
Feb– March 2012
Syrian forces bombard the city of Homs for one month. 45 people are found
Homs
dead, mostly women and children, are found in the Karm el-Zeytoun
New York
neighborhood of Homs on 12 March.
Russia/China
Russia and China block a UN Security Council draft resolution directed at Syria.
21 March 2012
The UN Security Council supports UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan to end all violence, provide humanitarian relief and ensure a Research Report ◆ Page 6 of 11
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New York
peaceful transition of power. The Syrian government accepts the plan six days later.
16 April 2012
The first 6 UN observers start their job to monitor the situation in Syria and begin the Annan peace plan. Over 300 UN observers reach on the grounds of Syria over the next weeks, but as violence increases, they terminate their operations on 16 June.
May 2012
UN Security Council censures the government's use of heavy weaponry and
New York
the militia killing of civilians in Houla, near Homs. France, the UK, Germany,
Houla
Italy, Spain, Canada and Australia expel senior Syrian diplomats in protest.
10 May 2012
Explosion takes place outside military intelligence building and 55 people
Damascus
die. The government accuses anti-regime forces and Islamist groups linked to al-Qaeda.
25 May 2012
108 people killed in the village of Taldou.
Taldou Houla June 2012
After Syria attacks a Turkish plane, Turkey declares Syrian troops as military
Damascus
threat if seen around / approach Turkey’s border.
Turkey 6 July, 2012
Manaf Tlas, a general from a Sunni family close to the Assads, flees away from Syria to France.
12 July 2012
About 220 people including rebel fighters killed in Tremesh.
Tremesh Hama 18 July 2012
Defence Minister Daoud Rajiha and his deputy Assef Shawkat, President
Damascus
Assad's brother-inlaw, are killed in a suicide attack during a high-level meeting at the national security headquarters. The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the jihadist group “Lord of the Martyrs Brigade” both are held responsible for the bombing.
August 2012
A UN General Assembly resolution asks President Assad to resign.
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General Assembly
Prime Minister Riad Hijab and US President Obama state that use of
USA
chemical weapons would give rise to US towards intervention.
Algeria The Free Syrian Army is held responsible for two explosions at the military September 2012
headquarters in Damascus. 4 guards are killed in the suicide attacks.
Damascus October 2012
Syria-Turkish tension increase.
Turkey – Syria Aleppo Major opposition forces including the Syrian National Council meet in Qatar November 2012
as National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.
Qatar
2.5 million people displaced within Syria, according to Syrian Arab Red
Israel
Crescent.
December 2012
The US, Britain, France, Turkey and Gulf states identify Syria's opposition
USA / UK / France
National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
Gulf States Israel frequently expresses concern about the possible movement of January 2013
chemical weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel / Lebanon
International donors promise about $1.5bn to help citizens affected by the uprisings in Syria.
Evaluation of Previous Attempts to Resolve the Issue Attempts to end the revolution in Syria have focused on ending the conflict by harsher pressurizing of Syrian government to step back. Soon after the uprisings in Syria began, a number of regional organizations stood up against Bashar al-Assad. Previous actions to resolve the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict have helped made progress towards resolving this civil war. Even though Assad has constantly denied using chemical weapons and has stated the only use of rebel forces, US has claimed that it has strong evidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons. As President Obama continued to seek support for the strike both domestically and internationally, Russia stated that it would accept a proposal to remove chemical weapons from Syria. Shortly thereafter, both Assad and the US agreed to begin working Research Report ◆ Page 8 of 11
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towards eliminating chemical weapons in Syria. On September 27, 2013, the Security Council agreed to a resolution that would work to remove Syria’s chemical weapons by June 2014. On March 28, 2013 the United Nations passed the Arms Trade Treaty with the purpose of limiting conventional arms sales to states participating in human rights abuses. But this has had little impact on the conflict due to neither Iran nor Syria signing the treaty, and none of the current states providing arms ratifying the treaty of their own accord. The past year has seen the deployment of international troops and specialized anti-missile defensive assets into the region in order to deescalate tensions along Syria’s border regions and deter further aggression by combatants in expanding the theatre of conflict.
