Red Cross Officially Declares Syrian Conflict a ‘Civil War’
- Posted on July 15, 2012 at 8:23am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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AP
GENEVA (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday it now considers the conflict in Syria to be a full-blown civil war, meaning international humanitarian law applies throughout the country.
Also known as the rules of war, international humanitarian law grants parties to a conflict the right to use appropriate force to achieve their aims, and the Geneva-based group’s assessment is an important reference for those parties to determine how much and what type of force they can use. The assessment also can form the basis for war crimes prosecutions, especially if civilians are attacked or detained enemies are abused or killed.
“We are now talking about a non-international armed conflict in the country,” ICRC spokesman Hicham Hassan said.
Previously, the ICRC had restricted its assessment of the scope of the conflict to the hotspots of Idlib, Homs and Hama, but Hassan said the organization had determined the violence has spread beyond those areas.
“Hostilities have spread to other areas of the country,” Hassan told The Associated Press. “International humanitarian law applies to all areas where hostilities are taking place.”
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Comments (69)
Derfel Cadarn
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:47pmWonderful. now we can send in UN troops so they can rape the surviving children. Remember you cannot spell unlawful without UN. America out of the UN NOW !!!
Report Post »castuslonginus
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 2:31pmOne of my favorite characters by a great writer. Derfel.
Report Post »castuslonginus
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 2:38pmOh, and btw I agree,out of the u.n. and the u.n. out of the U.S.
Report Post »old white guy
Posted on July 16, 2012 at 5:59amwho cares what the red cross says. it was a civil war from the get go as was the war in egypt, libya and all the rest. muslims wanting power for a caliphate. carry on.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on July 16, 2012 at 2:13pmIt’sNOT a civilwar…KingO’ says itsa “man-caused dissaster”.
Report Post »ThoreauHD
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:25pmHow about these numbnuts declare war on all the Muslims slaughtering Christians throughout the World.
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:32pmEven Bob Beckle on The Five is furious about the media black out of Muslims killing Christians.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 1:59pmHow about Christians killing Muslims for Jews? We’ve been doing that for years.
Report Post »prd1
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:15pmbama keeps going the direction he’s in …He may very well have a revolution of his own to contend with !
Report Post »hatchetjob
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 3:22pmI doubt it, there’s too many fat, lazy people with gadgets. Every one else has a job busting their humps.
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:08pmI hope that Syrian president detonates a nuke in the middle of their country. One big ole bon fire to fire millions of Muslims. Adios. As long as they keep on killing each other – they are not killing as many Christians.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on July 16, 2012 at 2:16pmMaybe, Iran will send them one of their famouse exploding-rockets to test a nuke with! :-)
Report Post »watersRpeople
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:52amWhy are people looking over there? It‘s so you don’t have to deal with your own stinky rat’s nest. You eat it up, and say “Wow, I‘m glad that’s not here”, but it will be here, because all nations are chock full of lies.
Report Post »watersRpeople
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:47amWhen the world is full of nothing but lies these things tend to happen. When people can’t even call a Holy War a Holy War these things happen. When people can’t label things correctly with a label of truth, look at the truth, eat the truth, deal with the truth – these things happen. Because when the world is full of lies – the truth never gets dealt with and it builds up against the Dam wall – then the Lord knocks that wall down – and away we go.
Report Post »watersRpeople
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:38amBack in 1000 A.D when the Spaniards were battling the Moors to get them out it is said that there was so much blood spilled that people couldn’t even get a footing.
Report Post »watersRpeople
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:36amThat‘s because the agenda driven political correct Red Cross doesn’t want to call it what it really is – a Holy War.
Report Post »slappyhooper
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:00pmReally? How is this a holy war? There’s certainly islamic groups fighting it, but the main body of people fighting are doing so because they’ve been getting shelled, attacked, blown up, butchered and repressed by their government over the last 1.5 years.
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:10pmReally? How is this a holy war?
Report Post »——-
They are fighting also over which muslim sect is better. They’ve been killing each other for hundreds of years. I have ZERO sympathy for the women who get stoned or the people who get their hands cut off. They BELIEVE IN THAT nasty religion. Lay down with dogs – gets fleas. Let them all rot
sickofitinca
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:14pmthere is nothing “Holy” about war. this conflict is about ideology and repression. When the repressed have had enough, they will rise up against their oppressor.
