To understand the betrayal of Syria’s Kurds by President Trump, one needs to have a grasp of the decision makers who today control the affairs of the state in America.
In December 2010, while speaking to the German magazine Der Spiegel, the late former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski shared his very disparaging view of the American people with regard to their knowledge of the world.
The Warsaw-born, Montreal-educated American diplomat said: “Most Americans are close to total ignorance about the world. They are ignorant. That is an unhealthy condition in a country in which foreign policy has to be endorsed by the people if it is to be pursued.”
Brzezinski didn’t stop at the electorate. He referred to their leaders as being “in most cases, stunningly ignorant.”
Hundreds are dead as the Turkish Army ethnically cleanses Kurds with a go-ahead from Trump.
Harsh words that have today seen fruition. Hundreds are dead as Erdogan’s Turkish Army ethnically cleanses Kurds after getting a go-ahead from Trump.
But what about Canadian politicians? Isn’t Canada a NATO country that is witnessing war crimes being committed by a fellow NATO partner?
Other than Elizabeth May of the Green Party and Conservative Andrew Scheer reaction has been either mute, non-existent or made as a mere formality.
Expressing solidarity with the Kurds, Elizabeth May told an impromptu chat with the media: “We know that the Kurdish people are willing to help the world when we need them, but then we abandon them. Bush did it in the early 90s, it’s been done well before then. We know that the Kurdish population is willing to help the world [fight ISIS], but when they need us, we walk away.”
Green Party leader Elizabeth May of the Green Party and and Conservative leader Andrew Scheer have been more outspoken about the Kurdish tragedy than most of their Canadian political colleagues. |
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer too issued a bold statement of solidarity towards the Kurds when he tweeted: “Canadians have long been proud to count the Kurds as allies in the fight against ISIS. I condemn Turkey’s attacks against the Kurds in Syria. These attacks will only further destabilize the region and represent a serious threat to international peace and security.”
The Liberals left the reaction to Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who tweeted her condemnation of Turkey while commending the invaders in the very next breath.
“Canada firmly condemns Turkey’s military incursion into Syria today.”
“This unilateral action risks undermining the stability of an already-fragile region, exacerbating the humanitarian situation and rolling back progress achieved by the Global Coalition Against Daesh, of which Turkey is a member.”
And in conclusion she sent a tweet stating: “We [Canada]commend the important role that Turkey has played in hosting Syrian refugees and stress that legitimate security concerns should be addressed diplomatically and in full respect of international law.”
New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh has been silent on events in Syria. |
If Freeland’s position for the Liberals was a head-scratcher, the absolute and total silence of Jagmeet Singh and the NDP was alarming. I sent a number of requests to the party and to Mr. Singh’s office, asking for their reaction, but did not receive even an acknowledgment of my queries.
Singh’s silence was intriguing because he has been quite vocal on other international controversies. He has not been shy in condemning India and echoing the Pakistan position on the controversy surrounding India’s State of Kashmir and supposed clampdown on civil rights in the territory that has seen Pakistan-sponsored jihadi terrorist activity for decades.
But Kashmir pales before Turkey’s invasion of Syria and the attempted ethnic cleansing of the Kurdish people. Seems ‘foreign affairs’ for Singh is limited to the Indian subcontinent. Killing of Kurds in Syria or the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria or for that matter the uprising in Ecuador and Venezuela just don’t appear on his radar.
Brzezinski’s warning about politicians being “stunningly ignorant” about foreign affairs applies to Canada as well. Beware.
Tarek Fatah, a founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress and columnist at the Toronto Sun, is a Robert J. and Abby B. Levine Fellow at the Middle East Forum.