The refugee crisis is real, but only because it is now affecting western nations?

“respect for, and protection of,

Syrian sovereignty and territory”

The Syria Solidarity Movement is in solidarity with millions of displaced persons in Syria, Yemen, Palestine, the Middle East, Africa and other conflict zones. It is only appropriate that many of these people now seek refuge in western nations, because the US and Europe and their allies are principally responsible for their dispossession.

Refugees are a consequence of western “regime change” policies, from Iran (1953) to Chile to Nicaragua to Haiti to Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya to Syria, to mention only a few. In all cases, the result is death, destruction and dispossession.

Let us remember that the thousands of refugees risking their lives to reach western shores represent only a tiny fraction of the total displaced. The 4 million that have fled Syria are just one third of the total number of Syrians displaced due to foreign sponsorship of this unnecessary war. At least seven million are living as best they can in government-held territory while western aid organizations ignore their plight and western nations place a cynical embargo on Syria (except for arms to terrorist groups, used to create more refugees).

Let us also remember and hold accountable the mainstream western-dominated media, who distort the facts, demonize the designated “enemy” and rarely question the actions of western governments and their allies. The emotional coverage for Aylan Kurdi should not obscure the fact that this tragedy follows thousands of others. Nor should it be allowed to obscure the foreign sponsorship of the proxy war against Syria which is the cause of this tragedy. The media failure to inform the public about the crimes of western and allied governments is in large measure responsible for permitting terrorist groups to thrive with the support and encouragement of those governments.

We have seen it all before. Today, only a quarter of all Palestinians are living in their native homes and villages, and until the Syrian tragedy they were the largest refugee population on earth. There is much similarity. Both are part of the “Clean Break” plan for the destruction of Middle East nations promoted by Israel, the US and others. In recognition of their shared struggle, more than 1100 Palestinian grassroots organizations and individuals recently issued a declaration of solidarity with their Syrian brothers and sisters.

The Syria Solidarity Movement believes that a compassionate solution to the problem consists in

1.  Providing humanitarian support for all persons seeking refuge from war and conflict.
2. Ending the deadly interference of the USA, western states and their allies in the internal affairs of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other sovereign nations as required by the UN Charter and international law.
3. Enforcing End User Agreements attached to the sales of arms to other nations, requiring them not to make those arms available to other users.
4. Sanctioning and boycotting Israel until it ends its blockade of Gaza and permits all Palestinian refugees and displaced persons and their families to return their homes, with compensation for loss and damages, as required by UN Resolution 194.
5. Making restitution to all persons harmed by interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

The purpose of these measures is not only to bring relief to those who have been made homeless and destitute, but also an end to the policies and practices that create such refugees.