Air strikes led by the Syrian government have hit eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb of about 400,000 people, despite the 30-day “ceasefire” passed by the UN last Saturday. Approximately 310 civilians, many of them children, have died over the past week. The country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, and his so-called “enablers” in Russia and Iran have, “exploited the battlefield successes against ISIS to unleash a new round of carnage on civilians”, according to the New York Times. This attack is being labeled as one of the most violent episodes of the seven-year war, and the leaders of the world powers are doing nothing to help.

I’m going to start this off by questioning how the hell Assad has not been tried with war crimes. He is murdering thousands of innocent people, and the leaders of Russia and Iran are supplying him with the tools to do so! The United States, as well as other governments, have accused Assad of using chemical weapons in Ghouta and other places in Syria, and the only thing that has been done was an attack last April ordered by President Trump. Not a good retaliation.

The attack on Ghouta has involved rocket fire, shelling, airstrikes and helicopter-dropped barrel bombs that struck not only hospitals but civilian homes and other buildings. Bashar al-Assad and the rest of the Syrian government want the rebels to surrender. So obviously, the only way to get that to happen is by murdering hundreds of innocent people, right Mr. Assad? According to the United Nation’s human rights office, the air attacks were the main cause of deaths, but signs of a ground attack seem apparent.

Russia seems to be having the biggest impact on the power that Assad still seems to possess. The United Nations Security Council has tried to pass Syria-related resolutions that have all failed, because of Russian vetoes. As of recently, a Swedish-Kuwaiti resolution, which, according to the New York Times, “demanded a 30-day cease-fire in Syria so civilians can be resupplied or flee the war zone, seems destined for the same fate”. That didn’t end well since Russia decided to dismiss the resolution as NOT REALISTIC (sighs). The only good thing to happen is Russia losing a considerable amount of credibility from siding with Assad and they are being labeled as “uniquely responsible”.

Finally, the Security Council resolution was approved unanimously Saturday after the repeated delays, called on all parties in Syria to “cease hostilities without delay” to permit the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of critically sick and wounded civilians from besieged communities. In response, Iran’s military chief of staff, General Mohammad Baqeri, said that the cease-fire does not apply to parts of the Damascus suburbs because they are “held by terrorists”.

So, they made a “ceasefire” resolution, and Iran is going to say, “Wait wait wait, let’s not do that for a majority of Damascus because I heard there were terrorist groups there”. Maybe so, but there are also a VERY HIGH MAJORITY of INNOCENT LIVES. But I guess that’s why I’m not Iran’s military chief of staff.

According to BBC News, a relief organization called the Syrian Medical Society, have reported that patients are suffering from symptoms that relate to a chemical attack, which backs up the UN’s allegations on Assad for using chemical weapons, previously. Interesting how that works. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), has been told the same, though it has not yet been confirmed if there was a gas attack. SOHR has reported the casualties are Syrian government forces, mixed with the rebels in the southern areas of Ghouta.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres explains the situation in Ghouta as “hell on earth”.

According to Ricky Zipp, author of Vox, there is a video showing General Suheil al-Hassan, commander of the elite Tiger Forces (Syrian military force), force threatening an attack. He stated, “I promise I will teach them a lesson, in combat and in fire…You won’t find a rescuer. And if you do, you will be rescued with water like boiling oil. You’ll be rescued with blood”. I mean, if that’s not enough evidence to try Bashar al-Assad for war crimes, then I don’t know what is.

Sadly enough, this isn’t the first time Assad has attacked Repeatedly conducting bombing and missile attacks is the same tactic used by the Russia-backed Assad regime during the retaking of Aleppo, one of the largest cities in Syria that was once under rebel control. The Syrian government is closing down supply routes.

According to Vox, “The Syrian government has denied that it is preventing humanitarian organizations from entering Eastern Ghouta. However, the Syrian government has complete control over who is allowed to enter and who is not. The United Nations has made only one delivery to the regions since November 2017, according to a UN official”.

This war began in March of 2011 when Syrians attempted to overthrow the Assad-led government after his security forces killed anti-Assad protesters in Deera. Despite his actions and the accusations from the UN, he still remains in power, from the obvious help from Russia and Iran.