Syrian War & International Law (Part-1)

The people want to topple the regime; the conflict of Syria started with this slogan in the Arab world in the awaking of the Arab Spring. Al-Sham the Middle Eastern state, a part of the Ottoman Empire and the part of the mandatory system under France facing the war situation since 2011. The war starting in 2011 in the context of ‘Arab Spring’ which started in Arab states from 2009. In Syria, this civil conflict stated against the regime and government of Bashar-al-Assad who is the president of Syria and ruled the country since 2000. The revolt started in March 2011 with the slogan of political-economic freedom as well as dignity stand up against their government echoing for a new democratic Syria. Later the country, became the fraction of international players gradually which is the turning point of the Syrian conflict. There are many internal and external dimensions (playing their card) for international and regional dominance in which Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Turkey, Russia, and the US are involved. Besides these the sectarian group of Syrian Kurds, the Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist organization and for terror Islamic State (IS) also involved.

The Syrian issue started to revolt against the president now it's converted to the matter of using chemical weapons. Some groups supported Assad’s regime but far against on it. Since 2011 Syria not only facing the issue of sectarianism or chemical weapons issues but it facing the violation of the humanitarian crisis and the law of war crimes. After World War II (1939-45) massive killing, humanitarian crisis and injustice which was faced by any state it is Syria. The interesting point in Syrian issue is that the law of war crimes is there the law of against war crimes also are there, the regulatory of law bodies also there but there is not in such practice of law in Syria.

In International Relations, international law is the best way to regulate peace. The law is a form of rules and regulations which bound the states in their actions in a particular way and also provided them equal rights in the community of nations. International law was developed with the concept of sovereign states. In International law, the law of war crimes was broadly introduced in the19th and 20^th Century when were applied in warfare between sovereign states as a body customary International law. Although the war crimes law is not new it’s also existed in the early ages but in the full and focused form firstly, it was practiced and adapted at the national level by the USA with the publication of Lieber Code and then in International level with the adaption of conventions; Hague Convention 1899 and 1907.

After World War I (1914-19) the Treaty of Versailles, 1919, defined the punishment against the war crimes. After World War II (1939-1945) major development occurred. In these developments Hague convention 1907, Nuremberg Principles 1945, Geneva Convention 1949, and Customary international humanitarian law were the most important.

 The law of war crimes defined the illegal practices during the war for example rape, child abuse, massive killing, hostage, attack on non-combatant areas, denying of food and medical treatment and the use of chemical and biological weapons too. These activities are illegal and were prohibited during the war. The law of war crimes defined several punishments against the war crimes and against the violation of peace and humanitarian crisis international community is bound to take action.

It is true, that the international community made efforts to make the law effective and set the boundaries for war but it is also true that the law of war crimes lacking in their practices. States violated the laws and international community, commission and Criminal Courts lack to punish them.

Syrian civil war started in 2011 in the environment of the Arab Spring. But now Syria became the 2^nd Cold War between the states with new participants and new style. It is also a religious battleground between Shi’ism and Sunnism (Saudi Arabia and Iran). It is also having another side Syria also became the hub for the international community (Russia and USA) to experience their chemical weapons and for Saudi Arabia, Syria is a way to sell their weapons.

Syrian crisis, during the years, Syrian people have suffered a lot. War crimes became the norms of Syrian society. They are facing massive killings and threats of killing. In Syria, there is a direct violation of human rights and peace but the law against war crimes and the law of human rights lacking in Syria. United Nation tried to solve the conflict, Russia, America with NATO participants tried to initiate peace but all in vain. Because according to various reports many countries in which Russia involved doing war crimes in Syria and on the other side Russia showing their efforts to peace maintain. This is the double side of the countries which for their own purposes didn’t try in full means to solve the dispute and the UN also failed to take any measure regarding the Syrian conflict and against the states for doing humanitarian crises in Syria.