Innocent at First Glance

Shirley Sotloff is the mother of American hostage journalist Steven Sotloff, who has been threatened with execution at the hands of the Islamic State. Her television message revealed once again the weakness and deterioration the Obama administration has reached. At the same time, it shows American citizens’ lack of trust in what this administration says about fighting terrorism and the security of its citizens.

Otherwise, how would the family of the victim ask an internationally recognized terrorist to show mercy? This terrorist believes in such criminal acts against humanity as we can see now in Syria and Iraq. This terrorist does not know anything but beheading his victims.

This terrifying scene in our region and the world, which comes from the building up and predominance of terrorism and the shedding of innocent blood in the East and the West, is openly threatening to everyone, even to its sponsors and instigators. And in front of the same scene, many questions were raised about the nature of this nightmare and its sources and connections; many answers came from research centers and specialists.

An announcement has been made by the Americans, and their European and regional allies, who tremble in fear, about their attempts to form a coalition of international and regional anti-terrorism and anti-extremism on the basis of U.N. Security Council resolution 2170.

The seemingly innocent American/European declaration is tainted by suspicion and short-sightedness at first glance. It is wrapped in selectivity and selfishness, because it prepares a solid ground for an alliance that fights terrorism in one region, yet ignores countries who have been confronting this terrorism for a long time. Especially when they have made great sacrifices in this confrontation, sacrifices of their children’s blood and their public and private property.

The first country who sacrificed is Syria, which has always emphasized its readiness to cooperate and coordinate on regional and international levels to implement resolution 2170, in the framework of respect for sovereignty and its independence.

It is a dangerous cancer which will eat everything and everybody if the recruitment and funding continues. This cancer cannot be eliminated by the begging of American citizens through the screens, nor in the selective implementation of the U.N. resolution. It can be eliminated by unifying the international community and its seriousness, as well as the involvement of the countries concerned, especially Syria.