Red-lines criss-crossed as civilians are slaughtered

Yes, the use of chemical weapons on civilians is an affront to humanity. But then so is dropping barrel bombs on innocent people in Aleppo. Yet it takes the deaths of innocents by chemical weapons for hand-wringing politicians and incensed commentators to talk about taking military action –  because red-lines had been crossed.

But, red–lines were crossed when the government forces of Assad began targeting civilians; and, when rebel forces and ISIS decided to use civilians as the materiel of war.

Red-lines, along with lines on maps were drawn a hundred years ago when Britain and France carved up the Middle East ignoring ethnic and tribal differences. Red-lines were drawn when the European powers propped up their favoured puppets to run countries created by arbitrary borders that often cut off and divided tribes and clans.

Red-lines were crossed when the UK and US decided to invade Iraq in 2003. Red-lines were crossed in Libya. Red-lines have been, and continue to be crossed in Gaza and the West Bank today when the brutal IDF and rogue Israeli governments massacre Palestinians.

The horrendous bombing and deaths of innocents a few days ago in Syria is, sadly, yet another red-line crossed. The obscenity of this attack, and the red-line it crossed is that this will not be the last red-line crossed. No, the scenes from Khan Sheikhoun, Damascus and Aleppo will be replayed on another stage in the future; and we’ll hear again about red-lines being crossed.