About Syria. I emailed the Independent Middle East reporter, Robert Fisk, but he either does not use email (as reported by Wikipedia, viewed 7/03/2012) or does not use a readily guessable email address at least. Here is what I asked the reporter (slightly edited for clarity). Of course I do realise that the work reporters are doing is more important than replying to unsolicited speculative emails.
If Governments won't listen then such a respected commentator could set out the steps that could be taken which might help the new campaigners like Avaaz in their work. Even a hardened hack who reports rather than makes news needs to help the story sometimes, hopefully to have a happier ending.
Mr. Fisk,
I'd debate or rather discuss the politics with you another time, if you had time, I've always wanted to ask you to just set out about Israel / Palestine what you would do. Ten points. Preferably for the small Liberal UK magazine, Liberator, that I am involved with. I think I can readily guess but you always highlight the negatives and never actually spell out the positive moves that should be taken. You may do in your book which I confess I have not read, but even so I don't think not stating the obvious is helpful when Leaders seem blind to common sense in one region of the World. I believe I would agree with your points but useful if you spell them out.
On Syria I think you can take a lead. I posted the comments below on Facebook after reading your front page featured story today (the Independent, Wednesday 7 March).
Of course you are a journalist but surely if you set out specific steps then people would listen. Or at least it would help Avaaz with their awareness raising work. I don't think Amnesty can do this and groups who should galavanise a broad coalition in the UK like the Stop the War Coalition are fatally damaged by their having destroyed what was a genuinely broad coalition with both political and self-styled religious sectarian always anti-everything posturing.
By chance I read your comments after a University colleague (Liverpool Law School) had screened Hotel Rwanda for our students yesterday.
Yours sincerely,
Kiron Reid.
PS I do realise you don't have time to read unsolicited email given the job you are doing in Beirut.
Facebook post.
'Is Homs an echo of what happened in Srebrenica?'
Alarming, Powerful, Important but not exaggerated. Pages 4-5 of today's (Wednesday's) Independent. The letters in Metro today also put the moral case for intervention, though one illustrates the hypocrisy that could then be alleged as well. In the article comparing Homs with Srebenica Robert Fisk gives clear analysis, unlike in his earlier http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-fearful-realities-keeping-the-assad-regime-in-power-7534769.html pieces when he adopts his other style of pointing out everything that is wrong and only hinting at solutions. The former piece would be better Mr. Fisk if you stated what you think should be done and put it to the people at Avaaz as the added credibility could help achieve action. The usual suspects being anti-intervention and narrowly sectarian only help Leaders dither. [typo corrected]
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