Possible Solutions Soon the Syrian civil war will enter its third year. What can the Security Council do to ensure that the violence ends and stability returns to the country so that the war does not spread to neighboring states and further distance UN member states from one another? Syria after Assad will be a danger to its own people and its neighbors. Sectarian bloodletting is one risk, loose chemical weapons in the hands of terrorists another, tides of refugees a third. Security solutions The world can’t run away from these dangers. Planning and money are necessary and important in finding a new government. Regional diplomacy, with Turkey and the Arab League to the ancestors, will be required to bring stability to the situation. Peacekeepers and monitors should have an important role. Syrians should not choose another dictator president. This could be the ultimate solution to many problems Syria has suffered from. It should be the right of the citizens of the Syria to choose their own President. This calls above all for presidential talks from the United States of America and Russia. It is very clear that the situation in Syria is similar to a small scale cold war between these two world powers, each with its own plans for the Middle East, expecting to get more stronger and reluctant to agreements.
Bibliography 1. "Timeline: Key Moments in Syrian Crisis." BBC News. BBC, 18 July 2012. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18891150>.
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2. "Syria Profile." BBC News. BBC, 10 Aug. 2013. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldmiddle-east-14703995>. 3. Fantz, Ashley. "UK Joins France in Supporting Syrian Rebel Coalition." CNN. Cable News Network, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/20/world/syria-civil-war>. 4. Reuters.com. N.p., 18 Aug. 2013. Web. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/18/us-syria-crisischemical-idUSBRE97H05220130818>. 5. "United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS)." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unsmis/>. 6. UN.org. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/RES/2043 (2012)>. 7. "Syria: From Stalemate to Compromise : What's In Blue." Syria: From Stalemate to Compromise : What's In Blue. N.p., n.d. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.whatsinblue.org/2013/09/syria-adoption-of-achemical-weapons-resolution.php>. 8. "Syria: No Respite for the Millions Displaced by the Conflict." Amnesty International. N.p., n.d. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE24/031/2013/en/ca196772-fb7d43fe-a1a4- 4b7e281ed779/mde240312013en.html>. This article from Amnesty International provides a description of the conditions and events affecting both internally displaced persons in Syria and Syrian refugees in neighboring states. 9. Hugh Eakin, and Alisa Roth. "Syria’s Refugees: The Catastrophe." New York Review of Books. N.p., n.d. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/oct/10/syriasrefugees-catastrophe/?page=2>. This recent article describes the situation of Syrian refugees and IDPs, both those who are served by the UNHCR and the many others who are unregistered and receive no UN assistance. It also addresses the security challenges faced by aid workers and neighboring countries, such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. 10. "How Syria Conflict Affects Its Neighbours." BBC News. BBC, 06 Sept. 2013. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22815222>. This page includes an overview of the Syrian conflicts’ effects on its neighbors. At the bottom are links to background information, such as how the conflict escalated from protests to its current status and a map detailing the strength of government and opposition groups across Syria. 11. "Syria Publications : Security Council Report." Syria Publications : Security Council Report. N.p., n.d. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/syria/>.
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Security Council Report is a research organization affiliated with Columbia University. From this page you can access a wide variety of Security Council documents about Syria, as well as analyses by Security Council Report of developments in Syria. It is a good place to keep up with what is happening in the situation. 12. "Crisis in Syria." Syria — Uprising and Civil War. N.p., 19 Nov. 2013. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/syria/index.html?8qa>. This page provides a summary of recent developments related to Syria. 13. "Syria Chemical Attack: What We Know." BBC News. BBC, 24 Sept. 2013. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23927399>. This article provides an overview of the weapons attack that occurred in August. In particular it provides evidence regarding the attacks from the UN’s investigation, the attacks impacts, and photos from the attack. 14. "Syria." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. Nov. 2013. <http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=146>. This page from the UN News Centre provides a number of useful links on the topic of Syria. These include recent UN News Centre articles on the topic, information on the Special Envoy to Syria, and links to UN humanitarian agency operations in Syria, such as UNICEF, the WFP, and the UNHCR.
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