World press on conflict in Syria (March 25, 2013)

The Guardian published an article today entitled "Syria: the failure
of our so-called international community" by Noble peace laureate
Desmond Tutu.

The author of the article describes the crisis in Syria: "water tanks
are riddled with bullet holes, neighbourhoods are starved, hospitals
are deliberately shelled. These groups ask for nothing more than to
aid Syrians on the right scale, in the open and in safety." The
description is followed by the questions: "What on earth will it take
for this to finally happen? For two years, our so-called international
community has allowed complex power plays to take priority over the
terrible suffering of Syrians. It is so uncaring and cynical. If your
loved ones were trapped there, would you not be moved to act? Would
you care for politics rather than safety in the face of such carnage?"
"In the absence of a political solution, there is simply no excuse for
the lack of concerted, neutral humanitarian efforts to reach the
millions who are suffering everywhere in the country. Surely it is in
the interest of anyone who cares for the future of Syria to keep
families safe and children unscathed?" Desmond Tutu concludes his thoughts.
"Backing up Obama’s warnings to Syria creates tough challenges on two
fronts" is an article published today by the Washington Post.
"The suspicious attack that killed 26 people in northern Syria last
week exposed the difficulty of determining whether the Syrian regime
has resorted to using chemical weapons as well as the lingering
uncertainty over how President Obama would respond if what he has
called a “red line” is crossed," the beginning of the article reads.
"The course Obama intends to take if confronted with proof of a
chemical attack is equally unclear. The Pentagon has prepared
calibrated options, ranging from airstrikes to sending troops to seize
weapons sites. But officials said they haven’t taken the advance steps
necessary to carry out such orders because planning has been hobbled
by concerns about the political backlash to a potential U.S.
intervention as well as struggles to coordinate with regional allies."
"Although Obama has implied that the U.S. response to a chemical
weapons attack would be harsh, the former official said the options
being considered range widely in scale. A chemical attack that causes
relatively few casualties might not prompt any U.S. military
response."
"Internal debates over the level of U.S. retaliation reflect a variety
of concerns, officials said. There are fears that too meek a response
could signal to Assad that he can escalate with impunity."