Remember When Clinton Called Assad “A Reformer?”
Four years ago today, Hillary Clinton said Syrian presidentBashar Al-Assad was “a reformer” and that he was a “different leader” from his autocratic father.
Clinton earned three Pinocchios from The Washington Post’s Fact Checker for claiming Assad was “a reformer” and her remarks were criticized as giving a “highly misleading impression.”
“In fact, Clinton’s remarks gave a highly misleading impression — that there was general consensus by experts on Syria in both parties that Assad was a reformer, even though Clinton’s own State Department reports label him otherwise.” –Glenn Kessler, The Washington Post
Fast forward to today and Assad’s Syria is consumed by “death, destruction, refugees and sheer horror.” As the Assad regime responds to his people with gunfire, “most major cities have been reduced to rubble.” Just this week, it was announced that the global chemical weapons watchdog will investigate claims of a chlorine gas attack in Syria. And as The Washington Post editorial board pointed out, “the Assad regime’s unchecked slaughter will continue to destabilize the region.”
“Four years ago this week people across Syria began marching peacefully to demand democratic reforms. The country they sought to improve literally no longer exists. In death, destruction, refugees and sheer horror, Syria’s war outstrips any other of this century. That it has faded from public attention reflects not an easing of the crisis, but an abdication by the United States and other powers of their commitments to prevent mass murder.
“Since Bashar al-Assad’s regime first responded to the peaceful demonstrators with gunfire, 6 percent of the prewar population of 20 million have been killed or wounded, and another 23 percent have left the country — including 4 million who live as refugees, according to a U.N.-supported study released last week. Outside of Damascus, most major cities have been reduced to rubble; a study of satellite images shows that 83 percent of the country’s electric lighting has been eliminated.” –Editorial, The Washington Post
“The global chemical weapons watchdog will investigate allegations of a chlorine gas attack on a Syrian village that killed six and wounded dozens earlier this month, a source told Reuters on Thursday.” –Anthony Deutsch, Reuters
“More likely, the Assad regime’s unchecked slaughter will continue to destabilize the region.” –Editorial, The Washington Post