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:34pmIt is a Holy War – kind of. It is God getting rid of Muslims by having them kill each other. Let’s hope they keep it up.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:31amWar on the Web
The Immediate News Framing of Gulf War II
http://www2.fiu.edu/~surisc/war%20on%20the%20web.pdf
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:08amI wish I remembered the name of a book that tried to define war in part statistically. But this will have to do.
Looking at the definition below the Red Cross has a definition or should have one but they did not want to use it. It means accepting the awful truth.
“War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities. Thus, fisticuffs between individual persons do not count as a war, nor does a gang fight, nor does a feud on the order of the Hatfields versus the McCoys. War is a phenomenon which occurs only between political communities, defined as those entities which either are states or intend to become states (in order to allow for civil war)”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/
Report Post »jakartaman
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:55amGood – I was just waiting for the Red Cross to tell me what this killing was all about!
Report Post »Now maybe our dear leader will get us involved in another muslim sh-t hole.
Gonzo
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:49amIf the situation in Libya was so horrendous that we couldn’t stand by and watch, why can we stand by and watch this? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to go into Syria, but I didn’t want to spend money on Libya either. I just want to hear Barry explain the difference between the two conflicts…in his feeble mind anyway.
Report Post »VanceUppercut
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:42am@Gonzo
Libya didn’t have Russia standing right behind them. Also, keep you BS straight. Cons were pissed off that Obama for getting involved in Libya (of course only days before they were chiding him for NOT getting involved), yet now Obama’s an a-hole because he won’t bomb Syria? If he did bomb Syria, you Cons would just do a 180 and slam him for it.
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:24pmObama – like Bush – crawled on his knees and sent our troops to fight another country’s war.
Libya was about OIL. China gets the majority of its oil from Libya – the USA only gets 5%.
The USA owes China trillions so China ORDERED Obama to stop the Muslim spring uprising from interfering with China getting it’s supply of oil.
Neither Bush NOR Obama – made Iraq or Libya PAY US BACK FOR THE COST OF THEIR WAR to American taxpayers. The USA just went into more debt. Trump was right – Bush and Obama were STUPID and should NOT have gone in without assurances we would be reimbursed. .
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:30pmAnd don’t forget France gets the majority of its oil from Libya also.
Obama is desperate for the Euro NOT to collapse before the election. He would have thousands of USA military killed and billions more spent if it meant not disrupting the oil flow to France which would cause a shaky EURO to go down like a stack of cards taking the rest of the Euro with it. Oil prices would spike here also and before an election would be deadly to a sitting president.
Better to send in the troops/billions of dollars a day under the guise of ‘humanitarian”. The Sheeple will believe it even when other countries like Syria face real slaughter and we do nothing (which I agree with)
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 1:31pmVance your reading and comprehension skills are at about a third grade level. I just said I didn’t want to be involved in either conflict.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 1:41pmBTW, I take it then that it’s fine with you that Putin dictates to Obama where and when our military involvement is appropriate?
Report Post »Ted Zeppelin
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:38amIf it’s Muslim against Muslim, I wish them a speedy successful end by running out of people.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:55amYep…..one side is as bad as the other, Anyhoo Obama is getting his wish for more revolutions.
Report Post »KidCharlemagne
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:36amThe arab spring may be moving into Saudi Arabia now too:
—————————————————————-
Saudi Shiites swarm funeral of slain demonstrator, incite violence (video)
By Benjamin Gottlieb
In a rare display of civil disobedience, protesters in Saudi Arabia swarmed the funeral of a man shot dead for protesting the arrest of a well-known Shiite cleric, clashing with security forces and hurling Molotov cocktails late Tuesday, according to news reports and video clips from the eastern part of the country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/saudi-shiites-swarm-funeral-of-slain-demonstrator-incite-violence-video/2012/07/11/gJQA8zihdW_blog.html
Video of Protests and Clashes in Saudi Arabia
—————————————————————-
I don‘t know why FOX News isn’t covering this at all…….they’ve certainly been tipped about it already….
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:39pmA Saudi Prince OWNS a large chunk of Fox News.
Ya think THAT has something to do with why Fox News NEVER covers Muslims killing Christians overseas in India, Russia, Middle East, Africa, Philippines, etc.
