Opening the Geneva II conference on Syria on Wednesday, President Assad’s Foreign Minister made an offer that apparently couldn’t be refused: if we can reach an understanding, we will allow some aid to reach besieged civilians.
Really? The offer is that the Syrian military, maintaining blockades for months and sometimes taking the assistance meant for the hungry and ill-sheltered, might ease up just a bit?
This is the equivalent of showing up at a house where a man is beating his wife.
The man says to you, “So glad you’re here. If you accept everything that I demand — and if my wife accepts it as well — I’ll stop beating her. Fair trade?”
“This is hypocrisy. This is cynicism. This is deadly.”