This article says 7% is own by Muslim Saudi prince but Fox News cable split with the Fox news print (Wall street journal) so proportionally it may be more now PLUS Murdoch was negotiating to sell more stock to him.
Report Post »http://thinkprogress.org/media/2010/02/10/81482/right-rebels-foxnews/?mobile=nc
Linny
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:32amWhy is Syria trying to fend off? The Muslim Brotherhood?????? Anyone one know?????
Report Post »KidCharlemagne
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:41amAl-Qaeda is trying to overthrow President al-Assad:
——————————————————————-
‘Dead’ al Qaeda’s No 2 backs rebels in Syria
Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 10:56
Libi’s video surprised those expecting a scathing message against the West.
Without any mention of drone attacks, he called on its fighters outside Syria to join the rebels in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad, calling him a “tyrant” and his government a “criminal regime”, according to SITE’s translation.
“We call on our brothers in Iraq, Jordan and Turkey to go to help their brothers. If your revolution was to be peaceful, God would have chosen it that way, but now the illusion of peaceful means after these great sacrifices … would show weakness,” Libi said, addressing Syrians.
Report Post »http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/dead-al-qaeda-s-no-2-backs-rebels-in-syria_781511.html
cassandra
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:11amobama just wants another reason to send more money to the middle east to ensure muslim brotherhood take-over the next on his agenda is the Saudi KINGS
Report Post »Deibido
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:08amThis is an Arab/ Middle Eastern problem. Where are they? Looking to the West to solve it, again, again, again, again, again, again, again….etc., etc.,etc.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:21amThere were many wars in Europe until 1945. Go ahead count them.
However the Muslims have not been trying like the rest of us to go along get along for the last 3 or 4 generations & that is a big difference.
Report Post »historyguy48
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:05amComrades, I am glad that the Red Cross has finally figured out for themselves what we have known for at least the past year!
Report Post »But this Civil War is a complete loser for America, there is no way either side winning can/will benefit us, or Israel!
So how long will it take for Dear Leader to get troops on the ground there? After all, the Muslim Brotherhood are his nearest and dearest friends.
Has your local Mosque had it’s annual sale on bomb vests yet? Better get them before they are hot, because then they go “Boom”!
All Pro
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:48amDear leader already has the CIA employing and arming Al Qaeda to aid the ‘rebels’. What more do you want?
Report Post »Deibido
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:05amKeep us out. No more dying by American’s because these idiots love to kill each other. Let’ them do it! If Obama wants to fight this one he can build a special force of lefties to do the dying. When the lefties are gone, all the better. Win-win!
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:35pmSend Michelle over there.
Report Post »Solidspine
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:02amThey are Muslims, Muslims are not human and will always fight, you can’t change them, it is like trying to change a snake, a snake will always be a snake, Muslims are like snakes
The best thing is to eliminate all Muslims and all snakes
Actually snakes are much better and useful, much more so than Muslims,
Report Post »bikerdogred1
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 9:37amI have a feeling that no one cares what red cross thinks,officially.
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 9:34amLOL. Let the “Red Crescent” take care of them.
Effin funny.
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 9:28amUnless we are going there to utterly wipe out any traces of Islam, then we should just let them all die.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on July 16, 2012 at 2:27pmThey are already doing a great job wiping out all traces of Islam(each-other!). Lettuce seace and dessist gibbin dem moneys…they will go back to throwin stones at each other, and leave us alone.
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 9:13amMore radical leaders in the Middle east, Obama needs to cut off the checks to these people, he has turned his back on our only friend Israel for these violent madmen .
Report Post »thegoldman
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 8:44amLet them kill each other. The more they kill the less we have to worry about !
Remember it’s a religion of peace…
The more dead the more peaceful it will get…
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 10:14amI am hoping that there is a general Sunni-Shia War for two reasons.
First, It would make it harder for them to establish a caliphate & try to subject everyone else in the world.
Second, maybe they will be less bloodthirsty, come up with & follow rules for war nearer our own, & have something like an enlightenment like Europe following the 30 years war (1618-1648).
Report Post »VanceUppercut
Posted on July 15, 2012 at 11:43amAnother good0hearted Christian. They see images of babies with bullet holes in their heads, and they think “One less Muslim in the world. Jesus is love!”
Report Post »